Need a Teacher for BP/W setup

[jared w]

I just finished my open water certification in Cozumel and decided to get myself a set of gear. After much research it seemed that many of the more experienced guys switched to BP/W set ups so I ordered one from the get go. The problem is that I don't know much about how to use them, set up the harness, how to weight, etc.

If anyone is interested in showing me the ropes I'd appreciate it. I live in Boulder, am quite safety minded, am WFR certified, and happy to learn.

Thanks,
Jared

 

[ABQdiver]

I'm sure there is someone in your area that will be happy to help. It's does seem intimidating at first, but it's really a very simple system. I'd love to help, but the travel would kill you......

This might help you to get started.

 

[roakey]

To find BP&W training or mentoring at this point in time it's best to look at dive shops that have technical programs. Let me quickly add that back plates are not technical gear, but that's where you'll find people most knowledgeable about the system.

Two shops off the top of my head that offer technical training in Colorado are Flatirons SCUBA in Denver (Flatirons SCUBA) and Diver's Reef in Colorado Springs (Divers Reef). I can’t speak to Flatirons, but the technical instructor at Diver’s Reef has a DIR mentality and doesn’t mess around trying to accommodate Rangers, etc. in his technical classes; he requires BP&W setups. I don’t know if Diver's Reef offers any kind of training or mentoring for entry backplate divers but it’s worth a call. In the interest of full disclosure I’ll admit that I’m partial to this instructor because he and I have been cave diving buddies for almost a decade now.

Feel free to PM me for more info if you’d like.

Roak

Ps. Welcome to the board; you might want to fill out your profile so you don’t have to tell us where you’re located in the body of your message.

 

[stairman]

Back plates are technical gear.Having one doesnt make you a technical diver.Id be glad to help but youd have to drive to florida.

 

[roakey]

Back plates are technical gear.

No they're not. They're excellent for diving, both recreationally and technically. You just see more of them in technical diving because they haven't broken into mainstream recreational thinking yet.

Roak

 

[stairman]

Yea they are.

 

[JeffG]

Yea they are.

No, they are not.

But at least you have proved that you really would not be a good choice to mentor someone.

 

[Ben_ca]

Dude it's just a BC... It's not that complicated.

 

[amascuba]

Two shops off the top of my head that offer technical training in Colorado are Flatirons SCUBA in Denver (Flatirons SCUBA) and Diver's Reef in Colorado Springs (Divers Reef). I can’t speak to Flatirons, but the technical instructor at Diver’s Reef has a DIR mentality and doesn’t mess around trying to accommodate Rangers, etc. in his technical classes; he requires BP&W setups.

Rob Calkins, the owner of Flatirons Scuba, is a GUE Fundamentals Instructor and NAUI Technical Workshop Director.

 

[roakey]

No, they are not.

But at least you have proved that you really would not be a good choice to mentor someone.

Wow, this is further out in left field than usual for this board, since what you're claiming is that only someone who believes that that a BP&W is not any good for recreational diving should mentor someone who wanted to learn to dive a BP&W recreationally.

The illogic of this position aside (perhaps you were merely bad at stating your point, if so, please feel free to reword), why don't you think a BP&W is good for recreational diving, because there's a whole slew of BP&W-diving recreational divers out there that would disagree with you on this point.

As someone stated above, "Dude, it's just a BC"

Roak