I did my OW course with an instructor that used a jacket type BCD in the pool but switched to BP&W when we went to open water. As @Scuba J7 says above, the skills have all been learned in the pool so the change in gear should not be a major problem when getting out in OW.
I actually found it very helpful seeing the different configuration and having the differences explained to me. Did not cause me any issues during the check out dives. I liked the look of it so much I ended up buying one a couple of months later.
I actually found it very helpful seeing the different configuration and having the differences explained to me. Did not cause me any issues during the check out dives. I liked the look of it so much I ended up buying one a couple of months later.