*Ahem.*
I never said that I loved DM's - or hated them. :biggrin2:
But you can betchoass that they ain't touchin' my life support. And it'll be a cold day in the Devil's lair when I PAY one to come on board and touch my life support.
Of course, your opinion may differ... But I suggest that if you feel you need a DM, you instead spend your money in class, gaining the skills for yourself.
This isn't directed at anyone in particular - and yes, people have already told me that my attitude is arrogant. Sorry if it comes across that way - I'm simply allergic to trusting random individuals with my life.
The last time I was on a boat, I tipped the DM to NOT touch my gear. :biggrin:
RE: The argument about bp/wings vs. the ScubaPro Stab jacket... I agree with e1... The ScubaPro Classic Plus is also one of my favorites... Although I still prefer a correctly weighted bp/wing (with only the necessary weight in it). I can think of some other really good BC's too, and I personally don't believe that diving them is going to get you killed, like I hear people spouting.
But e1's got a very interesting point about "bubble" placement and it's resulting shift in center of buoyancy. I personally believe that the best way to deal with this is to minimize the size of the bubble (and therefore the force it creates) while minimizing how far it can move from my center of gravity. However, an interesting alternative is to simply allow the bubble to move anywhere it wants, unobstructed, in hopes that it will never have the chance to force the diver into an unnatural position, creating an "opinionated" BC.
...Two schools of thought... You know, like Coke and Pepsi. I prefer one, and have lots of reasons... But I can see that only some agree - and those that don't have their reasons as well.
If you feel so inclined, you may want to read an article I wrote about the "opinionated BC" phenomenon at
http://www.DeepSouthDivers.org/homeBC.html Be warned beforehand that it speaks in absolutes - it shows examples of full BC's and empty BC's, when in reality a BC is rarely completely full or empty. It also doesn't show a tank's shift in buoyancy, the whole reason why a BC was created in the first place. Nonetheless, with a couple of examples and a basic explanation, a reader should be able to apply the concepts to just about any rig and be able to guesstimate the results. So in that light, the article may help explain some basic concepts and why opinions vary so greatly on different types of BC's.
Good luck with your decision. I think you've made a great choice, but that's how *I* feel - which I found out for myself after many dives in many different types of BCs. I would agree that it's best to rent a lot and try a lot of different things out before buying.
...But it's also my belief that the more you look and try, the more you'll believe that your initial decision was correct to begin with. :biggrin: