How much difference does it make really???

[Walter]

As a point of validation, it would be interesting to know which styles people giving opinions have actually dove. I've dove "mae west", horse collar(Scubapro), BP/W(AT-PAC), Stab Jacket(Scubapro) and rear inflate (Black Diamond). I haven't and won't say which is best for anyone other than myself and the diving I do.

I've dived without a BC, with a horse collar, with back inflate, with vest, and with BP/wings. There is a big difference from one BC to another, but the basic style, vest vs. BP/wing vs. back inflate vs. horse collar has much less to do with those differences than other factors. BTW, I was diving doubles (and triples) long before I ever heard of BP/wings.

 

[gfisher4792]

x-shorts? What do you mean?

X-shorts: http://www.dive-xtras.com/products/x-shortscon.html

 

[mnj1233]

X- Shorts very nice indeed!!! Have to buy a pair.

 

[RonFrank]

I'd prefer BP/W, but will have to dive what the shop wants to sell.

MAybe people don't dive BP/W because the people they trust to advise them aren't selling them or have not even been exposed to that style themselves. As a consumer, I would expect the 'professionals' I trust to advise and instruct me to have experience with all types of equipment. Unfortunately, that is the exception rather than the rule.

I'd expect that the people who sell and advise people on equipment purchases would have that persons best interest in mind. That is certainly not true in many cases. I think students look to their instructors as the model for what equipment they should use. How many of those instructors are diving equipment because they were given an awesome promo deal by the manufacturer? Of those manufacturers pitching, how many do you think would speak of their equipment as anything but the best option?

None of the people I made reference to are getting told what to dive... Zeagle makes BP/W's so while Scott/Chad would NOT dive ScubaPro, they have many options in BC's including BP/W. Larry can dive whatever the heck he wants as he is authorized to sell more than a few BP/W manufactures as well as a large number of other BC manufactures (He dives a Zeagle Brigade BTW, at least last I read).

I do agree with your statement about Instructors pushing gear. Then again, during my OW it was less about pushing gear vs. about NOT purchasing off the internet. My LDS MUST have revised their internet policy, because they are NOW an internet dealer :05:

At our LDS, the instructors use Zeagle Escapes, but MAINLY because they are provided by the LDS. They are BROWN from clorine, and I would NOT want to subject my personal BCD to that type of use unless I had no other choice.

I kinda think however in our LDS, the instructors dive what they want as they all use different masks and fins (some NOT sold at the LDS). Most use Atomic Splits, so they MUST have cut a deal .

 

[gfisher4792]

During my relatively short stint of diving (3 years) I have had the opportunity to dive jacket, back-inflate and BP/W. Overall, they all did what they were supposed to do: control buoyancy. However, probably due to my body type (fairly large upper torso, big shoulders/chest/muscles, more-generous-than-I-want belly) I did notice some significant differences between the 3.

1) Jacket. Easy to float at the surface from the start. Felt constriction around my chest which I didn't like. I found it more difficult than the other 2 styles to keep my trim.

2) Back-inflate. Much more comfortable than jacket. Not as easy to float at surface as jacket, but only took 1 or 2 suggestions from this board (moving weights, leaning back) to fix that.

3) BP/W. My current setup, and the one I like the most. Comfortable, easy to dive, and moved 8 pounds of weight over my torso/lungs, which helped my trim out immensely.

I do get looks (curiosity) and questions when I go on vacation and dive with BP/W, but that's fine by me. I don't care what kind of gear any particular diver has, buddy or not. If they like to dive, that's what really matters to me.

 

[BabyDuck]

http://www.dive-xtras.com/Specifications/x-shortsspecs.html

i've never tried them, but lots on the board sing their praises.

oops, should have read the rest of the thread first, but i'm glad everyone's on the ball!

 

[Santa]

For me - one heck of a lot. I'm 1.80 and not fat but dense (physiologically thank you)and heavily built with sinky legs. I need a rather perfect balancing to avoid backpull.

When I did my divemaster I used to dive with whatever equipment was left on the bottom of the crate - new stuff everyday, all shapes and sizes, sometimes xl sometimes xs - sometimes perforated sometimes not. It was a pest. Educational, but a pest.

THese days I use an oceanic chute 3 (wings) with integrated weights and shoulder pockets. It affords the freedom I need but I still have to be strategic about weight distribution, tank placement (depending on size) and even choice of fins (my jets are quite heavy). As the tank empties I sometimes readjust the bc-position using my shoulderstraps. I guess it's easier for the light of build.

 

[jpsexton]

For me It made a huge difference. In my classes we used vest type BC's and a weight belts. By the time I was certified I knew for sure what I did not want. After allot of research I wound up with a back inflate weight integrated (Oceanic Chute III) and there is just no comparison. For me my BC fits well, is comfortable, and my weight and trim are stable. Its a difference of fighting with ill fitting gear -vs- not worrying about the gear at all and just enjoying the dive.

John

 

[TSandM]

In my short diving career, I've used a jacket BC, a back inflate, and now dive a BP/W. My problem is fit -- as far as I can tell, scuba gear manufacturers do not believe in small women. I went through all the BCs in our LDS, looking for something that I could cinch down adequately around me (they didn't suggest a BP/W) and bought the best fit I could find, but it wasn't good enough, and the tank still had more ability to shift around than was comfortable. The adjustability of the harness fixed that.

They all float, and as long as you have enough lift, they'll all work. Why anybody wants to dive in something that squeezes you when you inflate it is beyond me, but that's me. My back inflate was pretty streamlined for a standard BC and was comfortable when inflated -- it just didn't fit.

 

[String]

A *good fitting* BC is fine for diving. However most people you see have poorly fitting ones either via rental or by just buying the wrong thing. Its perfectly possible to be comfortable and have good trim/buoyancy in a well made BC