Why does an LDS push newbies away from BP/WINGS?

[TDunbar]

Before you bash your instructor/LDS too much........ remember they are the ones who have their fanny on the line if you get injured while under their instruction. In the USA at least, it may take 10 or more students just to pay my liability insurance premium............. So I make no apologies for what I require in the way of student gear. Thank our society and legal system for not requiring students and divers to accept the consequences of their own choices and actions..........

And I WOULD teach in BP & W if a student desired.

Todd

 

[ClassAction]

"So I make no apologies for what I require in the way of student gear. Thank our society and legal system for not requiring students and divers to accept the consequences of their own choices and actions..........


Hmmm.... So you feel justified in "requiring" students to purchase equipment from your shop at unconscionable markups because you're pissed off at the legal system? Wow.

Also: our legal system doesn't require people to accept the consequences of their actions? Sure it does. It' called comparitive negligence. The courts weigh the negligence of e.g. the diver against the alleged negligence of e.g. the instuctor. But let's remember something -- the instructor is the expert! I'm not trying to absolve students of any fault (there were some borderline dangerous students in my OW class). But the instructor should be trained to deal with any problem (or possibly even remove the danger from the class!).

 

[Gator Diver]

Before my OW class I remember some paper
that released liability from the LDS....I asked
why I should sign it and I was told that all
LDS do this so you won't sue them if something
bad goes wrong


TDunbar said he would teach BP/wings
if the student desired....my question is
how can the student desire it if he doesn't
know about it....I learned about BP/wings
through this board and when I asked
my instructor if that would be good for me,
I was told "You dont need that. Just get
a regular BC". I think it boils down to the fact
of which is easier for the LDS, and it seems
to be a jacket or back inflate BC

 

[TDunbar]

I don't require Students to buy or even rent anything from me or my shop. However, I do require that whatever a student choses to use be in working order. I provide jackets with instruction because that's what I prefer to dive and that's what is most readily available. Finally and most importantly, since the market says it wants the cheapest price for instruction, I provide the cheapest thing available - jackets.

Remember the lady who sued McDonalds because she burned her crotch driving with hot coffee between her legs? Despite the fact that her million+ award was eventually reduced, you and I pay for McDonald's defense of her frivolous suit each time we buy a Quarter Pounder............ That was the point I was making with the "accept the consequences of their own choices and actions" comment.

Local dive shops carry what their customers tell them they want or they don't stay in business, but unless their customers tell them what they want, they have no way of knowing - unless your LDS is a member of the Psychic Friends Network. Ultimately you have the power of your dollar - if you don't like one shop/instructor, go to another one.

 

[TDunbar]

My apologies for my last post - it has strayed quite a bit from the originating thread. Now I remember why I promised myself that I wouldn't post for at least a year after joining..........

 

[Aquanaught]

Guys I got a question. I'm recently doing my OW and yes it's in a jacket style BC. Anyway I'm most likely to choose for a BP/W after I did my OW and when it's the right time to buy my equipment.

But now here is my question...
Now I had lessons in a Jacket style BC, is it a big difference when switching to a BP/W setup? If so how long will it take to get used to it? 1, 2 or 3 times diving in a swimming pool to practise?

Another question is what do I need to buy...A backplate, a Wing and a harness or does it brings more to complete the setup?

The last question is the weight system. I heard you can get easily in a face down position and that it's hard to stay in a vertical position. Is this true and if so how can you solve the problem?

Thanks in advance all...

 

[grouchyturtle]

I haven't done a lot of dives and I'm still really a rookie. I did my OW and 3 dives following it in a jacket.

Then a bought a back inflate. It does feel a lot different, but in a good way. Like way this is what it's like to not have my legs dragging underneath me the whole dive! Tried it just once in the pool then started diving with it. From day one, even being a rookie, it felt soooooooo much better than a jacket.

When you're that new, you're still really trying to get a lot of those skills down, and you're not really used to one BC after only a few divesanyway. I think it felt a little stranger when I got my BP after diving the back inflate all summer.

It's much easier to get in a horizontal postition, but I have no problem dropping my legs to get in a vertical postition. It may be a little harder with my BP than it was with my back inflate but not much.

I got a Halcyon rig. BP came with the harness already installed, and if you got the whole rig, it also included the wing, single tank adaptor, and a pocket that mounts on the BP for stowing lift bags, etc.

 

[Aquanaught]

Ok thanks for your reply but more replies would be top so I get a better view on it!

When using a BP/W you will use a weightbelt if I'm correct right? I've also heard of Weights attached to your tank or tankbelt (Main reason was that is would be easier to get in a vertical position) is this true?

On a BP/W you don't have any pockets right but only D-Rings to store equipment such as lamps etc, am I correct?

Can you buy a full and good BP/W setup for less than 500 euro or $500? (Nowadays the euro is almost the same as the dollar )

Thanks in advance!

 

[grouchyturtle]

Tank weights are actually to help you to get horizontal.

Most divers use belts, but there are pockets that can go right on the harness. Halcyon makes an integrated system for mounting on the harness.

Only d rings, but you can also get pockets for storing things to put on the harness.

Look an Leisure pro, you'll find a billion different accessories that fit on 2" webbing.

 

[Aquanaught]

So tanks weights are there so you won't fall face downwards right? So they are a sort of must to the system...