BP/W’s finally make it to the big time!

[kelemvor]

"Where do you put xxx? You've got no pockets"

You can add them to a BP/W if you so desire. I've got ditchable integrated weights on mine.

Accessories like that is one way for a shop to continue making money selling bp/w.

 

[MichaelMc]

So what about the article? Do you think it will help promote the modern BP/W? Or not

I think it will help. The pictures suggests a low bulk setup, the caption emphasizes highly customizable and trim. It makes it clear you can pick the lift you need. The diver is not looking super elite, just a basic diver, common octo rig (likely with a bent hose to secure it...), yellow octo hose, hose protectors, no tech bungee mount for that dive comp, yoke valve, board shorts. Nothing odd here, just a cleaner more adaptable BC.

As gear focus of the month I think it will cause people to say "Hmm, that looks interesting, and much simpler than what I have."

Ideally the diver could have had integrated weight pockets as that answers or forestalls the 'what about integrated/ditchable weights or gear pockets' question.

 

[Tournesol2000]

So what about the article? Do you think it will help promote the modern BP/W? Or not

I understood what you were trying to say from the beginning Eric. Thanks.
I read the article and, IMHO, it was too simple and did not go far enough into BPW and benefits for it to warrant further investigation by non BPW users. Again, my opinion there.
I found that research on the internet and a lot of information on Scubaboard really helped me understand what was good about using BPW. As a very new diver, I felt that the standard BCD was too restrictive and frustrating to use. OK, my open water classes were in a cold lake and I had a 7mm wetsuit and about 26lbs of weight attached to me, but I knew I did not like the BCD. After learning about BPW on this sight and more internet searches I realized I had found the solution for me.
That was a lot of time spent reading and following links to get to that point.
I do not own one of your back plates (yet), but I am glad people like Eric are around and making great products and sharing them with other divers. I feel lucky to be diving when I have such great options available to me. That includes all the independent companies out there providing these options (Deep6, Vintage Double Hose, Deep Sea Supply, DGX to name a few). These people have made buying gear for new divers like myself so much more affordable and simpler. I still like my LDS and shop there, but wow, it's great to be exposed to all these options.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I deleted thus post -- will repost -- FYI


Yes the BIU aka Back inflation units aka wings were first in the market place

At Pac aka Sea pro was the first to introduce the BIU to the diving world. They were designed and produced in a dive shop in Whittier California by Larry Scott and Bill Walters, Sr, Both were very long term experienced divers, They had been member of the Junior Neptunes of the very exclusive Spearfishing club the Long Beach Neptunes and finally after reaching 18 became full members (My son Sam IV and I were both members)

Both were/are friends of mine but I have had little contact with them for many years- they may or may not be in the big reef in the sky

Bill was also an LA Co UW instructor - which predated NAUI & PADI by many years. At one of the many LA Co meetings Bill introduced his At Pac -- a BIU with a hollow back plate containing lead shot for buoyancy -- certainly a radical departure from the then acceptable and commonly used "Mae West' aka Personal Floatation vest aka PFV, which had been used by California divers first as surplus USN Mae West and finally the Sportsways model.

The original model was a disaster waiting to happen … The bag was produced from truck inner tubes - the shot when exposed to salt water would congeal into a solid mass of non detachable lead. The bag was changed to a tough water proof material and marbles were added to the shot to keeping from solidifying in to a mass of lead.

Soon the At Pac became THE choice of all serious divers - including yours truly and @Stoo

And all to soon the company suffered from internal discord and imploded and Sea Pro - at Pac disappeared from the market place

But Sea Pro the first BIU -- wing-- introduced a long time ago in Sunny California

<<< My son Sam IV wanted an At Pac-- he received one on his 7 th Christmas, he is now 50 + so that was almost 45 years ago and used it for about 20 years-- When did you begin diving @Eric Sedletzky ?\

You can read about Sam IV (and me) at
~~~~ NAUI-SourcesMag2018Q3p18-19.pdf ~~~
or History of diving - Tales from the Abyss "SCUBA Legends"
suggest that you also read about Sam IV 40 hour US Diver repair course >>>>

Now you know
Sam Miller, 111

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Jim Lapenta
posted:several days ago..

"I wish the article had said something to dispell the lie that BPW's push a diver face forward. Or that it's one of the most economical choices for a shop or independent instructor to have for rental/student gear. In the article I wrote years ago this was addressed as well as a number of other points. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Article ?
Who published the Article ?
What points ?

Just curious

Sam Miller, 1!!

Jim
I would like to read your article and I suspect others and especially @Eric Sedletzky would also find it very interesting and educational
Snow cant be the high that you cant findit and reply
SDM

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

1998,
but I was a freediver/abalone diver before that and used to surf at Avila and Pismo when I was kid. My parents wouldn’t let me scuba dive in the 70’s, but I used to snorkel and breath hold dive (I had to borrow gear and sneak it) down by Pirates cove at the south end of Shell Beach in only swim trunks when I was 12-14 yo.
I didn’t start doing in-water sports again until 34 yo after moving up north, getting married/kid, etc.

 

[jlcnuke]

Ignoring the history conversation, and focusing on the "what do you think about this article?" and "do you think this article will influence more beginner divers towards BP/W" I'll say that I like the article in general, but I agree it doesn't go far enough in explaining the benefits/how a BP/W can be used instead of the jackets that most people learn on these days... thus not likely converting many/any people. Additionally, it's in a magazine that many (most?) newer divers don't get/read, so that's going to hamper its influence significantly imo.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I think the article didn’t really go far enough either, but then I’m a fanatic too about it. I’m just glad there is something. If Rodale’s was still around in print form a scubalab testers choice award would be good too. Something in Dive Training would be nice too. Maybe if enough people email the editor and request a BP/W write up maybe they would look into it?
I’m taking my copy of Alert Diver to the two LDS’s we have here and I’m going to lay in on the counter facing them with the magazine opened up to the article and ask them “What do you think about this?”

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I guess you guys are unlucky. I am pretty sure every shop in my area sells some kind of bp/w. Some of those are the funky scubapro bp/w but others are selling things like diverite plates/wings/harnesses.

That will be the case with Florida and California for sure. The two largest diving states.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Jim Lapenta
I am really interested in your article
Is it classified secret like the wet suit in 1950?
Please take the time to find it and please post

SDM- Friday

@Jim Lapenta
posted:several days ago..

"I wish the article had said something to dispell the lie that BPW's push a diver face forward. Or that it's one of the most economical choices for a shop or independent instructor to have for rental/student gear. In the article I wrote years ago this was addressed as well as a number of other points. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Article ?
Who published the Article ?
What points ?

Just curious

Sam Miller, 1!!

Jim
I would like to read your article and I suspect others and especially @Eric Sedletzky would also find it very interesting and educational
Snow cant be the high that you cant findit and reply
SDM