Someone school me on BP/W, specifically for kids.

[JamesBon92007]

which ones are you looking at?

So far I've just been eyeballing a few as I obviously still have a thing to two to learn about them

The Blue Reef has an appealing price but apparently uses a lower grade of steel than some of the others. I have one of their little, folding dive knives and it's been on many dives and I have not been opening it up to rinse it and so far there are no rust spots. It seems to be holding an edge better than I expected but I don't know it it's a higher grade or not. For the price I paid, I expect not. But it has a line cutter that is available without opening the knife so I thought that was a really good feature:

Blue Reef Stainless Steel Back Plate

I've also been looking at a Dive Rite which is supposedly better quality steel:

Dive-Rite Stainless Steel Back-Plate

I've examined the strap hole positions and mounting holes etc and most seem to be about the same. What other features do I need to look for, assuming I'm probably never going to be doing anything that might be called "tech" diving? As far as the steel grades go I'm just going by what others have said as it's not something that I know much about. My old BFK has held up splendidly and I bought it around 1966 and I doubt if it is a high grade of stainless steel. For one thing it does not hold an edge very well, but looks impressive on my leg and keeps the GWSs away. So far, anyway.

There are several others that I've glanced at (Hollis, etc) but so far I'm not sure what might make one worth more than another.

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

are you sure it was set up properly? I have been diving bp/w's almost exclusively for 10 years and I have yet to find a wing that throws me face down.... I've dove at least a dozen.

Try BP/W without a tank and with 15 kg lead on your chest, i am sure it going to put you face down. ;-)

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

Nothing is fool proof..............

Every time we invent something fool proof, someone invents a better fool. ;-)

 

[tbone1004]

Try BP/W without a tank and with 15 kg lead on your chest, i am sure it going to put you face down. ;-)

which is what I said as a way for it to pull you forward, but with a bpw, there are ways to distribute that weight in a better manner. Weight plates, weighted STA's, etc. They don't inherently put you face down, but they can if you are diving it in a way that it was not designed. 15kg up front with an al80 is not how they were designed to be used

 

[divad]

Try BP/W without a tank and with 15 kg lead on your chest, i am sure it going to put you face down. ;-)

Try living in a small leather shoebox stuffed in the back of your evil step-mother's dank, musty closet for seven years....... and see how you like that....

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

which is what I said as a way for it to pull you forward, but with a bpw, there are ways to distribute that weight in a better manner. Weight plates, weighted STA's, etc. They don't inherently put you face down, but they can if you are diving it in a way that it was not designed. 15kg up front with an al80 is not how they were designed to be used

I did most of my diving with an Aegir SS BP and STA, Aegir blackbird wing, 2/3 mm wet, AL 80, 2-3 kg on a belt, by the hips.

It work just perfect, I have never get tipped forward, just lay on my back.