tech plate or just back inflate?

[sb_diver]

Hey DementialFaith, I'm in Santa Barbara too and I just got a BP/W, if you want to meet up and check it out, i'd be glad to help you out. I got the BP, wing and harness from deep sea supply ( deepseasupply.com ). I recommend the BP/W all the way

Thomas

 

[DementialFaith]

Thank you Thomas, I'll call you about that, lol got a message from another guy and thought you're selling yours which is strange consider you really like your new system.

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Hey there,

I'd check out these threads:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t20612-.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/t12791-.html

I thought SeaJay's reviews were some of the more honest assessments of a bp/wing setup. He comes out in favor of using one for himself overall, but is very realistic about some of the drawbacks.

Everyone on this board will tell you to think ahead. Buy a Nitrox computer now even if you dive air. Buy a BP/wing so you can get into tech. While I'm sure that kind of thinking applies to the poster and is well-intentioned, I'm not sure it necessarily applies to those of us who really will probably never (or in the distant future) get into tech.

After reading threads like the ones above, I decided that the benefits of BP/wing weren't really for me, and that the drawbacks would annoy me. To use just one example, SeaJay sheds light on the ever-touted ease of adjustment. BP/wings aren't like BCs in that you can just tug a few straps and shift weight around to be more comfortable. It's a big production to adjust and you have to take it off.

I'm sure BP/wings are the epitome of dive perfection for a lot of people here, but I don't think they are for me. I just want to recreationally dive and have some fun. BCs are comfy, truly easy to adjust while on, packable, comfy out of water when you're hauling your rig down some cliff, have pockets and other niceties, etc.

I think you should assess what type of diver you really are now. Odds are if you do get into tech, you'll be buying a bunch of gear anyway. Try out a BP/wing and a back-inflate and see which you like better, considering all the angles. It's hard to read this board and not come to the conclusion "I have to get a BP/wing or I am laaaaame", but I really think some of the "frills" in jacket BCs benefit recreational divers without interfering with our enjoyment.

And you can get a BC cheaper than a BP/wing. I just ordered a back-inflate Triple-L Orion for $180. By all accounts, it's a rugged BC, and you can't get a BP/wing for that.

Anyway, I'm not trying to disagree with the prevailing sentiment here, and I'm sure I have the least experience of anyone on this thread, but maybe that kind of voice is important in this ongoing conversation. Some of us are not as "bleeding edge" as a lot of folks here, and we're just trying to have fun. For us, a weight-integrated BC, maybe with some nice pockets and a squishy, comfy jacket is really a solution that will last us years and make us very happy.

Gregg

 

[OE2X]

Hey there,

I'd check out these threads:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t20612-.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/t12791-.html

I thought SeaJay's reviews were some of the more honest assessments of a bp/wing setup. He comes out in favor of using one for himself overall, but is very realistic about some of the drawbacks.

Everyone on this board will tell you to think ahead. Buy a Nitrox computer now even if you dive air. Buy a BP/wing so you can get into tech. While I'm sure that kind of thinking applies to the poster and is well-intentioned, I'm not sure it necessarily applies to those of us who really will probably never (or in the distant future) get into tech.

After reading threads like the ones above, I decided that the benefits of BP/wing weren't really for me, and that the drawbacks would annoy me. To use just one example, SeaJay sheds light on the ever-touted ease of adjustment. BP/wings aren't like BCs in that you can just tug a few straps and shift weight around to be more comfortable. It's a big production to adjust and you have to take it off.

I'm sure BP/wings are the epitome of dive perfection for a lot of people here, but I don't think they are for me. I just want to recreationally dive and have some fun. BCs are comfy, truly easy to adjust while on, packable, comfy out of water when you're hauling your rig down some cliff, have pockets and other niceties, etc.

I think you should assess what type of diver you really are now. Odds are if you do get into tech, you'll be buying a bunch of gear anyway. Try out a BP/wing and a back-inflate and see which you like better, considering all the angles. It's hard to read this board and not come to the conclusion "I have to get a BP/wing or I am laaaaame", but I really think some of the "frills" in jacket BCs benefit recreational divers without interfering with our enjoyment.

And you can get a BC cheaper than a BP/wing. I just ordered a back-inflate Triple-L Orion for $180. By all accounts, it's a rugged BC, and you can't get a BP/wing for that.

Anyway, I'm not trying to disagree with the prevailing sentiment here, and I'm sure I have the least experience of anyone on this thread, but maybe that kind of voice is important in this ongoing conversation. Some of us are not as "bleeding edge" as a lot of folks here, and we're just trying to have fun. For us, a weight-integrated BC, maybe with some nice pockets and a squishy, comfy jacket is really a solution that will last us years and make us very happy.

Gregg

Actually all the people I dive with including myself are recreational divers. We have all come over to using BP/wings. At some point I may go the tech route, but if I do, then I will go to doubles and have to get a new setup. In otherwords you don't need to be a tech diver to make this configuration work for you. I dive a lot and yes, I'm nitrox and rescue certified, but that doesn't have any bearing on the types of dives that I like to do. I don't dive a BP/W because I want to look cool. If I was concerned about that I wouldn't have a lime green mask strap. I dive it because for me I've found that even for recreational diving that it simply works the best.

I have terrible shoulders do to previous dislocations and surgeries. Because of this getting in and out of the harness is not as easy as unclipping a few buckles, but, I have no problem getting out my BP either in the water our on the ground.

I have two BCD's that I don't use because they just don't function and fit as well as my BP/W. They each cost the same as my BP/W as well. The thing that is so nice about using a BP/W is that once you have it dialed in, you don't have to change it for your normal dives. Granted it took me a couple of dives to dial it, but I have well over a hundred dives on it now and haven't changed it since. Presently mine is setup for drysuit diving. When I take my next tropical trip, I'll pick up a lighter BP and rig it. I figure it will take me a dive to get it figured out, then no more thinking about it.

No your not lame if you don't buy a BP/W. But if you eventually come to the conclusion that many of us have after spending loads of $$$ on crappy products, perhaps you will consider yourself lame then.

 

[Damselfish]

Hey there,

I'd check out these threads:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t20612-.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/t12791-.html

I thought SeaJay's reviews were some of the more honest assessments of a bp/wing setup. He comes out in favor of using one for himself overall, but is very realistic about some of the drawbacks.

Everyone on this board will tell you to think ahead. Buy a Nitrox computer now even if you dive air. Buy a BP/wing so you can get into tech. While I'm sure that kind of thinking applies to the poster and is well-intentioned, I'm not sure it necessarily applies to those of us who really will probably never (or in the distant future) get into tech.

After reading threads like the ones above, I decided that the benefits of BP/wing weren't really for me, and that the drawbacks would annoy me. To use just one example, SeaJay sheds light on the ever-touted ease of adjustment. BP/wings aren't like BCs in that you can just tug a few straps and shift weight around to be more comfortable. It's a big production to adjust and you have to take it off.

I'm sure BP/wings are the epitome of dive perfection for a lot of people here, but I don't think they are for me. I just want to recreationally dive and have some fun. BCs are comfy, truly easy to adjust while on, packable, comfy out of water when you're hauling your rig down some cliff, have pockets and other niceties, etc.

I think you should assess what type of diver you really are now. Odds are if you do get into tech, you'll be buying a bunch of gear anyway. Try out a BP/wing and a back-inflate and see which you like better, considering all the angles. It's hard to read this board and not come to the conclusion "I have to get a BP/wing or I am laaaaame", but I really think some of the "frills" in jacket BCs benefit recreational divers without interfering with our enjoyment.

And you can get a BC cheaper than a BP/wing. I just ordered a back-inflate Triple-L Orion for $180. By all accounts, it's a rugged BC, and you can't get a BP/wing for that.

Anyway, I'm not trying to disagree with the prevailing sentiment here, and I'm sure I have the least experience of anyone on this thread, but maybe that kind of voice is important in this ongoing conversation. Some of us are not as "bleeding edge" as a lot of folks here, and we're just trying to have fun. For us, a weight-integrated BC, maybe with some nice pockets and a squishy, comfy jacket is really a solution that will last us years and make us very happy.

Gregg

I'm not sure it's the prevailing sentiment, just the loudest one.

I'm happy for one to see this post, as the BP/W mantra gets old. Making this post on this board takes nerve, I bet many people are afraid to express the same sentiment.

 

[matt_unique]

I'm not sure it's the prevailing sentiment, just the loudest one.

I'm happy for one to see this post, as the BP/W mantra gets old. Making this post on this board takes nerve, I bet many people are afraid to express the same sentiment.

I spent $450 on a nice Seaquest Balance BC when I first got into diving. Last year I spent $329 on a SS backplate and wing. To dive doubles I also had to get tank bands and a manifold for another $250. If I were diving singles I would not need the bands or manifold of course. Over a wetsuit or drysuit a BC is no more or less comfortable than a bp and wing, is more expensive to purchase or service, and limits you to diving singles. From my perspective, the bp/wing issue is not a mantra for the sake of it being cool or whatever, it just makes more sense and represents a better value with greater flexibility. If I knew then what I know now I could have saved $450 on my BC.

--Matt

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm not sure it's the prevailing sentiment, just the loudest one.

I'm happy for one to see this post, as the BP/W mantra gets old. Making this post on this board takes nerve, I bet many people are afraid to express the same sentiment.

I certainly hope no one is "afraid to express" their true views on this or any other subject ... the real value of a board like this is examining information from as many different perspectives as possible.

There is certainly nothing wrong with diving in a BCD, as opposed to a backplate. Many fine divers do ... safely and well.

What matters, really, is proper fit, proper sizing of the air cell, and proper function. Some BCDs are not well thought-out in terms of where they place pockets and D-rings, and so the usefulness of these features is self-limiting. Some provide a lot of padding that adds flotation and requires additional weight to sink. Some offer ridiculously huge amounts of lift that inhibit a diver's efficiency and performance.

Under the right circumstances, any of these drawbacks may be negligible, or even acceptable to the wearer.

What I would prefer is that a diver who is thinking to invest in a BCD ... which is a considerable investment ... be aware of the inherent design, both it's features and its flaws ... before making a purchasing decision.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Monkey Knife-fight]

I don't think people are necessarily afraid to comment on this kinda thing but most just don't bother because so many people seem to laud the advantages of backplates without acknowledging that there are sacrifices. Newb though i am i just don't believe that bp is the answer for everyone. As far as i can tell this sport is like anything else in that there is no single right answer for equipment for everyone. In the case of backplates, though, that seems to be what some people insinuate.

 

[Nemrod]

I took a gander at the Orion. It looks like a great unit if that is what you like. I have only dived such units a few times and so I am undecided about them. Every dive outfit I have ever owned had some type of backplate or tank plate with webbing. My wife bought a nice jacket style which she still uses and it too has a backplate from which the entire jacket could be removed and the backplate dived alone. All of these but one are the plastic type plates which I have found comfortable and durable. The back inflation BC I currently use is an old Seatec. It is about 40/45 lbs lift. It ataches to the backplate through slots in the rubberized center area (same for my wife's jacket etc) and not unlike the modern wing designs. My harness has the D rings and clips etc independently derived from my needs but surprisinly DIR "like" though defintly not DIR compliant I imagine for sure--lol! I like this arrangement, it is reasonably streamlined, nothing in front of me and comfortable enough. It also has a shoulder buckle on the left strap because once upon a time they used to insist on Doff and Don procedures (pre-PADI) and being able to loosen that bukle made the on and off much easier. Anyways, I am all for the wing and backplate but I am concerned somewhat about the 27ish lbs of lift being minimal for some folks. I guess what I am saying is that maybe between the integrated systems and the DIR wing/plate system there is something else out there or should be. When shore diving or swimming back to the boat I often take my unit off and inflate it moderatly and use it like a diver assist kickboard and it works great that way. Irratates the Hades out of #### trained divemasters too!--holy cow. Well, I think everyone is more open minded now about different equipment and techniques and training. I think it is important whoever's mantra you follow that you try to come up with an organized and logical approach to gear buying or you will wind up like me--tons of strange gear with my wife asking me things like---"now, why did you buy this funny looking thing over here, exactly?" Good luck, take care. N

 

[Mandy3206]

BP/W are not for everyone, that's for sure.
I only know 1 person who owns one, my buddy and we bought it at the same time.
Everyone here uses BCDs, including the instructors and very advanced divers.

I'm new to SB and maybe if I knew about SB back then, I probably would have learned about BP before.

I first found out about the soft packs like the Dive Rite Transpack II, after my brother got one, I tried it and disliked the tank shifting around, not that it was all over the place, but it wasn't firm on my back. Doing a research about the diferent soft packs, I came across the BP, at first I wasn't convinced, but after reading about the benefits of the system, I was convinced that it was a better deal than the softpacks.

I wish I knew about the BP/W setup before, it was there but I didn't knew it, it satisfies my need to have many options in attachement points, not that I need all those attachement points, but I allways wanted another D-ring here or there to streamline myself more.

BP/W aren't for DIR only, I'm not DIR and probaly will never be, but I use many of the DIR config techniques 'cause they suit my dive style.

In the future I may or may not get to tech diving, but that wasn't the reason for getting the BP/W.