Step-Papa Brag :-)

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CanadaDan

Contributor
Divemaster
Messages
524
Reaction score
579
Location
Winnipeg, MB Canada
# of dives
100 - 199
Over the winter I bought my stepkids and myself new backplates and wings rigged with single piece harnesses (X-Deep Zens fwiw). The kids had finished their OW last fall but hadn’t dove since. My stepdaughter is actually Junior OW because of her age.

She was perfect! No concern with the lack of buckles and adjustments. After we spent 30 minutes to get the fit right (my first time with a BPW too so not quite right yet) and did a weight check (new wetsuit too) she just descended and we did a nice easy dive. After the dive she had no problem floating head up at the surface… none of the drama around being forced face down. She even did a floating don & doff.

Best part is the ease of fitment. She’s getting taller by the day but has a very narrow waist. Sliding a few things around got her the perfect fitting system (with ditchable weigh pockets installed on the waist no less) in 15 minutes.

My message to new divers and parents of new divers is to seriously consider starting off with a BPW system. It’s so easy to adjust, easy to learn and exceptional to dive. Looks very ‘tec’ and maybe intimidating but it’s really so easy. Best part is as they grow you just slide things around to keep it fitting properly. They’ll probably dive these rigs well into adulthood.
 
we just did the same thing with our 12 year old niece who is doing her OW cert this month. We put her in a dgx steel plate and wing. it's all cold water diving here, so she'll be in a 7mm suit. She's very excited, and loves her new gear already. It's a wonderful time...
 
One of many positive outcomes of the day is because my stepson has to wait to dive his rig (oral surgery) he’ll get the benefit of me figuring out these rigs before getting fitted.

Like this moment of realizing I should have adjusted her release buckle before getting in the water

5156BB92-3A01-40A8-91D2-97B6F6EAE229.jpeg


While the kids grind out some late school work before next week’s year end I’m taking the weekend to go dive my BPW with a good buddy so I can work out the last kinks.
 
Are you that vertical on the surface with your xDeep? Where do you have your extra weight - waist or backplate pockets?
 
Are you that vertical on the surface with your xDeep? Where do you have your extra weight - waist or backplate pockets?

I had my feet on the bottom in the picture but when just floating upright I had no problem. Didn’t overinflate and probably adjusted my leg position but I’ve been back-inflate for years so that’s second nature. She’s never dove a BPW before but trained with a back inflate BCD. Neither one of us experienced being tipped forward.

FWIW I had the steel backplate, an HP100 and 8lbs in the removable weight pockets on the waist. Overweight for that dive (only thin merino long underwear under the drysuit). It was just a shallow pond dive for the tuning. Will try it on a fully insulated dive (adding a onesie drysuit undergarment) this weekend.

I will add trim pockets if I need weight for perfect dives but keep the removable weight pockets for either DM weights (always dive heavy) or for my backup mask on one side and my PLB or a small DSMB & reel on the other. Handy pockets if I’m not using them for weights to hand off to students.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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