new OW students in BP/wing or Jacket BCD

[gypsyjim]

I am not an instructor. Just a diver.
I just started playing with a BP/W that Bob Sherwood of GUE loaned me, because I am interested in taking the GUE Fundies class with him. My very first dive in the wing was also my first real attempt at diving a dry suit too, so it was a disaster, but a great learning experience.

After a few dives, in a quarry I just took the wing to Bonaire for a week. I honestly do not see the controversy over vest BCD's vs BP/W's. They perrty much do the same dam thing, from where I stand.

I can remember when the BCD was controversial, and my first encounter with one of those new fangled inventions was traumatic. To me the BP/W is just a streamlined variation on the same theme.

It is, of course up to the agency and the LDS, what gear they choose to train a new student in, but I certainly see the advantage of exposing students to variations.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I had a friend just get OW cert a few weeks ago. She started an finished in bp/w. Personally, I agree that a properly weighted diver in such a rig won't feel the "face forward" feeling at the surface. Plus, if they never tried a jacket they won't have anything to compare the wing to.

 

[bell47]

Thanks for all the responses! Keep the good info coming. I would like to hear from some instructors who DON'T LIKE BP/wings.....and why, or from some instructors that may not like technical diving...and why? Thanks guys.

 

[pinkham89]

That is the only student gear I have. And as I dive with BP/W or my Zeagle, I have no issues there... If students bring their own gear, we take the opportunity to compare and let students familiarize themselves with varied types of gear. And I have steels, aluminum 80's, yolks and dins, and yes, twins laying out there for all to see. I definitely don't think it scares Anyone but the instructor who doesn't want to, or doesn't know how to explain them.

Twins huh? blonde? brunette? 'Cause i think i just found a new favorite instructor. Having recently switched from jacket style to a backplate/wing I can say that I have no interest in diving the jacket anymore.... that wing is just so darn comfy. I do think that bell47's concerns are valid, as I did feel the "face push" but I tend to flop on my back on the surface anyway and quickly got used to it. As someone stated, its all brand new and the new divers should be able to adapt to the different style BCS without too much trouble. Now to the other instructors that are here...would it make sense for it to be a "requirement" to use at least the BCD and backplate, or should that be left to the individual student?

 

[RJP]

Now to the other instructors that are here...would it make sense for it to be a "requirement" to use at least the BCD and backplate, or should that be left to the individual student?

No reason not to explain the different options and encourage folks to try them all out, especially before making a purchase. The LDS where I DM has an in-store pool and will happily allow/encourage students to try anything and everything before plunking down their hard-earned money. Better to have folks make a purchase informed by their own experience rather than simply let them buy what they trained in simply because they didn't know any better... especially if they'll invariably come back (or more likely not and go elsewhere) once they get more experience and realize that you let them buy the wrong gear.

 

[fjpatrum]

I'll weigh in as a newly certified diver who has no dives since receiving my cert. I was given a jacket style BC with no option for anything else in my class. I had an opportunity to buy some very old back inflates from people who had stopped diving many years prior who were quite nice and but clearly had been out of the sport for a while. I didn't trust that they really knew the latest trends. I eventually bought all my gear from a current instructor of tech diving courses. He showed me the BP/W options and really tried to stress to me the benefits of it but I bought a jacket anyway. After doing my cert dives in that jacket BC I now understand more of what the tech guy was trying to explain to me. The one thing I don't remember him saying was that I would be able to breathe more easily in a harness and bp/w than in the jacket. That's a big deal to me and I'm now considering dumping the jacket and going to a harness. This is without any dives but my certification dives. My big issue is I am one of those "hard to fit" types. I'm tall and thin with broad shoulders medium sized chest and a skinny waist. The jacket I bought is a medium but I have to crank on the cumberbund to keep it from riding up on me. As such, it really constricts my breathing at depth. I had no such problems diving in a pool for my class sessions so I hadn't even considered it when I went to buy my gear.

I would like to have seen different configurations in my class with a few of the pros/cons of each explained. That said, if your shop is that strict about, it sounds like you have a choice to make; do you stay with the shop and teach/show what they say, or do you give new students the best class you can at the expense of finding a different shop?