Poll - how long did it take you to adapt from a jacket BC to a BP/W?

[RumBum]

I am declaring myself converted! My husband said he was surpised I took to a BP/W so quickly. So I wondered if most people have trouble adapting from a jacket BC to a BP/W set-up? By comfortable I mean that your trim and bouancy skill in the new kit were at least as good if not better than you had previously in your jacket-style BCD. Thank you for quenching my curiosity!

 

[OE2X]

One dive.

 

[TSandM]

Buoyancy wasn't changed, but trim was improved with the first dive. The only learning curve was how to get in and out of the thing The stability of the tank made me so much more comfortable, I was hooked from the beginning.

 

[jonix]

One dive.

same

 

[BIGSAGE136]

One dive. A lot of thanks to Fill Express! Great Outfit.

 

[MSilvia]

I had some other equipment issues (like a new drysuit and new doubles) when I first started with a BP/wing, so it took a few dives to get the kinks out.

 

[*Floater*]

learning to dive a bp/w comfortably is almost immediate as long as you do your buoyancy and weight placement checks first, however, i didn't perfect the (hog) harness tightness, D-ring placement, and donning/doffing until I took a course 30 dives into my bp/w diving which covered that stuff. in fact, my donning/doffing of the rig (doubles mainly) and use of the rear dump are still improving. also, getting used to shifting gas inside horseshoe wings took several dives.

 

[theatis]

After sampling a few jackets and none fit me well, i bought a DSS rig immediately after OW. The difference was immediately evident, so i basically never had a real dive with a jacket.

 

[RiverRat]

1 dive. I took it to G. Cayman as a fairly fresh out of AOW diver. I was told I would drown in it without diving double steels. I was a little overweighted on my first dive (mostly due to cold water diving exp. and paranoia about the gear, wanted a little extra weight) but even then I debunked the myths right away. I popped up straight as an arrow after jumping in eliminating the idea that the thing was going to push me forward in the water. After several dives I had the weight dialed in and was having a blast diving. No more Boa Constrictor rental crap.

 

[Kray_Z]

mine was one dive and that one dive was yester day its all i needed to know that a bp/w provides the best fit, more customization and it makes me ten times more streamline.