Apeks BPW

[StSomewhere]

I just pro-dealed plate, aircell, weight system and simple harness. Everything is back-ordered til mid-October. I'll report back when I get the stuff.

Cool. Are you planning on teaching in it?

 

[neil]

Cool. Are you planning on teaching in it?

Absolutely, at least part of the time. Now I have a BP system that the shop sells so I can use it with their classes.

 

[stoiclown]

I spoke with my shop as well & they said I could wear it with classes. The only thing is I will have to an Air Source on it, as all are rental equipment has that. We are a PADI shop, eventually I would like to work my way up through there tech program & teach that. That way we can teach alternate methods. We just recently got a CCR instructor, & are slowly embracing alternate methods.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Don't let 'em talk you in to putting an Air2 on that wing. That's just nucking futs.

 

[Randy43068]

I spoke with my shop as well & they said I could wear it with classes. The only thing is I will have to an Air Source on it, as all are rental equipment has that. We are a PADI shop, eventually I would like to work my way up through there tech program & teach that. That way we can teach alternate methods. We just recently got a CCR instructor, & are slowly embracing alternate methods.

Maybe they said "an alternate air source?" Could that be what they said?

But.. if not:
Whoever is telling you that an Air2 is required is wrong, nuts, crazy.. Did I mention they're wrong? An air2 has nothing to do with PADI.

Do not put that junk on your BC! An air2 is a piece of crap it's NOT SAFE and don't let them talk you in to that crap. Whoever is trying to talk you into it has no business diving let alone trying to teach you or anyone else to dive.


<stepping down offa soapbox now>

 

[stoiclown]

Nobody Said it was required, thats just what he teaches with, & until I become an instructor, & can teach how I want to, I use what the shop asked me to use.

I also don't have to use it when I'm on my own time. Right now my shop is strictly recreational, no Hog. or DIR.. Hopefully as I progress, I am ultimately shooting to becoma a PADI DSAT Tech Instructor.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I certainly understand your situation. In our shop...as most others...the staff can only wear what we offer.

But requiring you to use an alt-air inflator is wierd...regardless of whether it's on a wing OR a BC. I'm sure that if a customer came in and wanted to buy their gear for class and chose not to get an alt-air, your store would gladly accomodate them. Look around the next time a class is in the pool...do ALL the students have this setup?

I think that you could approach this several ways...

If your shop manager is open to suggestions, you could remind them of the need for students to be exposed to different gear configurations. In this case, you would actually be showing students the traditional and more commonly found configuration...a primary and secondary or "octo" reg. Besides, it is very easy for the instructor to work with assistants that are rigged differently than they are configured...all instructors deal with this on occasion. It depends on the instructors attitude...he can either "work around it" or he can actually take advantage of this to better educate his student.

Again, if your shop manager is reasonable, you can point out that if they are interested in selling their new line of Apeks gear, then they should realize that putting an alt-air on a wing is just plain perverted. No one does this. Hopefully, your shop wants to sell the customer "what the customer needs." No customer needs a wing with an alt-air... or to look at it another way... if the customer needs an alt air, then they don't need a wing.

Another approach would be to just use the shops rental gear while assisting with class. This would be far better than wearing a BP/wing/alt-air deal. (That combo is just too silly for words.)

 

[Randy43068]

Nobody Said it was required, thats just what he teaches with, & until I become an instructor, & can teach how I want to, I use what the shop asked me to use.

I also don't have to use it when I'm on my own time. Right now my shop is strictly recreational, no Hog. or DIR.. Hopefully as I progress, I am ultimately shooting to becoma a PADI DSAT Tech Instructor.

Personally, I think it should take years of challenging dive experience before one becomes a technical instructor. It would take experience, AND then training, well beyond what PADI recommends in order to become a competent, safe instructor of technical diving. But your goals are indeed good, and I applaud you for having such a high ones. Please don’t take my comments as negative criticism meant to dissuade you from learning to be a technical dive instructor, I only say this so you don’t come to the mistaken conclusion that it’s a quick process.

Diving with a BP/W or Hogarthian rig does not mean that you are a technical, DIR, or any other kind of diver. It means you are diving a better rig setup than divers using the typical jacket style BC. It is ones training, and the equipment one uses that make him a technical diver, not just slinging a BPW, and donning a long hose.

Incidentally, a BPW should be the rig every recreational diver uses. They are simple, configurable, and have far less drag in the water than any jacket style BC could ever have.

If the shop you're dealing with is that far behind the curve, perhaps it's time to get a new dive shop.

I believe one of the biggest reasons new divers stop diving after 40 dives or so (or whatever the magic number the industry says) is because maintaining proper buoyancy becomes too much work, so they find something else fun to do. Why do they have so much trouble underwater? They're diving with junk equipment, and don't know it because the dive industry, and the local dive shop said it's the best stuff out there. Too bad, the poor shmuk doesn't know any better.

Dang, I have got to get off of this soap box!

 

[drperi1]

I spoke with my shop as well & they said I could wear it with classes. The only thing is I will have to an Air Source on it, as all are rental equipment has that. We are a PADI shop, eventually I would like to work my way up through there tech program & teach that. That way we can teach alternate methods. We just recently got a CCR instructor, & are slowly embracing alternate methods.

PADI does not require an Air2. PADI simply requirres an alternate air source. Your store sounds awful quirky- a regular, recreational octo is more comfortable & easier for students to learn from. The Air2 requires an additional step in task-loading- remembering to donate your primary while going on your secondary. Also, anything that adds an additional o-ring adds an additional failure point to your rig.

 

[WaterDawg]

a regular, recreational octo is more comfortable & easier for students to learn from.

I dont think thats accurate. New students dont know anything, so the way they are shown first, is the easiest.

The Air2 requires an additional step in task-loading- remembering to donate your primary while going on your secondary.

If donating the primary is the only way you do it, or have been taught or have ever known, its not hard to remember to donate it, not any harder than "remembering" to donate you octo

Also, anything that adds an additional o-ring adds an additional failure point to your rig.

If you use that logic, an AIRII would be better then!