Is mixing different brands okay to do?

[Diving Dubai]

I sympathise with newer divers not wanting to use a BPW, or treAting them with suspicion.

When I got back into diving I had no idea what a wing was, they were quite popular within the club I joined, by popular less than 25% of divers used them. One lady had been using a wing for 4-5 years and loved it, she persuaded me to try one and the rest was history (including her becoming my wife)

People like what they learnt in, it's what they have confidence in. I go on dive vacations all over the world twice or 3 times a year, generally ours are the only wings on the boat. They are still a niche item in the grand scheme of global sales.

All my regs are aqualung only because the best shop in town is a dealer. Indeed all my purchases generally come from the same shop. Yes I get a discount, and yes I can touch before I buy, but I get outstanding after sales service too. If I need a service or repair at the last minute it gets done. There is a lot to be said for a good relationship with a local store.

Regarding Aqualung and Scubapro, they might not be everyone's favourite, but you can be pretty much certain of finding spares anywhere in the world along with someone able to fix it if something does go wrong.

 

[Storker]

All my regs are aqualung only because the best shop in town is a dealer.

I've standardized on Apeks regs because they (particularly the XTX50+ series) are pretty good value for money on my side of the pond (I know the situation is slightly different on the West side of the pond). And because they're pretty good. A bit expensive to service, but absolutely no worries even in pretty cold (~4C) water, and they're popular among the local tech crowd (which may or may not indicate a good record for reliability).

For other gear, I go for what works for me and what I can get a good deal on/buy used. I'm kinda partial to Halcyon BP/W setups, but only if I can get a good deal on a used item.

 

[diver0008]

I sympathise with newer divers not wanting to use a BPW, or treAting them with suspicion.

Isn't a BPW only different from a standard BCD in that it lacks certain features like pockets, integrated weighting, and etcetera bells & whistles?

 

[Storker]

Isn't a BPW only different from a standard BCD in that it lacks certain features like pockets, integrated weighting, and etcetera bells & whistles?

No.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Isn't a BPW only different from a standard BCD in that it lacks certain features like pockets, integrated weighting, and etcetera bells & whistles?

The main difference, as I see it, is that with a BP/W, the backplate and wing are two separate and independent parts that the user assembles together. It has been called "modular," in the sense that different wings, and to a lesser extent, different backplates (e.g., steel or aluminum) can be selected, depending on requirements. For example, you can select a wide wing designed for double-tank diving or a narrow wing designed for single-tank diving, in any of a number of lift capacities. So, you could own a small wing for tropical diving where you don't wear a very buoyant suit and maybe use an aluminum tank, and also a wing with more lift for your dives in colder waters where you wear a thick wetsuit or drysuit and maybe a steel tank.

The harness could also be considered an independent or modular part. Though harnesses tend to be pretty standardized, you can thread your backplate with webbing in your choice of color these days, and put the D-rings where you want them.

Another distinction is that, with a steel backplate or weighted single-tank adapter, the BP/W concept can place a significant amount of ballast right up against your back, near your center of gravity (or perhaps it's the center of lift--my physics is rusty here), rather than further away on a belt on your waist or elsewhere.

 

[Storker]

pockets

are superfluous on my BCD; I've got two huge thigh pockets on my DS

integrated weighting

can be had with a BP/W, there's a bunch of weight pockets on the market. I've removed mine from my BP/W setup.

etcetera bells & whistles?

For what purpose? Just being able to place the D-rings wherever I want is enough bells and whistles I need.

 

[redacted]

It is much like the difference between a tract home and a custom home; except the BP/W is often less expensive.

 

[divad]

I've standardized on Apeks regs because they (particularly the XTX50+ series) are pretty good value for money on my side of the pond (I know the situation is slightly different on the West side of the pond). And because they're pretty good. A bit expensive to service, but absolutely no worries even in pretty cold (~4C) water, and they're popular among the local tech crowd (which may or may not indicate a good record for reliability).

For other gear, I go for what works for me and what I can get a good deal on/buy used. I'm kinda partial to Halcyon BP/W setups, but only if I can get a good deal on a used item.

You are deviating from The Prime Directive; NOMAD you must must fulfill The Prime Directive. NOMAD you must self destruct. NOMAD you must fulfill the Prime Directive.................

 

[Diving Dubai]

I possibly have more bells and whistles on my BPW than you'd get on a normal jacket, the difference is mine are on because of my choosing and configured for the type of diving I do.

Unlike @Storker I have pockets on my waist belt, only because I don't use a DS all year so like my gear in the same place, nothing wrong with either option.

My first BPW had integrated weight pockets on the waist but now I don't need them so they're not there. I also have a butt plate with rails for stage and deco tanks, and a butt pocket for a large SMB used in emergencies on the surface.

D-rings are placed where I want them. So just the ability to configure a BPW makes it an excellent choice without considering the other advantages

 

[DogDiver]

I sympathise with newer divers not wanting to use a BPW, or treAting them with suspicion.

Does your mother know you dive back-mount? Way too dangerous. Better have a body bag close by.