traditional vs. bpw

[djanni]

That would be an interesting question to ask. Post the question seperately.

But keep in mind that since BC's out number bp/w's by around 1000 to 1 the results of a survey could be missleading.

I have read alot of peoples stories about how they switched from a standard jacket BC to a BP/W. My question...

Has anyone ever switched from a BP/W to a standard BC? (Rec divers only)

 

[roakey]

One piece harness has to be properly adjusted to be effective. Changing from a t-shirt in a pool to a 3mm wetsuit to a 5mm wetsuit or a drysuit and varying undergarments in a lot of cases will require readjusting of the straps which is a lot more effort than simply pulling through some quick release buckle loops.

What I found is that with different exposure protection, I need different backplates. Therefore I've ended up with three backplates all adjusted for the exposure protection I wear:

Heavy (11lb) SS backplate for warm salt water diving, 7/5mm wetsuit and single AL80.

Normal (8lb) SS backplate warm water cave diving, same 7/5mm wetsuit and double AL80s.

Light (1lb) AL backplate for cold water cave diving, drysuit and double 104s.

Roak

 

[Hammerhead]

Here's what I said in the Philippines Diver forum a month or so ago...

"JUst returned (2 weeks ago) from Puerto Galera, where I notched up dive no 1001, my 33rd birthday and my biggest single dive purchase.

My trusty Tusa Liberator and Scubapro regs were donated (for a small consideration) to a friend of mine and I splurged on....

Halcyon Pioneer w/ Ally plate and Apeks ATX200 w ATX50 Octo.

I can honestly say it's the best equipment I've ever managed to find and with measureable results. I'm normally good with air, but even after 6 months out of the water, I was surfacing from 30m dives / 50 mins with damn near half-a-tank left over, which must only be down to additional comfort and minimised drag.

I've done a fair bit of tech diving & decided the sensible thing to do was to get my rec gear as close to tech as possible for familiarity."

I'm not a fanatic and not involved in the diving industry. I do this for fun and excitement and the majority of my dives are purely recreational (mostly nitrox, though - I like that too...).

10 years of 3 different BCD's, working out which one was best, and IMHO I was wasting my time. For rec or tech BP/W wins hands-down for me - gear configuration, weight, trim, drag, packing, comfort, simplicity - do I need any more?

Not telling anyone what to do, I think there's a "comfort level" thing with a BCD that appeals when you're new to diving - a BCD looks (a bit) like a waistcoat or jacket, and is thus familiar to a non-diver. BP/W on the other hand looks alien and thus more scary. Maybe me reading too much into it...

Anyway, if I needed a last point, BP/W looks cooler ;-)

cheers,

 

[String]

Has anyone ever switched from a BP/W to a standard BC? (Rec divers only)

Personally i know of 2 people that went BC > Wing > Back to BC.

 

[String]

What I found is that with different exposure protection, I need different backplates.

Thats what i mean. Not practical if you're using different exposure protection a few times a week - it would mean constant swapping of harnesses and wings to deal with that whereas a harness with quick release and adjustments eliminates all of this.

Example for me, pool with T-shirt on thursday night. Saturday dry suit diving. Sunday if its a course could be 3mm suit in a pool and afternoon in a drysuit with different exposure protection if its inland.
For that situation its much easier to have one thing which will work on all protections (so my old BC or my wing with quick release adjustments).

 

[steveann]

I think he was referring to the kilt/bagpipe setup, not the bp/w

Ahhhh....Hunting the infamous Scottish Broguefish. I always wondered what they were talking about at those after-dive campfires....

 

[steveann]

Nothing in that thread supports your conclusion.

Nowhere in the thread does it say, or imply, that it takes a backplate either.

You're welcome to your opinions, as we all are ... but your link doesn't address Pants! question ... someone said he has read "wear a backplate or die" comments on ScubaBoard. I've been a regular on this board for a long time, and I don't recall ever reading any such comment. If you can find one, I'd like to see it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Just for Bob....

Wear a backplate or DIE!!!!!

Now you know where to find it

And to think,it was here all along......:05:

 

[steveann]

I have read alot of peoples stories about how they switched from a standard jacket BC to a BP/W. My question...

Has anyone ever switched from a BP/W to a standard BC? (Rec divers only)

My buddy has dove on a bp/w a few times, and he just laid down a small chunk of change for a jacket BC. He says he can't stand the back-inflate style, makes him feel like the BCD is trying to drown him on the surface. That and he couldn't seem to get his bouyancy right with a bp/w. SO, yes, there are divers out there diving jackets, evne after diving bp/w

 

[Blitz]

I have dove both of them in some extreme conditions. (From the Bearing to the North Sea and in Thailand to the Caribbean) I still thinkthat there is a practical use for both depending on the diver and the type of diving, though I prefer a BPW. I typically dive a set of doubles, so you will find me with a 6#plate and 45#Wing. When I spear or do dives with other people, I try to use a single 108 with a 12# plate and 30# wing. That being said, I had a Ranger for 5 years and loved it; pool dives, shallow dives fresh or salt water, it was a solid BC ( I beat the hell out of it). I started thinking and diving more Hogarthian so I got away from the BC. I am the farthest thing in the water from DIR so it wasn't them that swayed me, it was just an evolution of my diving style.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Thats what i mean. Not practical if you're using different exposure protection a few times a week - it would mean constant swapping of harnesses and wings to deal with that whereas a harness with quick release and adjustments eliminates all of this.

Example for me, pool with T-shirt on thursday night. Saturday dry suit diving. Sunday if its a course could be 3mm suit in a pool and afternoon in a drysuit with different exposure protection if its inland.
For that situation its much easier to have one thing which will work on all protections (so my old BC or my wing with quick release adjustments).

Adjusting a harness doesn't take me long and like roakey said it can be an advantage to have more than one backplate. I only have one that I use though. Our pools were never warm enough for me to go wothout a suit. I always used at least the bottom piece of my 7 mil and sometimes the whole thing. Only the most warm blooded folks could get through a night in the pools we used without exposure protection.

In half my 7 mil I use a 6 pound plate with no weight on my waist. In the full 7 mil I use 4 pounds on a belt and in the dry suit (which I almost always wear in OW) I usually have my doubles and don't add any weight. When using only the bottom half of my wet suit I'd sometimes snug the harness up a little or when in the pool a lot, I'd keep one set up for the pool. Now that I don't go in pools any more it isn't an issue. Still, I prefer to only dive one configuration so I'd rather adjust a harness a little than use a bc.