Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Horse collars getting replaced by jacket BC’s had nothing to do with liability insurance, it was for convenience.Yeah yeah yeah ....but why is it better and "Because" isn't a legitimate answer!
So far, the only thing that I've read, is that they're easier to put on. And that right there is the primary reason that they took over in my honest and unprofessional opinion. Dive operators, gear rental, even retail stores all have one business expense in common: Liability insurance.
Put yourself into the shoes of a large dive tour/gear rental agency in a dive hotspot. How many times has he/she or their employees seen the kinds of mistakes that can easily kill one of their paying guests? "Hmmm. Does the weight belt go on top of or under the Horse Collar B/C vest? Or does this crotch strap for my Horse Collar B/C go around my tanks or under them?"
Hey, I get it. Liability. All of those little death causing mistakes are eliminated by "Here. Put this on like a jacket and buckle it in front". Much less liability! Then the assorted dive magazines got into the act because they want the sport to prosper and making it safer is one way to help that along. I get it. The jacket types or backwings are safer because they require less thought and training. But, are they better?
Replacing a horse collar BC/backpack to an all-in-one unit of the BC part attached to the plate was a breakthrough in simplification to outfit divers, conduct classes, rent gear, etc.
If the jacket BC sucked that bad it wouldn’t have made it all the way up to this day. It still remains the most popular option for a BCD. Just look around any dive site or charter boat around the world and see what people are using. Over 90% of rigs will be jackets or back inflates.
BP/W are also gaining popularity but those are the exact opposite if a horse collar, all the lift is in the back.