Hybrid vs. BP/W vs. Jacket
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My wife suggested she try split fins the other day.
I think it’s going to take some marriage counseling to navigate this one.
I think it’s going to take some marriage counseling to navigate this one.
I hope @MavinMarv reads this before he dumps his non-diving girlfriend. It would be some karma to then wind up dating a diver who insists on gear that makes all the cool kids point and laugh at you.
Now I'm gonna end up trying one any buying one. Worse yet how to explain it to my husband.
My friend Andy has been using a horse collar for longer than most divers have been alive. He finally retired this one and replaced it with another horse collar.
My spouse/regular dive buddy has a jacket BCD and a selection of hybrids - he loves his hybrids and hates his jacket. He started with a ScubaPro hybrid, tried out a jacket after I got certified, and just never liked the jacket. His current favorite is a Mares bolt.
I have a jacket style that I got and certified using - it works well enough but it's too bulky for me. I have an old shoulder injury which doesn't impact diving except in the area of flexibility so getting into the jacket is painful and awkward. In addition, I certified in cold water (7mm wetsuit with 7mm topper... 14mm of wetsuit) and the jacket had to work and fit well over the suit and provide enough lift for all the weights I had to wear - the jacket fits well when I'm diving cold, but is way too big for me if I'm in a 3mm suit or thinner, so it's pretty unstable for warm diving. I'm tired of renting whenever I do warm diving (because my own is too big), and I absolutely hate how bulky the jacket style is and the amount of drag it causes.
I recently switched to a Hollis bp/w with an aluminum plate and currently have it set up with a single tank adaptor.
I like tinkering with things, so the setup and adjustment has been a lot of fun for me while making me even more familiar with my gear - my spouse prefers the ease of having everything ready to go with minimal effort so has no interest in a bp/w.
It's really all about figuring out what works for you and what type of diving you are interested in doing. My spouse is keeping his 4 or so BCDs because they are all useful for different things (travel, cold water, pool stuff, and so on). I prefer to have a bp/w because I can adapt it for whatever I am doing but I am keeping my jacket in case I decide I'd rather use it for whatever reason in the future.
Don't be afraid to try gear out - rent different types, borrow from other divers you know, and go with whatever works best for you and your dive goals.
I have a jacket style that I got and certified using - it works well enough but it's too bulky for me. I have an old shoulder injury which doesn't impact diving except in the area of flexibility so getting into the jacket is painful and awkward. In addition, I certified in cold water (7mm wetsuit with 7mm topper... 14mm of wetsuit) and the jacket had to work and fit well over the suit and provide enough lift for all the weights I had to wear - the jacket fits well when I'm diving cold, but is way too big for me if I'm in a 3mm suit or thinner, so it's pretty unstable for warm diving. I'm tired of renting whenever I do warm diving (because my own is too big), and I absolutely hate how bulky the jacket style is and the amount of drag it causes.
I recently switched to a Hollis bp/w with an aluminum plate and currently have it set up with a single tank adaptor.
I like tinkering with things, so the setup and adjustment has been a lot of fun for me while making me even more familiar with my gear - my spouse prefers the ease of having everything ready to go with minimal effort so has no interest in a bp/w.
It's really all about figuring out what works for you and what type of diving you are interested in doing. My spouse is keeping his 4 or so BCDs because they are all useful for different things (travel, cold water, pool stuff, and so on). I prefer to have a bp/w because I can adapt it for whatever I am doing but I am keeping my jacket in case I decide I'd rather use it for whatever reason in the future.
Don't be afraid to try gear out - rent different types, borrow from other divers you know, and go with whatever works best for you and your dive goals.
Love it. 100% agree
I switch between BP/w, Jacket and SM. I've even alternated them all over a weekend of teaching.
I love my jacket, easy and quick to don, lost of pockets to stash stuff and no fuss. Heck I've even tech dived it. I was at a dive centre, it was all I had and the opportunity for a 50m dive came up. I lased an AL 80 of deco and another of redundant back gas to the jacket and splashed.
The newly qualified "tech divers" really did get their knickers in a twist at that one, but it did prove a leaning exercise for them, that holding a stop, motionless was all about diver skill not equipment.
There are times (for me) where a jacket is unsuitable, say in my Drysuit where I can't easily distribute the weight (I'm sure I could if I really tried or brought a harness)
I tell people to chose what is most comfortable, and suits their current diving needs the best. Gear to grown into? Not so much, buy it when you need it. You never know whats down the road and what your needs and desires (as well as tech) are at that time
Maybe you’ll see soon a new thread “breaking up with boyfriend because he is using a jacket BCD and split fins” ?
(not being serious here)
link: Dating/Breakup With a Non-Diver.
Hoag
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IMHO, there is a reason why there are several different types of BCDs. That would be because different types appeal to different people. This can definitely be influenced by the type of diving the person does. After I got certified, I wanted to buy all of my own gear, and to be honest, low cost was one of my highest priorities. I bought a Sherwood Caymen jacket style BCD. It was low cost, and totally functional, but after one trip, I realized that although it was functional, it was not the right choice for me. After I did more research and a few pool sessions, I replaced it with a back inflate BCD. I went through several of those as my needs changed and eventually ended up with a light weight travel back inflate BCD called a Cressi Air Travel. While it was great to travel with, it was also about 4-5 pounds positively buoyant. The first 4 pounds of lead I added was simply to get the BCD neutral. After that, I moved on to an aluminum BP/W set up. For now, it meets my needs, but if my personal history has shown, there is a high probability that my needs might change and someday, something else may be more appropriate.
My point is, look around and get what works for you, not necessarily what works ideally for somebody else and expect that over the years, your needs and your BCD will probably change. Having said that, my recommendation would be to start with a good quality back inflate BCD.
My point is, look around and get what works for you, not necessarily what works ideally for somebody else and expect that over the years, your needs and your BCD will probably change. Having said that, my recommendation would be to start with a good quality back inflate BCD.
Whatever you decide on, do consider trying a crotch strap.
As with a proper harness for a bp or sm harness, even a bcd will be more stable and comfortable with one.
They are not pulled tight but they eliminate the need for a tight elastic strap around the waist and won't ride up. I haven't tried a bp/w but my sm harness just feels like a belt on my hips. Underwater, i don't even feel that. It's the freest I've felt on scuba.
I also think using the appropriate wing size is worth the trouble.
Cheers
As with a proper harness for a bp or sm harness, even a bcd will be more stable and comfortable with one.
They are not pulled tight but they eliminate the need for a tight elastic strap around the waist and won't ride up. I haven't tried a bp/w but my sm harness just feels like a belt on my hips. Underwater, i don't even feel that. It's the freest I've felt on scuba.
I also think using the appropriate wing size is worth the trouble.
Cheers
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