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

[Dan Gibson]

Bingo!

Is THIS it?

Interesting, according to Oceanic:
"Experienced divers agree that a rear inflation design is best for streamlined freedom of movement and positioning underwater"

 

[ZoCrowes255]

Is THIS it?

Interesting, according to Oceanic:
"Experienced divers agree that a rear inflation design is best for streamlined freedom of movement and positioning underwater"

Yep, that's it. The owner of the shop I work for said it best when the rep for Oceanic brought it in "You're gonna be the laughing stock of the diveboat if you come up the ladder with that little bag dangling between your legs."

 

[ZoCrowes255]

Here is my two cents on the subject (I am not wading through 20+ pages so sorry if this has already been said

Most backplate and wing users (myself included) that are not active technical divers using doubles tend to get most of their info on BP/Wings from the net. Most divers who use a BP/W are experienced divers. However, not all experienced divers use BP/W. I can count on two hands the number of people who use BP/W that I have met in real life and for the most part they are all damn good divers. However, the most experienced divers I know (8000-10000 dives, have trained everything from military divers to public safety divers to instructors to recreational divers, 30+ years in the industry, dove the Doria etc.) all use jacket style BCs for single tank diving. It all boils down to personal preference. Most important thing is that if fits you, is comfortable for you and works well for the dives you are doing.

For me I use a BP/W (Oxycheq 45# wing and SS plate) and a Scubapro Classic Sport depending on the mood I'm in. Both dive extremely well and both are very stable, comfortable BCs.

One thing that amuses me: There is a lot of great information floating around on the net but I always find it amusing when someone who has 10 times more posts (and a BP/Wing) than they do dives gets up on their soapbox and tries to preach to people with 100 times the number of dives they have.

Oh and one more: A backplate and wing is a type of BC folks. You'll see "Should I get a BP/W or a BC" on some posts. A BP/Wing has an aircell that allows you to maintain neutral buoyancy at depth and positive buoyancy at the surface...that's a BC!

 

[detroit diver]

...............

One thing that amuses me: There is a lot of great information floating around on the net but I always find it amusing when someone who has 10 times more posts (and a BP/Wing) than they do dives gets up on their soapbox and tries to preach to people with 100 times the number of dives they have.

.........

Conversely, I've seen instructors and long time divers get into a basic fundamentals class and look like beginners.

Numbers of dives are meaningless, unless one knows how to dive them properly.

 

[detroit diver]

..........
Oh and one more: A backplate and wing is a type of BC folks. You'll see "Should I get a BP/W or a BC" on some posts. A BP/Wing has an aircell that allows you to maintain neutral buoyancy at depth and positive buoyancy at the surface...that's a BC!

I have an idea. We'll just call the "typical" BC a poodle jacket. So you can now identify the difference as:

Poodle Jacket

BP/Wing

 

[kidspot]

Aren't the proper terms a "stabalizer" jacket vs. a Back inflate or a Backplate and Wing? So we call them Stab, BI and BP/W ... that's my impression so far as one who has 10x the posts that he does dives (I don't think I'll ever catch up actually - it's far simpler to post 2-4 times every day than it is to dive 2-4 times per day too bad really...)

Aloha, Tim

P.S. Some of us are new divers, and hopefully we never leave an impression otherwise, but we do enjoy discussing the things that we are learning and are glad for you "old timers" who can correct us when we're wrong...

 

[ZoCrowes255]

I have an idea. We'll just call the "typical" BC a poodle jacket. So you can now identify the difference as:

Poodle Jacket

BP/Wing

and we can call BP/Wings ******* BCs cause that is the attitude a lot of people give off

So we've got:

******* BCs

Poodle Jackets

 

[jonnythan]

OK guys, calm down. Sure, a bp/wing is technically a buoyancy compensator, but when someone says "bp/wing vs BC" I think the implied difference is obvious. No need to name call.

 

[Rick Inman]

I'm not an instructor and I haven't logged thousands of dives - just hundreds. There are certainly better divers than I am (I get to dive with them!) and there are worse (dive with them, too). I have taken several classes, NASDS OW, SSI Refresher, PADI OW, AOW, Nitrox and rescue. I have not taken fundies.
The classes have been good, and I've learned a lot. But I have learned more by educating myself on ScubaBoard, having SB divers to watch, and diving out the stuff myself.
But if I was an instructor, I would hate it that people are getting educated for free online, 'cause that's how I get paid. If I owned a shop, I'd really hate it.
I don't mind if people with 50 dives give their opinions, and I don't feel preached at.
Just my .01.

 

[detroit diver]

and we can call BP/Wings ******* BCs cause that is the attitude a lot of people give off

So we've got:

******* BCs

Poodle Jackets

Works for me.