Why are BP/W users more common on this board than at the beach?

[sharkmasterbc]

Head down to the beach at Whytecliff park in West Vancouver BC any sat or sun and you will probably see at least 30-40% of the divers using BP/Wing. I guess there seem to be a lot more people on theis board using BP/Wing than there are when u get out diving but in the past year or so we have definetly seen the increase in the amount of people on site with BP/Wing.
I was introduced by an PADI course director who let me try his setup and in turn after buying mine I lent it out as much as possible. I would say about 4 out of 10 people perfered the BP/wing to the jacket. Some people just don't care about trim, fit, functionability etc, all they want to do is look at fish...some people are in love with their jacket BC, and attaching as many gadgets to it as possible, others swear by the BP/wing setup...I say whatever works, Theres an old timer who lives somewhere on the Sunshine Coast in BC who uses a bucket for a BC...he has been diving this way for 25 years (although I don't see how he could really help out a buddy in an emergency...but i digress).
Maybe the reason there seems to be more people on the board advocating/using BP/wing is because people are slowly comming to the relization that it is better...just MHO.

 

[Dan Gibson]

We are there, you just can't see us because the all black equipment makes us sleathy.

No this is not a troll (and if it's been discussed - my apologies) It was pointed out in a recent thread (http://www.scubaboard.com/t90191-bcd-toss-upagain.html #15) "An interesting fact is that BP&W usage on this board is hugely disproportional to that of the rest of the diver population in the country."

This does seem very true - so why? I know there are some cute answers out there (I liked H2Andy's lol) but in reality is this just a board that attracts bp/wing users or is this a growing segment of the diving population simply being exposed on the Scubaboard first? I know for myself I was first exposed to the benefits (and the very existence) of the bp/wing gearing here.

As to my personal opinion (and yes, bias) I think that Scubaboard is a place for the discussion of ideas beyond what you might hear at the LDS and in the marketplace of ideas the showroom has less of an impact on sales than does personal experience and the recommendations of users. Since this is a community where new divers (like myself) have been greatly influenced it would make sense that we would also stick around and become active members of this community, thus perpetuating the ideas we were exposed to and found we agreed with. So is this going to translate into more broadspread usage of bp/wings in the general diving community or is there another reason out there?

Ideas anyone?

Tim

 

[MASS-Diver]

We are there, you just can't see us because the all black equipment makes us sleathy.

lol

 

[Rick Inman]

We are there, you just can't see us because the all black equipment makes us sleathy.

LOL! Or maybe we're already underwater when you get to the beach, and still underwater when you leave.

 

[Dan Gibson]

I thought some of you would like that one

LOL! Or maybe we're already underwater when you get to the beach, and still underwater when you leave.

 

[kidspot]

We are there, you just can't see us because the all black equipment makes us sleathy.

LOL - now that's funny Just one more reason to avoid those Pink Jet fins

 

[jonnythan]

LOL - now that's funny Just one more reason to avoid those Pink Jet fins

If Scubapro made them, I would totally own a pair.

 

[H2Andy]

We are there, you just can't see us because the all black equipment makes us sleathy.

sleathy (adjective):

1. discreetely immoral; able to hide reprobate behaviours.

2. careful in the use of money, miserly.

3. one who has sleath.

 

[kidspot]

If Scubapro made them, I would totally own a pair.

They used to - once in a while a pair will turn up on Ebay - so who knows you may get a pair yet... But there goes your "stealthy" look (or sleathy if you prefer)

Aloha, Tim

 

[kidspot]

sleathy (adjective):

1. discreetely immoral; able to hide rebrobate behaviours.

2. careful in the use of money, miserly.

3. one who has sleath.

Sad how we must pick on spelling errors of other users . . . but sure is fun by the first definition I can see how it and stealthy probably are from similar roots.

Aloha, Tim

P.S. I can't count how frequently I've typed ahola and had to correct it...