New BCD vs. used hand-me-down

[Cthippo]

Going off on a tangent here, why did BPW not work for you? I dive one because it's what I got when I started because they couldn't find a jacket type large enough to fit my fat ass. I have never known anything else, so I'm curious what people see as their downsides.

 

[Pressurehead]

no positive buoyancy so less weight for cold water

ballast in back (steel plate and weighted sta) promotes better trim for cold water

can mount doubles with correct wing

attachment points on harness for other gear like dpv/pony bottle/backup light

packs lighter with aluminum plate for travel

dries faster for travel

cheap to repair harness or resize

cheaper to repair/replace wing in future

Yes, we all know that , it is still not an upgrade.
I have 2 SS B/Wings and 1 Al B/Wing, still not an upgrade.
For single cylinder diving in warm water I use a back inflate BC, for me it was an upgrade , I had used a plate and harness for years.
I remember the first first jacket BC I used for single cylinder dives [a Scubapro classic orange jacket] 1980s , I and others thought it was the 'best thing since sliced bread', we even dived them with double 88s a few dives.
At the time that was an upgrade , so easy on/off, and plate and harness had been around for years, nothing new.
Just the right tools for the job [for me].

Anyway: Back on topic.

 

[Mike_4635]

first is the weight of the BCD, the how setup points to attach lights,camera,signaling devices, and arrange my primary reg, octopus, spare system. My current ScubaPro Nighthawk does well, has integral weight are detachable. It allows to float along with little effort but also give me lift capability that i might need. Fits me well. One thing i had to learn is when on top of the water to be able to stay straight up and down.

 

[runsongas]

@Pressurehead so was the last plate and harness you used back in the 70s then? because you haven't given any reasons why a jacket bcd is an upgrade.

 

[lowwall]

no positive buoyancy so less weight for cold water

ballast in back (steel plate and weighted sta) promotes better trim for cold water

can mount doubles with correct wing

attachment points on harness for other gear like dpv/pony bottle/backup light

packs lighter with aluminum plate for travel

dries faster for travel

cheap to repair harness or resize

cheaper to repair/replace wing in future

#1 for me is the feeling of freedom. No chest strap, no cummerbund, nothing squeezing me if I need to add gas to the wing. And yet, thanks to the crotch strap and double tank bands, I have a much better connection to the whole rig. It moves with me even if I go inverted or do loops or rolls.

Every time I rent a standard BCD, I am reminded what a floppy, overcomplicated mess they are compared to my own rig.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

OP, just use what you have and don’t over think it,
It will work.

Plate and wing:
Leaves your front clean.
D-rings can be added or subtracted and placed in any location for any purpose.
Multiple lift size wings of many different brands can be used on the same plate (mostly).
Two cam bands for security.
Doubles can be attached without any big retrofit, the wing needs to be changed.
Most wings are repairable by the end user being that they have an access zipper to the inner bladder and the hole can be patched with the proper peel & stick patch kits.
The one piece harness webbing can be replaced alone without discarding the entire unit. It can also be sourced from multiple sources for thickness and flexibility to suit the taste of the user.
Divers can be pitched forward on surface if wing is overinflated on surface. This usually happens if diver is overweighted plus using a positively buoyant aluminum tank.

Jacket BC and back inflate hybrids:
All in one construction means you get what you get configuration wise. D-rings are fixed.
Most bladders are single walled meaning that if you get a hole it must be patched from the outside. Once the fabric begins to frey it can be slowed down by glues and hand stitching but eventually they come apart. When significant damage occurs it usually means the entire unit must be replaced since all components are integrated.
Integrated weight pockets are mostly proprietary so losing one means ordering a new one at significant cost provided they are still made.
One cam band with a plastic buckle that can fatigue and crack over time.
Multiple sizes makes it easy to fit a diver for rentals and sales.
Wrap around bladder construction on jackets floats divers vertical on surface and also gives the “hug” feeling which makes many divers feel more secure.

I dunno, you choose.

 

[runsongas]

not all jacket bcds will float you upright unaided like a life vest, i think the scubapro classic stab jacket is the only one certified to do so

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

not all jacket bcds will float you upright unaided like a life vest, i think the scubapro classic stab jacket is the only one certified to do so

I don’t know about any certifications, but generally wrap around cell jackets will support a diver in a more heads up position on the surface than a bc with all the lift in back like a BP/W or back inflate hybrid.

 

[Pressurehead]

because you haven't given any reasons why a jacket bcd is an upgrade.

I did not say a 'jacket BCD is an uprade', you said a Backplate and wing is.
I have not used a jacket BCD for decades [ except when I do hull cleans with surface supply gas, again a simple Scubapro T one jacket, with a basic belt and no cummerbund ] .
I only said we thought the first Scubapro jacket was an upgrade when we tried it in the 1980s, for us it was.
An upgrade for me would be a Freedom Plate , if I could get my hands on one.

We digress to far of topic, think what you will.