Jacket BCD vs BP/W set up

[Carribeandiver]

It seems that the majority of posters on this forum are very experienced divers. Dive Masters, Instructors, Tech Divers, DIRers (whatever that is) and recreational divers with a gazillion dives or more.
I have never made a dive wearing a back inflated BC and have come to use all those pockets in my jacket style BCD. ( I have a Scuba Pro Glide Plus). I cant imagine diving with this and that hanging off my BC and isnt that how it is done with a BP/W set up?
Also, it seems logical that underwater a back inflated BC would be better because the floatation is on your back and more suited to horizontal diving. But, what other advantages does a BP/W have over a jacket style BC?
And dont mention that the Plate lessens the need for weight, the jacket style BC I am referring to is weight integrated and if not, a weight belt offsets the weight of the Plate.
So please, tell me why seemingly everyone recommends BP/W configurations?

 

[Rainer]

I won't bother addressing the benefits of a BP/W (covered in many posts already), but as for pockets, all divers I know with such setups (myself included) make liberal use of our thigh pockets. In fact, I can fit A LOT more gear in these pockets (x-shorts for diving wet and attached pockets when diving dry) than I ever could in my Zeagle Ranger. Not only that, but these thigh pockets are MUCH easier to access than the Zeagle pockets were.

 

[scubafool]

Jacket style or BP/W, don't allow stuff to dangle and hang everywhere. It can hang up on stuff, it creates drag in currents or while swimming, it is confusing trying to locate a particular item, it tempts dive buddies into outright thievery while underwater, etc. On a typical dive, I carry two reels and a spool, three lights, 2 Zknives, a spare mask, 2 line cookies and 3 line arrows, and I keep it all nice and neat and tucked.

And I "will" mention the plate lessening the need for weight on a belt. The plate moves weight from a belt around the hips or the lower weight pockets of an weight integrated(which is below your lungs and the air cell of the BC) to a plate (which is more or less directly above your lungs and central to the air cell of the BC). For many people in many situations, this will make trimming out horizontally easier, but not for all people in all situations.

When it comes to stability, a metal plate covering most of your back on a properly fitted harness will have very little movement underwater, keeping your tank solidly connected to you. This was the most immediate and dramatic positive effect I noticed.

 

[Alex777]

<< And dont mention that the Plate lessens the need for weight, the jacket style BC I am referring to is weight integrated and if not, a weight belt offsets the weight of the Plate. >>

But, there's a big difference - a stainless steel back plate distributes the weight evenly across your back; weight belts & BC-integrated weights cluster it at your waist. It's an advantage - really.

 

[MSilvia]

The biggest advantages for me are the configurability and simplicity. I'm a big guy, but I frequently have much smaller friends borrow my gear, either when they are just starting out, or when they are interested in trying out a backplate. If I was diving in an XL (or other fixed size) jacket or BI BCD, I wouldn't be able to help them. My BP/Ws however will fit them just as well as they fit me (perhaps with a little extra webbing sticking out of the buckle), so the size of the other diver isn't an issue. Aside from the adjustability of the size, I can adjust or customize the positions of all my D-rings, accessories, and attachment points. With any of the BCs I've used in the past, I haven't been able to do that... the D-rings are where they are, and there usually wasn't an uninterrupted piece of webbing I could slide anything on to (or off of)without running into a folded and stitched piece or permanently attached plastic buckle that wouldn't fit through the hardware. With the hogarthian harness I have, I can decide where and how many rings I want, how and where I want my lights and cutting tools mounted, if and how I want additional pockets and accessories attached, etc. It's set up the way I want it, not the way the gear designer at the factory decided (incorrectly in my experience) I want it. I've never owned a BC I haven't ended up modifying in some way, but the BP/W is the only style I've owned that's intended to be customized. It's easy to adjust, customize and size, but it's also easy and inexpensive to repair. It also packs smaller than any of my old BCs.

That aside, it's a very simple system. When I have it on, I hardly notice it. There isn't any bulky cummerbund, chest strap, or other garbage cluttering up the front... just an inflator hose, two D-rings with lights, a belt buckle, and a cutting tool. I hardly notice the webbing, and although you don't want to hear about the weighting, I like that I don't need to use integrated weights OR a weight belt to be properly weighted when wearing it. For me, the less bulky crap I have to deal with, the better, and having the weight of the plate and lift of the wing centered above my lungs lets me adjust trim by adjusting the bend in my knees, rather than by adjusting the placement of my now non-existant trim weights.

 

[dcdev]

The (good) setups I've seen don't have things hanging off, things are clipped but then bungied out of the way so they don't flop around. Take a look at a DIR setup and how the spare lights are mounted: flush along the straps.
I just invested in a BP/W setup because I found that with my jacket BC I had too much flopping around, and getting stuff into / out of the pockets was a pain while trying to maintain buoyancy, etc. Then I saw how organized the BP setups could be (while leaving the front uncluttered). I also did get an "add-on" pocket just in case I need to stuff something away that can't be clipped.
And also I *did* want to move some weight off my belt - sorry, I know you didn't want to hear that

 

[*Floater*]

You can add all sorts of pockets to the bp/w harness if that's what you want, I have 1 or 2 small weight pockets on mine when I need them (and when I don't I can take them off). Thigh pockets are better imo.

 

[Wayward Son]

Thigh pockets would be great. I dive weight & I guess x-shorts are the fix for that, but they seem to have stopped making them. I haven't seen any for sale in quite a while.

 

[*Floater*]

For the OP, take a look: http://www.diveriteexpress.com/bcs/pockets.shtml

Pockets for all your needs.

And weight pockets/systems here: http://www.diveriteexpress.com/bcs/weights.shtml

Oxycheq, OMS and Halcyon sell similar products.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Also, it seems logical that underwater a back inflated BC would be better because the floatation is on your back and more suited to horizontal diving. But, what other advantages does a BP/W have over a jacket style BC?

So please, tell me why seemingly everyone recommends BP/W configurations?

Not everyone does. I recommend whatever someone is comfortable with and what direction they plan on taking in diving. As for the back inflation being better underwater. If you are properly weighted and trimmed a jacket will keep you just as horizontal as a bp/wing. Whatever you're comfortable with, go for it.