Arnaud
Contributor
When I first joined Scubaboard and discovered that some very opinionated people refused to wear traditional BCD's, opting instead for a quasi-military and particularly not glamorous setup consisting of a piece of metal, a bladder and some webbing, like most, I didn't get it. Hell, I couldn't even picture what they were talking about at first.
Trying to keep an open mind, I did a lot of reading, often noticing that the people advocating the unattractive piece of steel were usually giving really good diving advices otherwise.
I went on and tried a number of different BC's, jacket style, back inflation and soft harness. Each time, I liked some of the features and disliked some others. Unless there was a size problem (too large or too small), the BC's I tried were never horrible. But they were never perfect.
At some point, it became clear that I had to try a backplate. The first two opportunities were cancelled because of the weather. Third time's a charm.
Yesterday, I took my dry suit and a wetsuit to the pool with a Halcyon B/P and a 36lbs Pioneer wing (only rental size available). I was converted even before getting in the water.
I dislocated my left shoulder some years ago, and despite intense physical therapy and work out, I have never recovered a full mobility. As a result, donning a BC without help is sometime difficult depending on the environment and the size of the tank, especially with the dump valve of the dry suit on my left arm. Donning the B/P on my own was the easiest thing in the world!
I got in the water. I removed and put on the equipment on the surface, then at the bottom. Several times, with a dry suit, then a wet suit. I also did several buoyancy drills (head up and head upside down, horizontal and vertical, fin pivot, etc.), horizontal/vertical ascent and descent. I also did several laps on the surface on my back.
The whole experience was great. I found out that a piece of equipment that's too often considered a technical must is actually easier to use than its mainstream/recreational equivalent.
I am now the proud owner of a B/P and wing.
Trying to keep an open mind, I did a lot of reading, often noticing that the people advocating the unattractive piece of steel were usually giving really good diving advices otherwise.
I went on and tried a number of different BC's, jacket style, back inflation and soft harness. Each time, I liked some of the features and disliked some others. Unless there was a size problem (too large or too small), the BC's I tried were never horrible. But they were never perfect.
At some point, it became clear that I had to try a backplate. The first two opportunities were cancelled because of the weather. Third time's a charm.
Yesterday, I took my dry suit and a wetsuit to the pool with a Halcyon B/P and a 36lbs Pioneer wing (only rental size available). I was converted even before getting in the water.
I dislocated my left shoulder some years ago, and despite intense physical therapy and work out, I have never recovered a full mobility. As a result, donning a BC without help is sometime difficult depending on the environment and the size of the tank, especially with the dump valve of the dry suit on my left arm. Donning the B/P on my own was the easiest thing in the world!
I got in the water. I removed and put on the equipment on the surface, then at the bottom. Several times, with a dry suit, then a wet suit. I also did several buoyancy drills (head up and head upside down, horizontal and vertical, fin pivot, etc.), horizontal/vertical ascent and descent. I also did several laps on the surface on my back.
The whole experience was great. I found out that a piece of equipment that's too often considered a technical must is actually easier to use than its mainstream/recreational equivalent.
I am now the proud owner of a B/P and wing.
Just kidding, welcome to the BP/Wing club.I have never regretted buying my halcyon pioneer ss bp w/36lb wing.Its the best bc i have ever used.
