Are you all just technical? What is technical?

[chrpai]

FWIW, there are plenty of old forum and newsgroup posts from 2000 - 2006 to drag up where I was very pro BCD and anti BP/W. I've since tried BP/W and I'll never go back. My weighting and trim is better, the fit is better, it's more streamlined and it cost less to boot.

I'm not a "technical" diver but I'm close to it and if I ever decide to continue my training I won't be throwing all my gear away and repurchasing / relearning it.

 

[diversteve]

HOGs are a great value for their price point. Up until recently they're also all DIN. Edge is their Yoke equivalent (same company) They're especially good if you want to service your regs yourself. For that you need any technical certification to be permitted to take the class first.

At many tropical resort destinations DIN tanks are significantly harder to find - sometimes non-existent. There are some DIN/Yoke combo valves showing up but in the last 5 years I've only seen them on a handful of boats. Otoh, I doubt you'll find many yoke tanks on any cave penetration or technical wreck dive - DIN is a more reliable connection but doesn't stand up to rental abuse as well. If I was going to local dive (I don't) I would own a complete DIN setup. As all my diving is domestic/international I don't.

If you consider HOG/EDGE also see if there's a dealer(s) in your area. IMO it seems like a PITA to have to send a reg somewhere for service.

I go to some fairly mainstream overseas dive destinations and have yet to see an authorized HOG dealer. Not that there aren't some but I oddly notice things like that. I see a lot of Aqualung, ScubaPro and Sherwood dealers. Mares also but personally I find some of their BCD innovations overly complicated and gimmicky.

Could be an issue for on-site repairs if needed. Granted a good tech can repair just about anything in an emergency - if he has access to the parts. If you plan to do a lot of traveling, there are certain more mainstream brands with larger dealer networks, Aqualung/Apeks, ScubaPro, Mares, Sherwood and maybe Atomic (I have one) seem to be better options.

 

[ekremer]

I switched last September because I dropped a ton of weight, and needed something I could adjust. Since then I have lost another 30 lbs, and the ability to customize the fit alone was worth the change. However diving the BP for a while now I have to say best decision ever. It doesn't shift under water, and just feels superior to the back inflate I was using before. The heavy plate on the back eliminates any chance of a face plant, and the weight is behind you.

It has gotten to the point now where my dive buddies are all starting to switch after they saw mine.

 

[Paladin]

It really ticks me off everytime someone says that a BP/W will face plant them all the time trying to act like they know what they are talking about. That simply isn't true.

If the OP ever comes down to Austin I can show him what a stainless steel back plate and wing is all about.

Oh, we already had the arugment with him on not putting air in his b.c. Basically he ditches weight and then puts it back. Sure, that's better then a BP/W any day...

Of course, anyone who doesn't dive the way you do is always wrong, aren't they?

---------- Post Merged at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:17 PM ----------

well, to each his own, but anyone not using a BC probably isn't in a position to offer advice to someone looking for a BC

If you'll note, my advice was not toward one type of BC over another, only that the choice of what type of BC works best is a personal, subjective one. Not everyone is happy with a BP/W, nor is everyone happy with a jacket. My advice was, simply put, that the OP should try a few different BCs to find the one that suits him best before buying.

 

[kathydee]

I started with a Lady Hawk back inflate and was quite attached. Tried a B/P W and my beloved Lady Hawk was listed on the classified the next day. I loved it.

"Beginner" equipment implies that you perhaps someday will need to purchase a more "advanced" set. This extra expense is not necessary but the profits will make your dive shop quite happy.

I found it much easier to fine tune motion in the "technical" equipment, and enjoy diving it on a 20-60 foot reef dives - just as much as I enjoy diving it in caves.

I don't see reason to start with the beginner regulators - my logic for purchasing the "technical" equipment before heading down that path was: if it functions well for those diving 24 hours into caves, then I'll gladly take their recommendations and be extra safe and comfortable on my reef dives .

You never know - maybe someday you will become intrigued by technical diving, if so, it's nice to not have to purchase a whole new system & readjust to new equipment.

 

[dreamwrx]

I'm a new diver and I dive with a BP/W.

I certified in an Oceanic Pro 1000D (thats what the shop uses for their class). Then I bought my own back inflate BCD, Cressi Air Travel, sold it and bought BP/W.

Many people here say that you should go straight to BP/W it will save you money. Yes that is true. During my first few dives, the jacket BCD gives me more of a (false?) sense of security when on the surface. If I had to do it all over again, I think I personally have benefited from the evolution from Jacket -> back inflate -> BP/W.

On that note, my dive buddy uses a jacket.. she tends to dive 45 degrees instead of horizontal sometimes.

 

[chrpai]

Of course, anyone who doesn't dive the way you do is always wrong, aren't they?

No, I didn't say that it ticks me off for someone to say they prefer a BCD, I said it ticks me off when they say the BP/W will face plant you. It's simply not a true statement. Heck, I've even inflate the heck out of my wing ( way more then I'd ever have reason to. ) and I didn't get face planted. I just lean back into it a little and it's fine. ( Hopefully you learned how to balance in grade school. ) Properly inflacted to keep me just above the water and you don't even have to balance at all.

The faceplant "myth" is something that is continued by people who don't like BP/W's. It has no basis in fact.

 

[Crush]

It really ticks me off everytime someone says that a BP/W will face plant them all the time trying to act like they know what they are talking about. That simply isn't true.

It is not the BP&W that face-plants you, it is having too much weight on the front of your belt - I know, that was happening to me until I moved more of my weight further back. With a "jacket" style BC you can get away with moving more weight to your stomach.

 

[redacted]

FWIW, this was the first store I've ever visited that had back plates and wings on display. As we were talking we were standing in front of a BP/W display, and they actually had a really wide selection of gear from a lot of brands that get mentioned positively here.

I was actually expecting a totally different answer when I asked the question.

Just because you happen to be in one of the best stocked LDSs in the DFW area, that does not mean they do not carry all the stuff commonly found in almost all LDSs, including the BS designed to point you towards what they want to sell. If you are really concerned about packing for air travel, ask them to show you an Oxyhchek Travel Plate with an 18 lb wing.

 

[nimoh]

If you'll note, my advice was not toward one type of BC over another, only that the choice of what type of BC works best is a personal, subjective one. Not everyone is happy with a BP/W, nor is everyone happy with a jacket. My advice was, simply put, that the OP should try a few different BCs to find the one that suits him best before buying.

sorry, you're right in that new divers should try different types of equipment to make an informed decision. That is sound advice.