Where to find support for BP/W newbie
- Thread starter parheric
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Few people have seemed to really answer the OPs question so I will give it a shot. First of all you may want to try posting in scubaboards forum for your area and see if you can find some like minded divers in the area. Also look around for other shops and see if you can find one that carries the type of setup that you are looking to buy. I know you aren't really looking to do technical diving but techy shops are going to be more likely to carry the type of gear that you want.
If you can't find a like minded shop then take advantage of what you do have available and order some things online if you need to. The staff at a shop may disagree with your gear choices but trust me when I tell you that they will not be above taking your money. Of course you still need to find a place that carries what you want. When I bought my regs it took me quite a while to convince one guy at the shop that I could dive in a safe manner without having a console with a computer in it
While they didn't exactly agree with my setup, they had no problem special ordering things for me, and they even gave me a great discount.
~Jess
If you can't find a like minded shop then take advantage of what you do have available and order some things online if you need to. The staff at a shop may disagree with your gear choices but trust me when I tell you that they will not be above taking your money. Of course you still need to find a place that carries what you want. When I bought my regs it took me quite a while to convince one guy at the shop that I could dive in a safe manner without having a console with a computer in it
While they didn't exactly agree with my setup, they had no problem special ordering things for me, and they even gave me a great discount.~Jess
Parheric,
As a Sydney boy I found that the BP&W were not that common, I changed to one recently and love it. Although I had been thinking about it for a while, it was a course at Southern Cross Divers that got me started. There are people in Brisbane who dive them, you might try Dive Dive Dive as they seem to do the techie stuff. I converted my Zeagle wing with a Blackarts plate, Blackarts is based in Brisbane.
Have you asked on DiveOZ?
Plug
As a Sydney boy I found that the BP&W were not that common, I changed to one recently and love it. Although I had been thinking about it for a while, it was a course at Southern Cross Divers that got me started. There are people in Brisbane who dive them, you might try Dive Dive Dive as they seem to do the techie stuff. I converted my Zeagle wing with a Blackarts plate, Blackarts is based in Brisbane.
Have you asked on DiveOZ?
Plug
fire_diver
Contributor
If you don't mind having a flatter learning curve, you can do it without "instruction." It will require spending more time in the water, and playing around with it and making small adjustments. I have no local dive shops, or even a local dve partner. This makes the learning process longer, but it is still do-able.
Here are my suggestions: If you normally dive with more than 10 lbs of lead, then go with a SS plate. If you don't use much lead get the AL. If you intend to only dive a single tank for right now, you need a small wing. Something in the 25-35 Lb lift range will be fine. Don't forget the STA (single tank adapter) when you order. Go with the single web harness. It's simple, and it works.
Next, follow the instructions from any of the great web-sites listed, in setting up your plate harness and wing. Then go out and have fun practicing. If something feels "odd" and your not sure if that's normal, or how to fix it, then just ask here. Lots of knowledge here, put it to good use.
And lastly, after you are trimmed out and comfortable in your wing, go on a group dive with your local shop. You'll soon find yourself the local subject matter expert of the BP/W. Just don't be suprised if others start calling and asking if you will help them with thier new BP/W.
FD
Here are my suggestions: If you normally dive with more than 10 lbs of lead, then go with a SS plate. If you don't use much lead get the AL. If you intend to only dive a single tank for right now, you need a small wing. Something in the 25-35 Lb lift range will be fine. Don't forget the STA (single tank adapter) when you order. Go with the single web harness. It's simple, and it works.
Next, follow the instructions from any of the great web-sites listed, in setting up your plate harness and wing. Then go out and have fun practicing. If something feels "odd" and your not sure if that's normal, or how to fix it, then just ask here. Lots of knowledge here, put it to good use.
And lastly, after you are trimmed out and comfortable in your wing, go on a group dive with your local shop. You'll soon find yourself the local subject matter expert of the BP/W. Just don't be suprised if others start calling and asking if you will help them with thier new BP/W.
FD
OP
parheric
Registered
Thanks again for great info - i'll fill everyone in on how it goes.
parheric: Ok, I'm going to take a step back.
First, are you strictly looking for a BP/W or are looking for some of the most common configuration that goes along with it, i.e. the Long hose and bungied secondary? If you are strictly looking for the BP/W then this should a no brainer, once you've got the intial sizing figured out (which the links in this tread should really help with). You've got a 'back inflate BC' that's mounted on a plate. Really not different from any BC in terms of usage.
Second, if you are looking for streamlined rig then it becomes a bit of a different discussion, specifically on how to deploy the long hose and switch to the bungied secondary, where to clip stuff off (like your spg) etc. At this point you are looking more into the "hogarthian" style, possibly DIR after that, which is really more of a way to look at the entire setup.
Both forums for hog & DIR can be found on scubaboard of course
Getting the air share down propperly and rigging the long hose really isn't tough, it's just slightly different than what you were taught. FWIW, I switched to a BP/W with longhose _and_ drysuit at dive 7.
Airdrill and other intersting videos:
http://www.divetekadventures.com/Images.htm
In either case, best of luck
Bjorn
**edit** Yeah I didn't realize this was already in the DIR forum before I responded. Just skip straight to my 2nd paragraph
First, are you strictly looking for a BP/W or are looking for some of the most common configuration that goes along with it, i.e. the Long hose and bungied secondary? If you are strictly looking for the BP/W then this should a no brainer, once you've got the intial sizing figured out (which the links in this tread should really help with). You've got a 'back inflate BC' that's mounted on a plate. Really not different from any BC in terms of usage.
Second, if you are looking for streamlined rig then it becomes a bit of a different discussion, specifically on how to deploy the long hose and switch to the bungied secondary, where to clip stuff off (like your spg) etc. At this point you are looking more into the "hogarthian" style, possibly DIR after that, which is really more of a way to look at the entire setup.
Both forums for hog & DIR can be found on scubaboard of course
Getting the air share down propperly and rigging the long hose really isn't tough, it's just slightly different than what you were taught. FWIW, I switched to a BP/W with longhose _and_ drysuit at dive 7.
Airdrill and other intersting videos:
http://www.divetekadventures.com/Images.htm
In either case, best of luck
Bjorn
**edit** Yeah I didn't realize this was already in the DIR forum before I responded. Just skip straight to my 2nd paragraph
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