BP/W phenomenon

[Mike Veitch]

I have worked full time in the diving industry for the last 7 years. Mind you tis all in the tropics. I see some BP/Ws from time to time but not all that often and i see 1000s of divers every year. Lots of jackets, a lot of back bladders but BP/Ws take up maybe 2% of the population of tropical divers. (maybe a bit more when we get a group that has come from a tec week in Chuuk)
SB definitely has a huge disproportional % of BP/W users and DIR people (i had never heard of that term before reading SB last year and have never heard it outside of SB to this day...)
Sooo, guess what i am saying is that no, BP/W is not a phenomenom (at least in tropical diving, where it is certainly not needed) [i believe the tropics makes up something like 80% of recreational diving in the world?? but i could be off on that assumption]
In other words, the only place that it is a phenomenon is places like SB where the users are massively disproportional than in real life. Why? I have no idea..

 

[Rick Murchison]

Seems about the same mix as always in the places I go... lots of 'em around cave country, all but absent in the tropical recreational arena, and a fair mix around Gulf wrecks.
Me, I only use a BP/wing for doubles; hate it for singles.
Rick

 

[Canadian_Diver]

In other words, the only place that it is a phenomenon is places like SB where the users are massively disproportional than in real life. Why? I have no idea..

Techies and Diehards.

Joe Average makes up the largest percentage of any sport, you know, the guy or gal that only logs a max of 10-20 dives a year or less in tropical waters. What need would that person have for a BP/W??

Joe Average isn't interested in most cases, in joining a forum and discussing a sport that he/she spends only a fraction of their time on. Some don't even have / know how to use the internet.

Just a few answers to your question.

 

[Damselfish]

Joe Average isn't interested in most cases, in joining a forum and discussing a sport that he/she spends only a fraction of their time on. Some don't even have / know how to use the internet.

and I'd guess many more know plenty about the net but this simply isn't how they choose to spend their time.

 

[hermosadive]

Techies and Diehards.

Joe Average makes up the largest percentage of any sport, you know, the guy or gal that only logs a max of 10-20 dives a year or less in tropical waters. What need would that person have for a BP/W??

Joe Average isn't interested in most cases, in joining a forum and discussing a sport that he/she spends only a fraction of their time on. Some don't even have / know how to use the internet.

Just a few answers to your question.

Your answers share the same bias as many of the LDS when it comes to this topic. A bp/w is nothing more than a BCD. It has very little to do with making someone a "tech" diver. What need would "vacation" diver have with a bp/w? Start with fit, streamlining, trim and ease of transport. Oh ya, if a diver does decide to go beyond vacation diving, a bp/w will allow them to configure accordingly.

Its not that its better than a jacket, it just that many of the users that have worn a jacket and switched found it worked for them, whether it be because of fit, improved trip, etc. I'm sure a lot of the bashing comes from people who haven't even tried one on....please DO NOT START A POLL.

Stop debating it. As a diver, you just need to decide if you want to try one.

 

[ChikkenNoodul]

A BP/W is FAR more streamlined than typical jacket BC's IMO, and to me there's none of the "What in the heck is this thing for? Where is the instruction manual?" that I find with the numerous doodads on jacket BC's.

It takes weight off of a weight belt, and packs smaller than a jacket BC for travel (In my experience)

 

[MNJoe]

I am a average diver who spent a lot of time reading the threads on SB. I bought a BP and Wing for my first BC. Yes I was swayed by the opinions on SB, but why not listen to avid divers? I bought my BP on Ebay, a 45 lb wing from someone on SB, a weighted STA from my LDS and a 18 lb wing from SCUBAtoys, so I saved a few bucks and spread the cost out over a little time. I have plenty of llift on my larger wing for my local cold water diving and simply change wings and I have a sleek little set up for tropical diving. The biggest reason for going with this set up was the difference in my local diving and tropical diving, so I wanted something modular. I will say that I have seen very few BP/wing set ups while I am diving, but then I didn't buy my set up to look like everyone else anyhow, I just wanted something versatile.

MNJoe

 

[Hoosier]

Don't get me wrong!

Don’t analyze the market based on your inner circle dive group.

What is your level of dive?
Who is your dive buddies? and
Where do you dive often?

Your skill is more than any other DMs or instructors and you only dive with the advanced divers who have almost the same skills at the dive sites where most advanced divers get together. And then, you said, BP/W is a growing tread in the rec. market?

In addition, you guys always applaud a certain BP/W company (no matter what it is). And then, you said, “I don’t force anyone to get into BP/W world” LOL~~

Look at your dive logs and posts in this board. Do you think you are an ordinary rec. diver? You guys are nut and real mania in this sport.

What is the market share for a tech oriented diver? 1%, 5%, or 10%

Please look at a whole market, not only your surroundings. Otherwise, you aren't a different with a hick in Mid-West.

 

[cmalinowski]

I find that a very strange comment ...

ScubaBoard does not either sell or market scuba gear ... it simply provides a forum for its readers to discuss gear that they use.

As such, SB doesn't "push" people toward anything ... it simply provides you with a place to talk about what works for you.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Agreed. It just so happens that this group is tending toward that setup. At least many of the vocal people are.

Any place you go, or any board/forum you hang out on, has opinions expressed moreso by its constituents than others. Not a shock here either. We have a large group of people (myself included) who dive bp/w and happen to express their views on the subject. Other than that, I doubt it is expanding beyond this relm. I know lots of divers who don't frequent this board who have no idea what I'm talking about with bp/w setup or DIR concepts. And that's OK.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

I look at BP/W an evolution in diving, most people start out unkowning and hit the OW class in a jacket style BC and you take in what they teach you, when you get out of class you usually go to that shop and buy equipment and dive dive dive or vacation dive, you never come accross anything different.

Then one day you come accross a cave diver and they have this wicked looking rig thats way different then anything you've ever seen so you start asking questions, get some ideas, hit the internet do some surfing in those areas and find out all kinds of stuff and start slowly trying it out until one day... your wearing jet fins and a BP setup, this was my route, I tried to stay open minded, tried back inflate BC's as opposed to the uncomfortable looking BP rig, then eventually went straight BP/w, tried different fins along the way, even *gasp* those dreaded split fins that were so bad they almost made me throw up under water (another story), the more I kept leaning into the standard BP/W setups the more I found they worked great, better, like evolution.

I've never seen a diver in a standard BP/W configuration hit the water and become a "reef walker" where as I've seen too many setups where I look accross the boat to a diver with a fancy vest with all kinds of doodads, guages dangling, octo dangling, ankle weights and split fins walking on coral when we hit the bottom.

Now dont' flame me I'm not saying everyone in a vest walks on coral, but my point there is most likely that diver has never been educated beyond OW, and yes they were walking on the coral foot in front of foot along the bottom, after I watched the end of the fin cause a small coral head to explode when he tried to step over it I couldn't look anymore.

I expect you will NEVER see a diver in a backplate and wing setup do this, why? Because you have to evolve WAY above OW to get into the areas that push these setups, OW divers use standard BC's and such because thats what those circles push, if OW classes were taught in BP/W setups I expect you would see a LOT more of them on the vacation diver market.

I'm a BP/W fan, but I didn't start that way and I didn't start in areas like in florida where these kinds of setups are common, I worked my way up to the setup trying out gear long the way, yes it cost me lots of money but in the end I know I didn't just jump on the BP wagon so I could be "cool" or look "techie" I tried lots of other gear that just didn't work as well and eventually ended up here.