Back Inflation BC is SUICIDE!!!

[Dyno Bill]

I have personally dove a rear inflation type of BC for years, in fact the other 3 jacket type BC's havnt been wet since I bought it and I can say that I havn't ever been troubled with being out of trim at the surface. Not exactly sure where all the concerns originated. Its a Dacor Rig with weight integration and still utilizes a easy to remove harness system.
Bill

 

[SeanQ]

"PADI should do something about the bad myths of back inflation BCs. They probably wont, but it needs to be addressed"

Not being a Padi person and having had much bad luck with Padi divers and operators I would prefer they mind their buisness (Padi that is) and instruct their students as they see fit and leave the non Padi world alone. I don't know if they ever had a policy per say but it is the Padi trained divers, shops, operators that I had the most problem with running back inflate BC down (your gonna die if you use that thing!!!), especially during the 80s when back inflate BCs were uncommon again mostly due to myth generated by said persons and agency but that is just my opinion. N

I am PADI certified and will be trying a BP/W this weekend. I'm going to rent it from a store that normally doesn't rent BP/W's but will let me try it because I asked. Perhaps some agencies are more prone to certain mindsets; but, it is ultimately uneducated LDS's and/or Instructor's that spread the myths.

 

[coffeefein24]

Even jackets are back inflation if all the weight is placed underneath it.

Just take off the 40# belt the dive shop sold them and tie it around their ankles and send them to the surface.

Bottm line____Dive with what YOU are most comfortable with. Not with what someone else says you need.

NH

 

[AmyJ]

I learned to dive in a backmount BCD during a PADI course, and that was before it was ever called a wing, and it has nothing to do with the agency. PADI doenst have an opinion as to what type of bouyancy device you use, just like they dont care what color wetsuit you wear.

I must respond to this... As a new OW diver, who recently spent a GREAT deal of time in PADI OW manual... my SO and I were CONSTANTLY dying over how frequently they mentioned color coordinating gear. We figured Barbie must be a PADI underwriter. It seemed to a be a pretty serious issue!!!!

 

[MikeFerrara]

I must respond to this... As a new OW diver, who recently spent a GREAT deal of time in PADI OW manual... my SO and I were CONSTANTLY dying over how frequently they mentioned color coordinating gear. We figured Barbie must be a PADI underwriter. It seemed to a be a pretty serious issue!!!!

Every one knows that real divers wear black.

Back inflations bcs aren't anything new in recreational diving and even bp/wing is getting more popular in recreational diving. Technical divers have been using them ever since there were bc's for the most part. Back plates have been standard fare forever and the back plate as we know it has been standard fare since Greg Flanagan pounded one out in his garage to use in his cave class...then he made one for Sheck Exley, Diverite started manufacturing them and the rest is history.

First buoyancy control device...
Before any of that cave divers, who couldn't get away with droping to the bottom everytime they stoped were using plastic jugs on strings to keep them up off the bottom prior to any of the manufactureres making anything for buoyancy control.

The same is true for alternate second stages. Cave divers were modifying regs on their own before the manufacturers picked up on it.

Since first diving in a back inflation bc, I haven't looked back. Now it's just a plate and a wing and as far as I'm concerned everything else is just marketing fluff...I don't need 6 different color bcs, pockets, 67 d-rings or 14 dump valves. LOL Most manufacturers seem far more concerned with fassion and gimicks than anything else and that's the venue of the average dive shop.

 

[Nemrod]

"Every one knows that real divers wear black."

Well, actually the original dive colors for gear were as often blue or yellow as black. Just look in any catalog from the 60s.
Oh, here is an interesting pic from 1968 of an early back inflation unit. Pretty funny huh? Note the lady has yellow fins, yellow mask, yellow harness with black stripe and a yellow tank. N

 

[Nemrod]

Howabout real divers wear no BC! Here is a colorful pic from the Dec issue of Skindiver, 1968. Note that she has no BC, orange tank, blue mask, yellow wet suit, blue and orange snorkel, black harness. N

 

[Nemrod]

Sorry, it is a pretty pic so here I try again, my apology. N

 

[gehadoski]

I am working on my Divemaster. So I finished my Rescue diver course with my equipments and I have back inflation. I found it wonderfull while going throught the skills. You know how many times you act as a victum in the the course. and now I am reviewing the skills in the DM course. I don't think that the problem is in the back inflation. I think may be your instructor doesn't know how to use the back inflation BCDs.

 

[Aquawookie]

Sorry, it is a pretty pic so here I try again, my apology. N

SHE'S TOUCHING STUFF!! SHE'S TOUCHING STUFF!!

CALL THE DIVE POLICE!!!!!