LDS Pressure

[blc]

I just started back getting into diving after a 25 year break of marriage,kids and career. I have been visiting as many LDS's as possible in my area to get back up to speed with equipment changes etc. Now I started with double hose regulators and with no BC's back in the beginning but I had stepped up to an early backpack and wing set up before I quit.

When I tell the shop I am looking for a backpack/wing set up they immediately go into a long spill on their jacket bc's and how they are so much better etc. I get such gobbley gook as you cant hardly get into a one piece harness or if you have any shoulder problems you can never get in it or out of it etc. I am a little old but not crippled. Most shops I visited either do not have backpack/wings in stock or have maybe one with a wing that is clearly made for doubles. Yea sure, I will take that big floppy thing with 50lbs of lift for my single tank set up.

Is there some conspiricy to push jacket style BC's on customers or something? Or is it maybe like a marketing/fashion thing or something. It looks like each year the manufactures come out with a new and improved jacket models so you have to keep up (and spend more money)? Guess its hard to improve much on a one piece harness design other than fancy padding etc which in my opinon is not needed.

I don't get it, a good quality backpack/wing set up cost as much or more than their best jacket BC's. What gives here?. I want to support my LDS but this stuff is pushing me me more and more to just buying what I want online.

There is absoutley nothing wrong with jacket BC's if that is what you prefer but, I just like the simple one piece harness set up. I have a big enough pot belly with out wrapping it in an inflatable jacket.

 

[boulderjohn]

This gets discussed a lot, and there are many reasons for it. Here are some highlights:

1. Many shops know very little about them. I know shops where most employees have never seen one. It is hard for them to get excited about them.

2. In the U.S., BP/Ws account for less than 1% of sales. If you are going to carry equipment and hope to have a profitable business, it is not wise to invest in a large inventory of equipment that is not selling. A shop I know well never sold them for a long time and then started carrying them. Almost none of them sold.

3. Although this is changing with some brands, some of the companies that sold BP/Ws demanded (and still demand) very high initial purchases and very high annual sales quotas from their merchants. It could be financial suicide for a shop to sign such a contract without a firm belief it can meet those sales requirements. I have been through this with two different shops--it is a very big issue with them.

 

[JamesK]

Welcome to the world of the LDS. They are a business and want to sell you what they sell. Rightfully so. I would suggest finding a tech store or simply going online to somewhere like Dive Gear Express, Dive Right In Scuba, Deep Sea Supply, Extreme Exposure, Cave Country Dive Shop, or Cave Adventurers.

 

[blc]

Makes sense I guess. buisness always gets in the way of having fun and enjoying yourself. One thing though, if shops dont promote backpack/wings as not just for tech diving but recreational diving as well it stands to reason it will never improve I guess. I might as well stop beating a dead horse then.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Then there are some of us who welcome divers who see the obvious benefits of the BPW configuration. I have an article on my website that specifically addresses this topic. It was written in response to a query from a member here whose spouse was told a bpw was an unsafe set up. As for your local shops just be firm. Or do like I did and buy on line. The shop I got my OW through pissed around when I wanted to get mine. I went on line and got one. Then a few more items the shop told me I did not need. All told his attitude cost him about 5 grand in gear sales over the next couple years.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[j2s]

Another thing about bp/w is it's versatility/custom-izability...It can grow w/your needs; single wing/double wing, pockets, and other items can be added/subtracted as needed......Except for the wings there is little that wears out.......W/a few changes you can set-up for just about any environment........Price-compare a bp/wing [w/rings and webbing] to a jacket bc.....You'll get more for your money........

 

[ams511]

This gets discussed a lot, and there are many reasons for it. Here are some highlights:

1. Many shops know very little about them. I know shops where most employees have never seen one. It is hard for them to get excited about them.

2. In the U.S., BP/Ws account for less than 1% of sales. If you are going to carry equipment and hope to have a profitable business, it is not wise to invest in a large inventory of equipment that is not selling. A shop I know well never sold them for a long time and then started carrying them. Almost none of them sold.

3. Although this is changing with some brands, some of the companies that sold BP/Ws demanded (and still demand) very high initial purchases and very high annual sales quotas from their merchants. It could be financial suicide for a shop to sign such a contract without a firm belief it can meet those sales requirements. I have been through this with two different shops--it is a very big issue with them.

Do the equipment manufacturers have separate deals for their tech lines? For example Scubapro sells BP/Ws and Oceanic has the Hollis line while AL has Apeks, so dive shops should be able to order them.

---------- Post Merged at 04:54 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 04:30 PM ----------

I just started back getting into diving after a 25 year break of marriage,kids and career. I have been visiting as many LDS's as possible in my area to get back up to speed with equipment changes etc. Now I started with double hose regulators and with no BC's back in the beginning but I had stepped up to an early backpack and wing set up before I quit.

Welcome back to diving. If you feel nostalgic check out vintage double hose. They also sell BP/Ws.

When I tell the shop I am looking for a backpack/wing set up they immediately go into a long spill on their jacket bc's and how they are so much better etc. I get such gobbley gook as you cant hardly get into a one piece harness or if you have any shoulder problems you can never get in it or out of it etc. I am a little old but not crippled. Most shops I visited either do not have backpack/wings in stock or have maybe one with a wing that is clearly made for doubles. Yea sure, I will take that big floppy thing with 50lbs of lift for my single tank set up.

They are trying to sell you something they have in stock rather than something they don't. If you have shoulder problems you can get a quick-disconnect harness or even a padded harness. A Dive Rite deluxe harness with QD is about $40 or you can also just add them to the harness for $3.00.

Is there some conspiricy to push jacket style BC's on customers or something? Or is it maybe like a marketing/fashion thing or something. It looks like each year the manufactures come out with a new and improved jacket models so you have to keep up (and spend more money)? Guess its hard to improve much on a one piece harness design other than fancy padding etc which in my opinon is not needed.

It is easier to set up price points with BCs than with BP/Ws, because BP/Ws are fairly standardized unlike BCs.

I don't get it, a good quality backpack/wing set up cost as much or more than their best jacket BC's. What gives here?. I want to support my LDS but this stuff is pushing me me more and more to just buying what I want online.

Actually sometimes the BCs can cost more. You can get a good quality BW/P for around $400 - $500 sometimes less if you find a sale.

There is absoutley nothing wrong with jacket BC's if that is what you prefer but, I just like the simple one piece harness set up. I have a big enough pot belly with out wrapping it in an inflatable jacket.

The newer back inflate BCs are much better than the jackets of old and don't have wrap-around lift. Check out the Zeagle Express thread, it sells for $260 and can be customized with a plate if you like.

 

[chrpai]

LDS's would sell a lot more then 1% BP/W if they would actually, well, sell them. A shop I know sells Zeagle but didn't carry the express tech. If they had, I would have bought one from them. Instead I went to DRIS for their BP/W. Now the LDS is pushing ScubaPro XTech gear for 2x-3x the price. Oh and the dive boat that I frequent... I'd say 90% BP/W. We are all active divers and we know what we like.

 

[Glenn08]

I also recently updated my gear. I had been using a Fenzy BC. I visited several local shops, but was not impressed by their attitudes to my 'old' gear. I bought a Genesis Recon through ebay because it came with doubles bands. The shoulder straps design allows me to control my tanks with one shoulder strap while dropping the tanks. I tried a Zeagle - I don't know which model - and I couldn't control the tanks unless wearing both shoulder straps.

 

[Zen Diving Inc.]

Most dive shops don't carry that kind of gear anymore... Tech market small... Better off ordering online or finding a hollis, OMS or Dive Rite dealer to place an order. Ebay can be a life saver and a major pain... Good Luck!

PS. You can make your own back plate and many other things if you put the time in.