Dryglove
Contributor
Here is where the difference of opinion comes into play. It was nice to hear leadweights side of it and now i wil point out my experiences. Im gonna try to answer things in the same general outline following leadweights responses.
I absolutely hate slide fasteners as they always seem to loosen up on me during the dive.I have also seen one break on a dive boat and in the parking lot at monterey from a tank being accidently set on them.They were not TPII bc's but the same type slide fastener/clip. A little duct tape and a few zip ties later they were ready to dive again but not happy campers. So there is definitely a failure point there that is not present on a bp. I have also served several years in the good ol army infantry and have seen plenty of those style clips break.But then again i have seen some of these style clips take some serious abuse and not break. They are more of a convenience than a necessity. Yes it is a failure point......not a life threatening failure point for the average diver unless you are way back inside of a cave or doing long deco time then it may be more serious. That excludes the majority of us.
I took my rescue class in a Scubapro knighthawk. The rescuers in my class had an easier time with the guys in bp's due to the fact there was only one buckle to undo and they slid easily out of the harness. My setup at the time consisted of a velcro cumberband, a buckle on top of that and a sternum strap plus the shoulder release buckles. On the plus side if they cut you out of your bp it is very cheap and easy to replace the harness on a BP compared to any other bc if you decide to pursue diving later in the future after being rescued.
A bp with limited exposure protection may not be as comfy on land as a TPII but that all disappears as soon as you hit the water if it is properly adjusted. I try to spend as little time on land as possible lugging any bc on my back.
For me a bp was easily adjusted on dry land with no need to enter and exit the water several times. There are a few good sites on setting up a bp. I can easily adjust my bp in a matter of minutes for differing exposure protection. The key is to know how to adjust it properly.
I have dove my setup in some local lakes with no shirt and like i said it can be uncomfortable on land but what bc isnt and goes away once you hit the water. If the harness is too tight it will chafe you. If the BP is digging into your lower back it is not adjusted properly or if your below average height you may need a shorter BP. I personally dont have this problem.Once again refer to the appropriate sites or have someone who knows how to adust a bp help you.
A bp would not be a wise choice for the once a year warm water diver. They are better off with bc's that have all the gadgets to help them along as they are probably rather poor divers anyhow since they only dive once a year. There is no way to maintain good diving skills that way.
Despite what leadweight says if a bc has padding it has inherit added buoyancy meaning you need more weight to counteract that.
As far as the pioneer wing being easily damaged it is pretty tough.The single layer bladder design is what helps keep it streamlined. But if abused of course it can be puctured and patched although halcyon doesnt recommend patching it your self.
I have used my BP for local warm water lake diving and cold water ocean diving. For me it does everything i want it too. It holds all of my accessories in a extemely streamlined matter which is very important when diving cold water with a drysuit.....less drag the better with a trilam drysuit.
Like i said i had a buddy get rid of his TPII for a bp and is very happy with it. I sold my knighthawk and purchased a bp. The knighthawk is a good bc but to me just doesnt compare to a BP.
Here you have two totally differing opinions from personal experiences on both sides. I would personally not waste my money on a TPII and im sure leadweight feels the same about a BP setup. So now its your choice to decide which better serves your purpose and budget.
I absolutely hate slide fasteners as they always seem to loosen up on me during the dive.I have also seen one break on a dive boat and in the parking lot at monterey from a tank being accidently set on them.They were not TPII bc's but the same type slide fastener/clip. A little duct tape and a few zip ties later they were ready to dive again but not happy campers. So there is definitely a failure point there that is not present on a bp. I have also served several years in the good ol army infantry and have seen plenty of those style clips break.But then again i have seen some of these style clips take some serious abuse and not break. They are more of a convenience than a necessity. Yes it is a failure point......not a life threatening failure point for the average diver unless you are way back inside of a cave or doing long deco time then it may be more serious. That excludes the majority of us.
I took my rescue class in a Scubapro knighthawk. The rescuers in my class had an easier time with the guys in bp's due to the fact there was only one buckle to undo and they slid easily out of the harness. My setup at the time consisted of a velcro cumberband, a buckle on top of that and a sternum strap plus the shoulder release buckles. On the plus side if they cut you out of your bp it is very cheap and easy to replace the harness on a BP compared to any other bc if you decide to pursue diving later in the future after being rescued.
A bp with limited exposure protection may not be as comfy on land as a TPII but that all disappears as soon as you hit the water if it is properly adjusted. I try to spend as little time on land as possible lugging any bc on my back.
For me a bp was easily adjusted on dry land with no need to enter and exit the water several times. There are a few good sites on setting up a bp. I can easily adjust my bp in a matter of minutes for differing exposure protection. The key is to know how to adjust it properly.
I have dove my setup in some local lakes with no shirt and like i said it can be uncomfortable on land but what bc isnt and goes away once you hit the water. If the harness is too tight it will chafe you. If the BP is digging into your lower back it is not adjusted properly or if your below average height you may need a shorter BP. I personally dont have this problem.Once again refer to the appropriate sites or have someone who knows how to adust a bp help you.
A bp would not be a wise choice for the once a year warm water diver. They are better off with bc's that have all the gadgets to help them along as they are probably rather poor divers anyhow since they only dive once a year. There is no way to maintain good diving skills that way.
Despite what leadweight says if a bc has padding it has inherit added buoyancy meaning you need more weight to counteract that.
As far as the pioneer wing being easily damaged it is pretty tough.The single layer bladder design is what helps keep it streamlined. But if abused of course it can be puctured and patched although halcyon doesnt recommend patching it your self.
I have used my BP for local warm water lake diving and cold water ocean diving. For me it does everything i want it too. It holds all of my accessories in a extemely streamlined matter which is very important when diving cold water with a drysuit.....less drag the better with a trilam drysuit.
Like i said i had a buddy get rid of his TPII for a bp and is very happy with it. I sold my knighthawk and purchased a bp. The knighthawk is a good bc but to me just doesnt compare to a BP.
Here you have two totally differing opinions from personal experiences on both sides. I would personally not waste my money on a TPII and im sure leadweight feels the same about a BP setup. So now its your choice to decide which better serves your purpose and budget.
