Newb BP&W & Jacket Questions

[jwithee]

I am a very new diver looking to buy a BC. I will be doing most of my diving in colder waters (Maine Coast).

In the class I took we used cheap (no integrated weights) Seaquest BCs. I didn't like the jackets because they seemed to move a lot. I tried different sizes and even the tight ones twisted and moved quite a bit. I also didn't like the clunky and "hugging" feeling of the jackets.

I tried one of my friends custom BP&W setup and I loved that the BC stayed firmly in place and it was really easy to level off in the water. The only down side was the harness was uncomfortable. He has a hammer head harness which is not crossed in the back. When I wear the setup the harness digs into my arm pits, making it hard to reach across my chest and also sits close to the edge of my shoulders.

My questions are:

Which is a better choice the Seaquest Pro QD Jacket or BP&W, for a newbie that plans to dive a lot and maybe get into tech diving.

I have looked at the Zeagle "Deluxe Harness & Stainless BP" - do you think this would be more comfortable than a regular harness? Do you know if the cheap looking plastic buckles are durable or not? I am not a fan of any of Zeagle's wings, so I was wondering if the BP is standard with other wings, such as OxyCheck?

Any other pros/cons of the Zeagle Deluxe Harness & Stainless BP or other BPs.

Thank you for all of your help.

 

[ScubaRev]

In all likelihood, the harness on your friend's bp/w was not adjusted properly for your dimensions, and perhaps the plate was not sized properly to fit you. When the harness is properly adjusted, there is a little give in the shoulders, no digging anywhere, and your arms are free to move without restriction. My first set of gear was a DSS bp/w with a single web (Hog) harness. I love it and have never second guessed that decision for one second. Simple, solid, modular, comfortable, adaptable. What more could you ask? If you are considering tech in the future, this is a great platform on which to build.

You'll get a lot of opinions here, and a lot of back and forth about jackets vs bp/w. I learned about bp/w here on SB when I was shopping for gear. My experience is that a properly sized backplate and a properly adjusted harness are very comfortable. I personally love Deep Sea Supply for their innovative products and stellar customer service.

 

[almitywife]

......I have looked at the Zeagle "Deluxe Harness & Stainless BP" - .....

hi and i convereted to a zeagle delux harness earlier this year (after 10yrs of diving a zeagle tech bc)

why i went for it over this harness is because of the quick release buckle - its nice to just unclip and get out of my gear quickly or easier if i need to.

in a perfect would i would have the buckle only on one shoulder but its not a problem at all having 2 as i never notice them when im wearing the gear/diving

what i love about having a bpw is that i have been able to get away from danglies! connected to the plate, i have a zeagle pouch on one side that holds my reel & smb and on the other side i have a pouch for my can light

ive heard many good things about DSS also

hope this helps

cheers

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I'm almost positive that the harness wasn't adjusted right. I went straight from a jacket-style BC to a BP/W setup with a Hogarthian harness, that is a continuous piece of webbing, no pads, buckles, nothing. It is most comfortable and I don't even notice it under water. As far as my recommendation goes, look to my signature.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

IMy first set of gear was a DSS bp/w with a single web (Hog) harness. I love it and have never second guessed that decision for one second. Simple, solid, modular, comfortable, adaptable.

Yep, that could have come from me, verbatim.

 

[kevindwhite]

I'm a new diver as well and also had a bad experience with the rental BC I used for certification. My buoyancy was always way off. The jacket was either floating up on me or was completely inflated pressing on my ribs and bubbling out the dump valves. It didn't matter home much or little weight I carried. I'll never use a rental rib crusher BC again. I am not going to pay good money to spend half my dive and my air getting neutral or struggling to breath against a fully inflated jacket.

Right after I got certified I started looking at buying my own BC. I very quickly concluded a BP&W was the right way to go for two reasons: minimalism and flexibility. I am a gear minimalist. My backpacking is ultralight. My bikes have no more than three speeds. I know the less stuff I carry the more I can explore. But there is no one universal setup for every trip so flexibility is also key. The ability to add or remove items as required is an absolute must for any minimalist approach. Most BC's take a kitchen sink approach. There are loops, d-rings, and pockets everywhere. If I am not going to use it then off it comes.

A backplate and wing was the obvious choice for me. It didn't even wait a whole week after certification before pricing out a Hollis rig. I achieved my two primary goals of minimalism and flexibility, and I spent less money than I would have on a good jacket or rear inflation BC.

 

[Colliam7]

I tried one of my friends custom BP&W setup and I loved that the BC stayed firmly in place and it was really easy to level off in the water. The only down side was the harness was uncomfortable. He has a hammer head harness which is not crossed in the back. When I wear the setup the harness digs into my arm pits, making it hard to reach across my chest and also sits close to the edge of my shoulders.

As noted, this is probably a matter of your friend's harness not being adjusted to fit you. I wouldn't see it as a reason not to go BP/W.

I have looked at the Zeagle "Deluxe Harness & Stainless BP" - do you think this would be more comfortable than a regular harness? Do you know if the cheap looking plastic buckles are durable or not?

The deluxe harness offers four additional features compared to the basic one piece rig - shoulder pads, the shoulder quick releases (the 'cheap looking plastic buckles'), a sternum (chest) strap, and a 2" crotch strap (vs a 1" strap on the basic). I don't find shoulder pads add any comfort. Some say they do - it is a matter of personal preference. The plastic buckles are very durable (although a potential point of failure). I use an OMS SS BP with a deluxe harness (quick releases, but no shoulder pads) with my drysuit and steel doubles, simply because it is easy to get out of the rig at the end of a dive by popping one of the shoulder releases. I walk around on land in this harness, with double steel 120s on my back, and I have never had problems with the buckles. The sternum strap is extraneous. You'll get different views on the 1" vs 2" crotch strap - I don't find that one is better/worse. For wetsuit, singles diving, I use a Dive Rite SS plate with a single piece of webbing and find that works well - the quick releases are unnecessary.

... so I was wondering if the BP is standard with other wings, such as OxyCheck?

Yes, the hole spacing is standard. Lots of people on SB mix BPs and wings across brands. I have Halcyon, Oxycheq and Dive Rite wings, and all are durable and of more than adequate quality. The primary issue is buying a wing of sufficient, but not excessive, bouyancy for your diving. More than a few people end up with monster wings when they are diving single tanks, and that affects trim control.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Yes, the hole spacing is standard. Lots of people on SB mix BPs and wings across brands.

This is not always the case. It is certainly possible to mix and match plate and wings for doubles.

For single tank use things get more complicated.

An detailed explanation of the potential conflicts is hard to present to a new user who is unfamiliar with the various approaches to mounting a single tank to a plate.

My recommendation for new users is to source a plate and harness from the same company. Same thing I'd tell a new PC user, buy your first computer assembled.

Playing mix and match can leave you with a combination that costs more, and does not work as well as a matched set.

The primary issue is buying a wing of sufficient, but not excessive, bouyancy for your diving. More than a few people end up with monster wings when they are diving single tanks, and that affects trim control.

I agree.

Tobin

 

[ScubaRev]

For single tank use things get more complicated.

This was a major factor that brought me to the DSS plate. The blocks that hold the cam bands to the plate are an example of elegant simplicity.

 

[foles1972]

jwithee--

I was in your shoes a couple years ago as a new diver wondering what equipment to buy. Most of the diving I do are wrecks off the coast of Cape Cod. My first BC was a SeaQuest. While it was a great BC, I replaced it in less than a year with a bp/w setup. It just wasn't versatile enough for the type of diving I was quickly learning to enjoy. The harnesses have enough D-rings for slinging pony bottles, clipping lights, back-up lights, wreck reels, catch bags etc. When fitted properly they are very comfortable. Most now have back pads, quick release shoulder straps, etc.

Some reputable brands include OMS, Dive Rite, and Apeks. You can even customize the setup. For example, I use an OMS banded bladder on an Apeks harness. I chose this combination because Apeks is made by the same company that made the SeaQuest that I owned and the integrated weight system was exactly the same, and was therefore one less thing I had to learn.

Shop around and try some on if you can. They can be a little more expensive than some other BCs but they are definitely worth it. As a diver, there is plenty of room with these to grow into, and if you're like I was you'll grow into it pretty quickly (and you won't be dissapointed)!

I hope this helps.