People who bought a BP/W before trying one, were you happy with your decision?

[Canadave]

Very happy (both times). I have 2 bp/w rigs from Deep Sea Supply, one for me and the other for my daughter. One has 250 dives and the other has 20. If I didn’t marker our initials on them I would be hard pressed to tell them apart.

I mostly dive in cold water using a drysuit but I have also travelled with the same rig multiple times for one week excursions to the tropics and despite the steel plate I am able to take all my gear, camera rig and the clothes I need without being over weight at any airline check in. I even recently had an instructor at Buddy Dive Bonaire compliment me on my “travel bcd” at the rinse tank. He was with a client so I just smiled and thanked him!

Believe the hype. I did my research right here on Scubaboard and took the advice of some posters, who I found had informed opinions on gear and gear configurations and who didn’t appear to be shills. I would take the advice on Scubaboard over that of some dive shop that only sells those other contraptions. That is why I love this forum.

 

[dmaziuk]

After 35 dives with a BP/W I have to say its OK, but I don't understand what all the excitement's about. It took a couple of dives to get my weight in the right place so I didn't feel tippy, but at that point it was not much different from my old rental quality BCD.

I do, as a swimmer I feel more comfortable in the water without a jacket around me, but I do second the sentiment. I like the way I can pack mine in a carry-on while my wife's jacket needs a checked-in bag all for itself, I like modular designs in general, and so forth, but I never got a divegasm from my BP&W.

 

[Dave Kay]

It has a crotch strap and good d-rings? cool

I have not used a BP/W yet, but I dont see how needing and wearing a crotch strap is a good thing. If it's needed then the rig must be pulling on it. How does that feel at the end of the day?

 

[49north]

I have not used a BP/W yet, but I dont see how needing and wearing a crotch strap is a good thing. If it's needed then the rig must be pulling on it. How does that feel at the end of the day?

The only time I am aware of the crotch strap is when I thread the waist buckle through it. I don’t even know it’s there during a dive.

 

[Anthony A.]

It took me a while to find a plate that I found comfortable on my back without any padding. Setting up was fun but took a while. After diving it, it feels like im wearing nothing. Wouldnt ever go back to a jacket. Oh and i prefer a crotch strap with with bp/w. More secure and no riding up. I love this setup.

 

[pasley]

Proud owner of a Deep Sea Supply Back Plate and Wing. Never dove one before I bought it. Night and Day. Will never go back to the jacket BCD. Modular, If something breaks just replace what breaks not the whole thing. Very reliable and durable.

 

[broncobowsher]

About 15 years ago I was going through a different BC trying to find just the right one, or more correctly just one that worked right. Everything just felt like an advertising gimick. Tried a Dive Rite transpak with some travel wings. I suddenly had something that felt right. Like the tank was glued to teh spine of my back, not just flopping around doing its own thing. I made a few small changes, the back support and cumberbum were deleted after maybe 2 dives. And a few months in I got a crotch strap.

That's it. Love it. Best setup I have ever done. From shorts and a T-shirt, a week in warm water with a shorty, 5mm full and even a drysuit. Not enough to go tech, but the basics are there. Change the wing and it would go doubles with the exact same setup. In the 15 years there have been some updates, but nothing earthshattering. This is the first piece of dive gear I would get a second time if I ever needed another. No regrets. Well I would shop around, doesn't have to be diverite. I may even add a backplate next time (the transpac and rec wing combo are done without a backplate). But I have done my doubles class with a backplate, doesn't really change the fundementals of it.

 

[Neilwood]

I have not used a BP/W yet, but I dont see how needing and wearing a crotch strap is a good thing. If it's needed then the rig must be pulling on it. How does that feel at the end of the day?

One of the issues with jacket style BCDs is that they tend have the buoyancy surrounding the diver. They generally rely on friction between the jacket and diver to keep them in place. That means that when inflated that buoyancy will try to push the jacket up in relation to the body (unless the straps have been done very tightly). I certainly found that, unless I cinched all the straps up very tight (to the point that if I had any air in the jacket I would start having it pressing on my lungs) the shoulder straps would be at my ears and the sides would right into my armpits.

Having the crotch strap (which would be a good addition to all BCDs imho) means that the buoyancy can not force the BCD up. The waist strap stops it sliding down on land and the crotch strap stops it moving up under water (if you are in vertical trim). I can run my BP&W with the same shoulder strap set up with a 3mm, 5mm, 7mm or dry suit because I am not relying on the shoulders to hold it in place.

Having now done 2 liveaboards for a week each (with 3-4 dives per day) I have to say I haven't felt any issues with it (mine is a fairly soft webbing which probably helps).

 

[The Chairman]

I dont see how needing and wearing a crotch strap is a good thing.

It's all about stability. If set right, the crotch strap does not allow the BC to shift up, down or rotate on your body thereby allowing you to keep your trim and therefore neutral buoyancy optimal. I have three requirements for a BCD, including BP&Wings:

1. Back Inflate
   • Back inflate BCDs cradle the heaviest part of your kit, the tank, with air giving tremendous stability in the water.
   • Eliminates the jacket squeeze
2. Two Tank Straps
   • Eliminates tank roll
   • Eliminates tank escapes
3. Crotch Strap.
   • Cinches the BCD to your back
   • A place for my butt plate
     • This is why I don't like 1" straps!!!

There are a lot of BCDs that meet those three requirements. Of course, I also want it to be

• Easily packable
  • Light
  • Flexible
• Easy to get in and out of
  • Clips or
  • Slides at your waist
• D-rings on the shoulder and waist straps.
  • Lights & stage bottles (or ponies)
  • Able to attach bungees or inner tubes to keep lights stowed.

Obviously, fewer BCDs fit this list... like two hybrids. Your list will probably be different than mine, but it's worth thinking about it and even to put it down on paper.

 

[kelemvor]

I love my bp/w but I'm in the minority in liking my diverite "deluxe" harness. Many people are of the opinion that it adds a failure point and is therefore undesirable. I've been using mine with steel 108's for 4 years now and had no problems so far.

The deluxe harness has shoulder pads under the webbing, and quick release buckles on the shoulder straps. The shoulder pads are nice if you've got to hike any distance from your vehicle to the water.