Back Inflation vs. BP/W

[Crush]

I recently bought a new Back Inflation BCD (Oceanic Islander 2) and couldn't be more happy with it. However, reading through the forums I see there are lots of divers of all levels that either Currently dive a BP/W or wish that they had started with one. However, other than the ability to dive doubles, I have not seen any logical reason why a BP/W is any better than a back inflation. At this point in my diving career I have no intention to become a cave diver, or do any Tech diving. I don't have the need to "standardize" my gear with a dive buddy, the people I dive with know where my alt air is and I know where theirs is.

What I really want to know is the pros and cons of both Back inflation and BP/W. Or any good comparisons. If anyone could explain this to me I would be greatful.

I have dived both a back inflate BC (Zeagle Scout) and a BP&W. I found no difference between their diving characteristics since the Scout is a minimalist BC.

Here are some pros and cons from my personal perspective:

1. Zeagle Scout BC:
A. Pros:
- more comfortable on land than BP&W - the shoulders are padded and the waist band can be used to place the weight on your hips rather than on your shoulders
- can be adjusted to suit you very quickly
B Cons:
- if the shoulder straps are not cinched tightly the whole BP can shift on your back, making you unstable
- many on SB will laugh at you and poke fun at you

2. BP&W:
A. Pros:
- once it is adjusted properly, it will not sway on your back
- incredibly adjustable, modular
- in theory you can use one BP and a broad range of wings and tanks to cover all your diving needs. In reality, making these adjustments are a pain and you will end up owning one BP for singles and another for doubles.
B Cons:
- more painful on the shoulders if you are hiking it for a distance. Note that once you are in the water it is extremely comfortable
- it is easy to adjust it incorrectly

My BP is made of aluminum. My BP&W is more compact than the Scout, but the Scout is slightly lighter. In the end I am consistently using the BP&W because of the adjustability.

The two or so pounds of lead that I dropped is because the inherent weight of the BP&W.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I recently bought a new Back Inflation BCD (Oceanic Islander 2) and couldn't be more happy with it.

Is this the same BCD that you had problems with?
In another thread, you mentioned that the corrugated hose-BCD connection was loose/faulty.
I'd consider that a quality control issue that the manufacturer should be responsible for.
(Hopefully, a pre-dive check would catch this kind of issue before you enter the water.)

A BP/W is just a simple, no-frills BCD. On a BP/W, the metal parts are very durable. The only wearable part is the webbing harness which is fairly inexpensive to replace. A metal backplate centers more ballast over your lungs, which can be helpful in trimming out a rig properly.

I'm just an average recreational OW diver. I'm very happy with a BC as long as it is in good working order (easy to add air, holds air, easy to dump air, holds tank securely on back, straps adjusted properly, trimmed out properly). It doesn't matter if it's jacket-style, rear-inflate, hybrid, or a BP/W. YMMV.

 

[j yaeger]

it's all about you,at this point!!!!!!
i have an oceanic probe that i love!!!......when i'm instructing....
i have several other brands that i love!!!!...for what type of diving i'm doing at the time
bp/wing-drysuit= great!!!!!!
try different rigs-swap with your buds for a dive or two!!!!
what ever you like
thats why there are so many choices!!!!!!!!
have fun
yaeg

 

[jseteroff]

Is this the same BCD that you had problems with?
In another thread, you mentioned that the corrugated hose-BCD connection was loose/faulty.
I'd consider that a quality control issue that the manufacturer should be responsible for.
(Hopefully, a pre-dive check would catch this kind of issue before you enter the water.)

Actually no. As it seems that nobody gets gear right on the first try, I decided that although I like the rear inflation, the Ocean Bio Lite had nowhere that was acceptable to put anything. There is no pockets and the only Rings were at the end of the shoulder and waist straps, and 3 places on the right shoulder to but a clip. So I took advantage of Oceanics new 30 Exchange policy to get an islander instead, it has more options on where to put things and 2 pockets with the same things I liked about the Bio-lite (light and the back inflate). The first thing I did was double check all the connections to make sure they were tight. Everything was, so I'm going to say that it was a one time deal.