first dive with BPW

[ScubaSteve85]

I need to find an electronic chip that I can surgically implant and it sends out a wifi jamming signal when my blood alcohol hits like 0.05 so I stop online drunk ordering stuff!

Please share a link when you find this!!

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv the main objection to WAI at that point was no one had a computer that any of us would use without AI and then with AI it was priced over a Petrel so it didn't make sense. Now the Perdix AI is a computer we'd all use and isn't that much more expensive, so the arguments against it are still against every non Perdix ;-)

My Atom 3.0 came with the transmitter, all brand new for $550. Way less than a Shearwater at the time (or now). People still argued against it.

@stuartv interesting read. Thank you. I have no standard backplate experience and was ready to reply that the Freedom Contour will fit and function much the same as your Hydros by conforming to the back as well but I thought you had one as well. Then I saw your full disclosure I normally use a crotch strap but forgot to replace it after rerigging my FP for my recent Cozumel trip. (Love the red webbing) The only time it seemed to make any difference was on the surface with the wing partially inflated.

I have come to realize that my FC plate is awesome, comfortable, and super stable. But, for my body, the shape of the FC plate concentrates more of the weight down towards my hips. I tend to be foot-heavy in single tank anyway, and the FC accentuates that. Even with Deep6 Eddy fins (which are very nearly neutral), my feet want to sink. I don't use/need/want any extra lead with that plate, so I end up moving my tank (normally, an HP100) up as high as I can. The result is that if the tank is up high enough to where I hit my head on it a bit too easily, I can just about have good trim without any sculling of my fins.

With the Hydros, there is no weight (it being neutral). I can have my tank down lower, where I don't hit my head on the 1st stage, and still have good trim effortlessly and without adding extra weight. In fact, when I was experimenting last weekend, I determined I actually need to try my F1 LT fins with the Hydros, to not tip forward.

Great post @stuartv. Not sure how many bcd will allow you to purchase just the harness if that part fails.

Right. I think the Aqualung Outlaw does. And then, of course, the Hydros does.

 

[leadduck]

I would still totally recommend a BP/W to anyone. But, a major part of the reasoning for that is cost.

I often hear the cost argument the other way round: Divers preferring a cheap jacket for mono tank diving, that comes with a comfort harness, pockets, integrated weight system (lead pockets). An Aqualung Pro HD costs 280€ over here (Germany). A Halcyon Eclipse MC is 760€, a Dirzone Cub Arctic Wing Set is 500€. Cheaper are Tecline Donut Wing Set Mono for 460€, or a Polaris XT40 wing set for 370€, and those come without comfort harness, no pockets, no integrated weights. In the eyes of most vacation divers, BP/W means less comfort and more expensive.

 

[stuartv]

I often hear the cost argument the other way round: Divers preferring a cheap jacket for mono tank diving, that comes with a comfort harness, pockets, integrated weight system (lead pockets). An Aqualung Pro HD costs 280€ over here (Germany). A Halcyon Eclipse MC is 760€, a Dirzone Cub Arctic Wing Set is 500€. Cheaper are Tecline Donut Wing Set Mono for 460€, or a Polaris XT40 wing set for 370€, and those come without comfort harness, no pockets, no integrated weights. In the eyes of most vacation divers, BP/W means less comfort and more expensive.

I can see that. But, my response is that those people aren't shopping "smart". Comparing a Halycon BP/W to a cheap jacket is about as apples-to-oranges as it gets. A Dive Gear Express single tank BP/W is USD$299, and they ship internationally....

Whether prefer a comfort harness or a harness with no padding, pockets or no, integrated weights or no, is all personal. Some want all that. Some specifically want to NOT have any of that. Personally, I don't want any of that. That's one reason I like the Hydros so much. Put on the travel waist belt and it's sort of "best of both worlds".

 

[KentB]

@KentB glad you aren't afraid of the learning curve! it is very much there, and one of the biggest issues with bpw's is making sure the harness is set up properly. Especially as people are coming from jacket style bc's where you need to cinch the shoulders down pretty tight, it's tough to get used to the loose shoulders but they really should be loose enough to get a full fist under. On mine I can get my full fist under with my thumb/index touching my chest and pinky touching the webbing. It makes the rig sit a bit low when walking around, but once in the water you will be sitting on the crotch strap at the surface and it comes up to where it is supposed to be.
Once horizontal on descent, you resnug the waist strap up at your natural waist and your shoulder straps literally do nothing other than provide a place to clip stuff off so long as your are horizontal and not rolled over. It is super liberating

The dump takes a bit of getting used to if you are used to dumping with your head up and it's very weird on blue water ascents, but you get used to it pretty quickly. You also never need to "bent" the hose where the mouthpiece is facing up. You only need to get it sticking straight forward as "bending it up" only increases the amount of strain on the hose and the water coming into the wing. It's something most instructors teach incorrectly by showing the inflator going up over your head, but that's incorrect form. On ascent, you'll also learn some tricks over time to use the wing as a constant volume device where you hold the dump button and move the inflator up and down a little bit to allow you to maintain a constant ascent rate

thank you! will try that next time. although it will sadly be a few weeks before I can get back in the water

Never used one. Never needed one. I've had 4 BCs over 30 years and never felt any one was loose or ill fitting where I felt I need another place to strap down to my body. And as someone who dives half the year in just boardshorts and a rashguard, I don't want anything bunching up the boys down there.

You know, there's no need to be so disparaging.

The point I'm making is that, in my most humble opinion, a crotch strap is a solution for a problem that a well fitting BCD doesn't have. Therefore, if it doesn't solve a problem, it only adds complexity.

ETA: I'm talking specifically for single tank rec diving only.

these are the kinds of posts I was referring to earlier you have formed an opinion on something that you admit you have never used and have zero experience with.

Happiness isn't money, it's the amount.

In all fairness, if I dropped over a grand on an aircell and tank harness, I'd be pretty disappointed no matter how it performs. For that amount I'd expect it to walk itself to the boat in the morning and carry the rest of my junk too.

money is relative. a 1/2 decent income and single with no kids leaves more money for fun and toys than the same income supporting a family with a stay at home mom and 1,2,3,4 kids. not that either senerio is better for everyone but it sure makes a difference for your disposable income.

also it seems A LOT of people on SB are instructors or affiliated through shops so they also get a better price than myself as a "walk in" customer.

 

[KentB]

I can see that. But, my response is that those people aren't shopping "smart". Comparing a Halycon BP/W to a cheap jacket is about as apples-to-oranges as it gets. A Dive Gear Express single tank BP/W is USD$299, and they ship internationally....

Whether prefer a comfort harness or a harness with no padding, pockets or no, integrated weights or no, is all personal. Some want all that. Some specifically want to NOT have any of that. Personally, I don't want any of that. That's one reason I like the Hydros so much. Put on the travel waist belt and it's sort of "best of both worlds".

thats pretty much a great summary.
I have a full back piece thatI sat a long time for, it wasn't cheap. that little bit of padding whether it does anything or not was "worth it" for my piece of mind

 

[Marie13]

@KentB

Establish a relationship with a shop as a regular customer and you may very well get some discounts. That’s what’s happened in my case.

 

[dmaziuk]

money is relative.

Yes. As in, a thousand bucks is three times more than three hundred no matter how many kids you don't have.

 

[Coztick]

Yes. As in, a thousand bucks is three times more than three hundred no matter how many kids you don't have.

I can relate but some drop $1000 on pair of sunglasses, $10000 on a watch, $100000 on a car, $1000000 on a house or cottage...

 

[dmaziuk]

Well, with houses at least it's mostly about location, so you don't get much choice in the price; you can only choose to live elsewhere. With the rest of it, it's the expectations: as long as you're buying a $1,000 pair of shades in order to have a $1,000 pair of shades, that's perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned. Buying a $1,000 pair of shades and complaining they didn't bring warmed-up slippers to your bed in the morning is where I draw the line.