Newly Certified Diver - Back Inflated BCD or Wing?

[grf88]

I can't think of anybody that I know who switched to a BP/W that switched back to a regular BC including those who switched from a back inflate BC.

 

[runsongas]

get the bpw. i bought an aqualung dimension and an apeks bpw my first year of being certified, guess which one i still have and use.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I advise my students to try both and allow them to in the pool. Then they decide what they will use for checkouts. When someone says they plan to do both cool (not cold) and warm water with air travel as a means to get there, I advise an aluminum plate with weight pockets on the cam bands. This allows you to add lead to mimic a steel plate if necessary. Shove the pockets up against the plate and you wouldn't know it wasn't steel.
I've sold and set up somewhere near 100 BPW's over the last 10 years. I've made custom hardware for the harness, modified harnesses to work with some unusual body types, and made custom harnesses in various colors.
While I own jackets, back inflates, and BPW's - the BPW is what I use in open water if I'm not diving sidemount. The jackets get used in the pool and for students. The last time I used a jacket in open water was probably 8 or 9 years ago.

 

[formernuke]

Neither is inherently a bad choice.

My recommendation would be to hold off on your purchase for a while. Rent a back inflate BCD (or a few different models if you can) and a BP/W and go diving. See what works best for you and what you like.

We can offer suggestions, but in case you might not have noticed, SB leans very heavily toward BP/W. Both back inflate BCDs and BP/Ws have their own specific advantages and they both have their own specific limitations. Give both a try and then choose what you like best.

^^^ exactly, this is the best advice.

My advice to new divers

I can't think of anybody that I know who switched to a BP/W that switched back to a regular BC including those who switched from a back inflate BC.

I haven't switched back as I still prefer my BPW but I do dive a back inflate because as I'm working on my DM my gear needs to be closer to the students. The shop said I could use their rentals for this with no additional charge and I said no f÷%^[^= way I'm using a jacket.

 

[fisheater]

When I was in your situation, some 500 dives ago, I purchased a back-inflate BC. Right around dive 100, I switched to a BP/W and never looked back.

I highly recommend that you save money on scuba gear by buying your second set of gear first. Get the BP/W.

 

[formernuke]

When I was in your situation, some 500 dives ago, I purchased a back-inflate BC. Right around dive 100, I switched to a BP/W and never looked back.

I highly recommend that you save money on scuba gear by buying your second set of gear first. Get the BP/W.

I switched around dive 30

 

[lowwall]

I can't think of anybody that I know who switched to a BP/W that switched back to a regular BC including those who switched from a back inflate BC.

I've done several dives with rental jacket BCs since I switched. They feel both sloppy and constricting at the same time. It's not enough to keep me from diving when the opportunity arises, but it definitely reinforces my belief I made the right choice when I got my backplate.

Similarly, I don't know anyone with a BP/W who switched from a proprietary padded harness to a one piece harness and went back. Although some may do minor mods like adding a shoulder buckle to accommodate a loss in flexibility due to medical conditions or age.

 

[Centrals]

I can't think of anybody that I know who switched to a BP/W that switched back to a regular BC including those who switched from a back inflate BC.

I have done that many times on rental gear!
But we do not know each other.
NO reason to replace my BP/W before retiring from scuba diving.

BP/W is still the minority by far. I only came across one operator who could supply BP/W as rental unit.
And nearly every diver I met on the road is using jacket/back mount.

Choose it carefully because it is NOT everyone cup of tea.

 

[gopbroek]

+1 for the basic DGX BPW. Make sure it fits properly, what I have repeatedly seen is persons not having a properly strung harness that doesn't fit properly. Basically without a bottle on you should have about 4" (a sideways balled fist) of slack at the breast bone in the harness risers. Often folks string it too tightly and it is uncomfortable to wear.

 

[Centrals]

+1 for the basic DGX BPW. Make sure it fits properly, what I have repeatedly seen is persons not having a properly strung harness that doesn't fit properly. Basically without a bottle on you should have about 4" (a sideways balled fist) of slack at the breast bone in the harness risers. Often folks string it too tightly and it is uncomfortable to wear.

Can get away with quick release buckle otherwise as suggested.
Personal own fist is bare minimum for shoulder strap. Otherwise very difficult to don/off the gear with single piece of harness.
Wear it loose.