Mike1967
Contributor
BP/W
That's what I'd get over either style BCD.
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BP/W
Thank you. This is not a priority either, however I do like making choices based on tangible arguments, and when it comes to wing vs jacket BCs, there is not much going on in terms of killer pros or cons for one or the other. Better trim and lower air consumption on one side vs plenty of pockets on the other, that's about it. I guess that's why the two types of BCs continue to exist!
No BCD is a life jacket. None of them are designed to keep your face out of water should you become unconscious.
The tipping forward is real for some - it depends a lot on your exposure protection and tanks. A warm water diver with a light wetsuit and typically AL tanks is more likely to run into this than a cold water diver with major exposure protection and sometimes steel tanks, it's simple physics. It's also affected by how you distribute your weights, which you'll want to pay attention to. But I agree if you find yourself in this situation the type of BC you have is pretty irrelevant .
If you happen to trim yourself out with weights in the rear, as in weight on the tank strap or a back-inflate BC with rear trim pockets- the weight you dump may just be front weight, which would help tip you back .
It only happens (the tipping forward feeling) if you over inflate at the surface, and even if you inflate it full, it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. I think a lot of those people are used to having jackets and being able to inflate all the way to their heart's content. When I relax at the surface my face isn't in the water.
BUT I read in various places that one of the disadvantages of the wing is that you have to work to keep your head above the water at the surface as the wing is pushing you into an horizontal position head down.
Wearing a different brand of wing isn’t going to magically solve anyone’s problems.... first they need to look at the underlying problemsIf you buoyancy is all behind you and you're unconscious, it is going to be similar to wearing a life jacket on your back instead of in front of you. You will be face down.
If this is a major concern for you then a horse collar or the old scuba pro stabilizer jackets might be preferable because they are much more likely to keep your head up and face exposed. However, I personally think worrying about that contingency is way, way down on my priority list.