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I am a new diver, was certified last July and just took my Nitrox class. I will be taking my advanced OW and Master Diver class next semester at the local junior college. I am really diggin diving and will likely continue with my training. I think I would like to do some wreck dives and cave dives at some point. My question is this, should I go ahead and get a BP and wing right off the bat, or would I be better off getting that down the road? What are the disadvantages of going with the BP and wing setup vs the BCD? Any other equipment suggestions would be appreciated. Incidentally I live in the Midwest so will br diving in cold water when i am at home. My family is in Texas so I will be doing a fair amount of warm water diving as well.
Thanks for an input.
Tigger5020
Do a search on here or google with bcd vs bp/w, it's always a big topic around here. I am also a new diver and on my 8th dive I started using bp/w. I find it much better than a normal jacket bcd. Try them out and see what you like more.
I don't any reason not to start with a BP/W, and a long hose with a bungeed secondary while you're at it. When you're ready to move on, you'll just swap out the wing and add a set of doubles.
It's a myth that BP&W isn't suitable for beginners (normally a myth promulgated by dive pros who rather disinform than admit a lack of knowledge). I regularly help divers get familiar with BP&W BCDs - it takes about 30 minutes to explain the differences, and 1 dive to get the basic fitting and comfort sorted out. I've taught plenty of Open Water courses using BP&W and students never have a problem with it.
There's a load of threads here on SB, that deal with the differences, pros and cons of BP&W versus jacket BCDs. A quick search will give you hours of reading.
If your answer exceeds the cost of a jacket style BC, you should waste it on buying a BC that you know you will stop using shortly. Otherwise, get a good BP/W and do diving.
I'm not a big fan of BP/W for typical recreational diving, but if you plan on going into technical diving, then definitely start with a BP/W, the drawbacks are not that significant for most recreational diving situations.
It really depends upon what you want to buy and use. I would always recomend trying a wing first before you buy it to be sure it is what you want. If you are planning on travelling and renting gear, the most likely rental will be a jacket style BC. Many new divers buy gear and then replace it because it isn't what they want or work well for them. I just don't want you to waste money, so you are best trying a couple of styles if you can.
If you're interested in cave diving, just buy the backplate system. They work beautifully for open water diving, and when you move on, everything will be familiar to you already.
The advantages of a BP&W far out weigh the disadvantages......
The only disadvantages are...drop/pinch/puncture of the wing if you are careless and having to stand up on a rocking boat to properly tighten the crotch strap.
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