Are Back Inflate and BP/Wings the same thing?

[Padipro]

SeaJay once bubbled...
...About the differences between a jacket, a back-inflate, and a "bp/wings" BC at http://www.islc.net/~bayne/homebc.html . The differences go beyond the simple idea of minimalizing failure points and getting rid of the plastic pieces.

Very well written SeaJay. For anyone that has used a BP&W, as well as the other types of BC's, I think they would agree with you completely.

Like I said in my earlyer post, I haven't taken the Mares Syncro Tech (Back Inflate) BC out of the closet in nearly 2 years. And switching from a single tank set up with tank adapter and Rec Wings to a doubles set up with Super Wings takes all of 10 minutes.

My comment about the plastic parts was something I had always thought was rather ironic when used as an argument in favor of a BP&W style rig. I think the points you make in your artical are more appropriate when discussing the pros and cons of the different styles.

Scott

 

[leadweight]

Boogie711 once bubbled...
OK - let me see if I can do this without starting WW3.

I know Leadweight gave up on using one after one weekend of using a poorly adjusted one...

Leadweight, I know, dives a Transpac II, as do a number of people. A Transpac is a back inflate BC which is rather minimalist in design, but can also accomodate a backplate should the user desire it.

LW was last seen somewhere in the Bermuda triangle....ut:

I don't think that a Transpac II is intended by its manufacturer to accomodate a backplate. Diverite makes some glorified washers called stabilizer bars to be used when bolting up a set of doubles with a manifold and bands. Diverite also makes some gadgets for attaching independent twin tanks. There are some other softpacks that are designed to allow a backplate to slip in, such as the OMS IQ & Deepoutdoors BC's.