Types of BC's

[DevonDiver]

Yep, but only if you consider the strap superfluous, I don't.

For what reason do you find it critical?

On a rucksack, I can understand it... it keep the sack close to your vertical center-of-gravity, thus providing the best weight distribution and muscular-skeletal efficiency.

On a BCD, when horizontal underwater...?????

I always believed that this was a gimmick feature added by manufacturers who wanted to 'spice up' their products...and was an unadultered marketing ploy based on newbie divers pre-conceptions that a BCD harness should look and act like a rucksack harness.........

Some Yes, other's nope. But why would I do that anyway? I like having convenient places to clip stuff off.

That's a fair and personal point. I always found 4 d-rings to be entirely sufficient, even when technical diving with multiple stages, several back-up lights etc.

14 D-Rings would happily support the entire 'gadget shelf' of your LDS and make someone look very festive indeed. Now, if only I could find a hood with a fairy on top to complete the desired effect!

It weights about the same I suspect, but that's not really the point is it?

Not being facetious, but I (genuinely) thought your point was that it offered benefits for the travelling diver?

The weight savings of a 'fabric' rig would be the one benefit that made the WTX preferable to a lightweight Ali BP/W.... but then they ruin it by adding a mass of gimmicky metalwork...

so, what was the point?

My system can do things a simple BP can not.

Can it do this....

 

[300bar]

And all this helps the Op.how.

 

[DevonDiver]

It highlights the full extent that a BP/W can be evolved to cope with your future diving requirements....

My point being, that under that mass of tanks and hoses (of the world record breaking diver) lies the exact same basic backplate and HOG harness that I stap onto my AL80 every day to teach OW classes or fun dive.

And, specifically for the benefit of the OP, it demonstrates how the simplist solution has the widest capability... and when purchasing a BCD, he should not become distracted by the superfluous gimmickery that some BCD manufacturers use to sell their products, based on some people's thinking that 'more is better'.

 

[AaronB]

It does help because i can see their point and i like to know as much as i can about anything =) Even more so when it something i really enjoy =)

A question that's probably going to be answered with "Try it in the water" but how do you know when your trying a BCD on in a shop if it is going to be comterble underwater - for example the BCD i used during my OD training was one of the oldeir model Buddy Explorers and i found it comterble untill i decide to roll, at which point the tank start to sway a little - not a very good explination but im sure you know what i mean!

ANyway the point is, is they any way of seeing how comterble the BCD would be under the water if just in a horizontal position, and is they anyway to know how firmly it going to hold the tank in place?

Thank in advance once again!

 

[DevonDiver]

for example the BCD i used during my OD training was one of the oldeir model Buddy Explorers and i found it comterble untill i decide to roll, at which point the tank start to sway a little - not a very good explination but im sure you know what i mean!

I do know what you mean....

1. Jacket-Type BCD (aka the 'Poodle Jacket').
........
Cons: Needs to be sized correctly or it will be floppy to wear. Often over-complicated. Higher profile/less streamlined. Higher risk of entanglements.

 

[Walter]

People get too hung up on the style of the BC (Vest, BP/wing, etc.) and ignore the
important things. Does it trap air? Is it streamlined? Most BCs are not streamlined
and many trap air. A few are well designed.

 

[Rhone Man]

3. Is it also possible to remove some of the superfluous (14?!?) D-Rings without cutting the rig?

Surely there can be no such thing as too many D-rings?

Just a couple more and I can leave my weight belt on the boat...

(For the OP - I am joking, although I do love lots of D-rings...).

 

[stinggirl]

The most important thing is that you are comftarble.

 

[Teamcasa]

For what reason do you find it critical?

I never said critical - I just find it comfortable.

I always believed that this was a gimmick feature added by manufacturers who wanted to 'spice up' their products...

Then I'd suggest you not use one.

That's a fair and personal point. I always found 4 d-rings to be entirely sufficient, even when technical diving with multiple stages, several back-up lights etc.

That's good to know, but my system has a few more and I don't find it an issue. My system can easily handle multiple stages, several back-up lights and whatever else one might decide to clip on.

Not being facetious, but I (genuinely) thought your point was that it offered benefits for the travelling diver?

The weight savings of a 'fabric' rig would be the one benefit that made the WTX preferable to a lightweight Ali BP/W.... but then they ruin it by adding a mass of gimmicky metalwork...

so, what was the point?

One man's gimmick is another's feature, right? I not knocking your suggestion, just letting the OP there are other good alternatives available.

My system does not trap air, streamline, versatile and can do everything a simple plate and hog harness can do, and more.

 

[rstofer]

It does help because i can see their point and i like to know as much as i can about anything =) Even more so when it something i really enjoy =)

A question that's probably going to be answered with "Try it in the water" but how do you know when your trying a BCD on in a shop if it is going to be comterble underwater - for example the BCD i used during my OD training was one of the oldeir model Buddy Explorers and i found it comterble untill i decide to roll, at which point the tank start to sway a little - not a very good explination but im sure you know what i mean!

ANyway the point is, is they any way of seeing how comterble the BCD would be under the water if just in a horizontal position, and is they anyway to know how firmly it going to hold the tank in place?

Thank in advance once again!

You have no way of knowing. I certainly wouldn't wear my 7/8mm wetsuit in the shop just to see how the BC would fit.

The BC has to be snug when worn with whatever exposure protection you may use.

Second issue: I personally won't buy a BC or back-inflate that doesn't have two tank bands. Having a tank slip at depth is just a problem I don't want to consider (again).

Third issue: unless it is for a particular application, I would want a hard backplate. My wife had a BC with some kind of weird backplate and the tank kept twisting side to side. My old SeaQuest ADVi didn't have that problem. It had a solid backplate molded to conform to a tank. However, it had only a single tank band.

Assuming you can wear your exposure protection, put on the BC with a tank. Have someone try to move the tank around. In a perfect world, your BC wouldn't shift. Wanna bet on the outcome?

You can tighten the cummerbund but that just increases the pressure on your abdomen. Not a good situation. Chest straps are probably not a good thing, either.

Maybe that's the reason so many folks just recommend the BP/W from the start. There is no cummerbund, there is a waist belt but it doesn't need to be constricting. There is nothing across your chest. A crotch strap is helpful but optional.

I'm going to cut to the chase and just suggest you call Tobin at Deep Sea Supply. Order a BP/W, it will fit (because there are only a couple of straps to adjust) and you should be good to go. www.deepseasupply.com If nothing else, it will be an interesting conversation.

I doubt that you can build up a BP/W from high end parts for as little as that BP/W sells for. Every time I try to price such a thing, I wind up a few tens of dollars higher. Disclaimer: I have a DSS BP/W and I like it a lot. It does exactly what it is supposed to do without a lot of extra stuff. Our herd does have a DiveRite, an OxyCheq and a HOG BP/W. They're ok but, IMO, not the equivalent of the DSS.

I also have one of those OxyCheq Ultra Light Travel Plates (fabric). It is fantastic in the pool. Just hang an Al 50 with a double hose regulator and I'm good to go!

Richard