Going from BP-wing to Jacket BCD ...

[Firefyter]

Contrary to popular belief, a BP is just a place to hang your tank, and the only way it would make anybody a better diver is if the were improperly trimmed or over-weighted with the jacket BC.

I've personally never said that it made you a better diver, however my personal opinion is that a BP/W is a much better piece of equipment, for a variety of reasons ranging from versatility of application to custom fit.

Neither is significantly better than the other, and are simply trade-offs in horizontal stability vs the ability to hang in any position.

Where's the trade off? I have horizontal stability and can hover in any position both with a BP/W. Actually, if that's the logic you want to stick with, you've just proven that the BP/W is better

 

[Nemrod]

The crotch strap (I like mine 'snug' ) is instrumental when, on the surface, for translating 'lift' into elevating your head 'high' in the water. It's not so much a B/P versus poodle jacket issue as it is a crotch strap versus no crotch strap issue.

I still have a waist, when I cinch my waist strap down the wing/plate does not ride up, there is no need for me to tighten the crotch strap up or even to have my shoulder straps tight--as long as my waist strap is pulled snug. I can, however, see how riding up can be an issue with some folks, in which case they will need to cinch the crotch strap down. I never said my wing/plate rides up and it doesn't.

N

 

[kanonfodr]

If it keeps you from sinking to your doom, then it works good enough. Everything after that is just details.

That being said, as a BP/W owner, I'm thinking I need to try a rec bcd again to verify my choice or see if there is really no difference at all. Who knows? I may become one of the 1% who go from BP/W to BCD and never look back. I doubt it, tho. I love my BP setup.

Peace,
Greg

 

[gcbryan]

The anti-BCD crowd is just the DIR crowd for the most part.

Not seeing them on dive boats in resort areas doesn't mean anything one way or the other. Most of those people have never been exposed to or even heard of a BP/W.

As far as people switching back I guess it would depend on why you got a BP/W in the first place. If you didn't know why you were getting the BP/W then I suppose when it didn't fix all of your ills you could decide to switch back.

If you knew what you liked about BP/W's before you bought one then there would be little reason I suppose to switch back.

I didn't like the dangling shoulder straps on my BC, didn't see the usefulness of the chest strap, didn't like the cummerbund and did like the way that you could route the SPG with a BP/W and liked the way you could carry backup lights. I also liked the crotch strap feature. I liked the ability to sling a bailout bottle.

I knew about all of those things before I bought the BP/W and wasn't expecting it (or needing it) to do anything else. Since nothing has changed there would naturally be no reason for me to go back.

I agree it is comical to see BP/W's recommended as the solution to problems that they couldn't possible solve.

 

[halocline]

The aniti-BCD crowd is just the DIR crowd for the most part.

That may have been years ago, but it no longer is. The jacket BC was an invention of the dive gear industry that's emblematic of many of the bad qualities that plague modern recreational dive gear design. It's basically a life jacket with tank straps that feels nice and cozy in the dive shop, where purchasing decisions are made, and mostly serves beginners in class who are spending half their time on the surface. It was designed to sell, not actually perform well while diving.

BTW, the divers I've seen struggling at the surface have all been wearing jacket BCs. It's a little ironic.

I'm almost always leery of "gear as solution" scenarios, but in this one case, I feel that new divers are subjected to a bad gear idea in the first place, and removing the obstacle of the bad gear immediately makes diving easier. I've seen this over and over again. My first dive with a steel backplate was a revelation, because the tank was coupled to my back in a stable manner and weight distribution (ballast located between the two primary sources of buoyancy) was balanced.

 

[RJP]

I'm one of them. Sold both harnesses, plates and wings and bought a Zeagle Escape, which is what I dive with now.

And by the way, I just came back from San Diego diving the Yukon, and of the 13 divers none used a BP/wing.

Adam

I think I saw a thread on that...

"13 Divers Perish on The Yukon"

 

[spectrum]

That being said, as a BP/W owner, I'm thinking I need to try a rec bcd again to verify my choice or see if there is really no difference at all. Who knows? I may become one of the 1% who go from BP/W to BCD and never look back. I doubt it, tho. I love my BP setup.

Peace,
Greg

Might be but it's very scenario dependent.

I have stated I am pretty neutral between mu Avid and BP&W.

My wife on the other hand who now dives a DSS singles rig loathes looking at her Diva LX.

Aside from models being in the right size is essential to compare formats.

Pete

 

[mksmith713]

I remember back when I did my OW cert, the instructors were told by the shop owner that they SHOULD use a jacket style BCD while teaching because that's what the students were using and it would help avoid confusion.
My instructor didn't follow directions and used a BP/W and I'm glad he did.
It sparked an interest in me that led to me trying and switching to a BP/W.
I did initially own a jacket style but BP/W is more customizable with upgrade options a jacket style simple doesn't offer.
They also disassemble and pack smaller for easier travel.

 

[Nemrod]

The last three trip I have taken I have been overweight on my bags. Coming back this time I was 12 pounds over the 50 pound limit on one bag and three pounds over on the other, I already had a stuffed computer backpack and a carry on camera case.

I hate to tell y'all but carrying around a thick steel plate would be the same as leaving the lead weights in your integrated BC or carrying a loaded weight belt around in your dive bag. With the over charges now and the increasing limitations on travel carry on both wings and conventional BC need a serious redesign.

As to the weight belt, I have for years used weight belts and I have come to a conclusion recently that for warm water, low exposure protection diving, I am going integrated, even with my wings.

On this trip just past I rolled upside down to shoot a pic of this lady diver:

Well, my weight belt fell off. So, no big deal, meanwhile I then saw this turtle about 30 feet away:

So now, where did I put that weight belt? So, I go looking for it, I float up, I swim back down, yada, yada, oh, there it is! So now I have to put my 4,000 dollar camera rig down on the sand bottom to reinstall my weight belt! WTH, I don't have time for this BS, I am getting some DR weight pouches on my wing. Of course, I was not diving a wing, I had a military harness and a horsecollar:

But the weight belt issue applies regardless. Aside from that, the equipment needs to be made light weight and folding or roll up and the weight needs to go in at the destination, a steel plate may be OK for local diving via automobile but not going to work in the modern travel circumstance. The new integrated travel BCs like the Zuma and Equator as examples fold up and have very little built in buoyancy (padding) and trim and dive nicely and are very light weight and compact when packed down.

The horsecollar, well, I put the cloth military tank harness in the pocket, then I roll it up and strap the weight belt around it. Packed down it is about the size of a rolled up pair of jeans or a little larger and weighs but a few pounds.

N

 

[Hatul]

I think I saw a thread on that...

"13 Divers Perish on The Yukon"

And in the last moment the rescue team, flying in from the sky on their BP/wings save the day. When back on board everyone gives thanks to God for creating the BP/wing.

A Scubaboard soap opera.