BP&W vs jacket BC, AGAIN!

[koozemani]

OW was with a rental jacket bc. Then purchased a used back inflate. Then saw Jax in her DSS single tank rig and that got me looking. Because of seeing her rig, I found SB during my research(didn't even know she was on here). About a year later, bought my own BP/W and I haven't looked back.

My wife however has stuck with her jacket style bc. She will concede that she might try a BP/w when her Hera wears out.

 

[kathydee]

I loved my back inflate BC, but it was listed in the classified section the day after I dove a BP/W!

 

[Deftfox]

Completed OW in Jacket BC, at the end of the course I purchased a Halcyon Eclipse BP/W, now have Evolve and twins. Was lucky to have been trained by a cave diver, who took the time to explain to me the benefit of BP/W. It's grown with me as I have advanced in my diving. Very happy with the BP/W wouldn't swap it.

 

[Rhone Man]

Someone once told me: "You only ever hire consultants to tell you things that you actually already know."

Not sure why that thought suddenly popped into my head.

 

[rhwestfall]

Dacor Jacket BC 24 years ago (not many choices then, the big deal was "bladder-less"). Went to a back inflate (DUI) when I went to a dry suit a number of years later. Went to a BP/W (DSS plate/HOG wing/DR harness) after returning from a hiatus from diving. Tried it because I was able to get a plate that was the right size for me. I'm 6'-7", but "thin" and quite honestly, none of the previous devices ever fit properly. Its pure heaven. I might have been as happy with something else at any point of time if it fit properly, but I guess I'll never know. This is it! I am however looking into sidemount......

Edit: I will add that I am purely a recreational single tank diver. BP/W is by no means "just for technical divers" as many shops will say. Mostly this response is because: (1) the brand name they carry doesn't do them, (2) they aren't adapting with the times (set in their ways), or (3) its easier to keep you in the stuff they trained you in. It is probably easier to do that, though not necessarily in your best interest. I have never been "shop loyal" because of initially training through a Not-For-Profit away from where I now reside. If the shops can't cope with that, its their loss. I can, and will shop wherever I want, including the internet and local.....

 

[616fun]

Dacor Jacket BC 24 years ago (not many choices then, the big deal was "bladder-less"). Went to a back inflate (DUI) when I went to a dry suit a number of years later. Went to a BP/W (DSS plate/HOG wing/DR harness) after returning from a hiatus from diving. Tried it because I was able to get a plate that was the right size for me. I'm 6'-7", but "thin" and quite honestly, none of the previous devices ever fit properly. Its pure heaven. I might have been as happy with something else at any point of time if it fit properly, but I guess I'll never know. This is it! I am however looking into sidemount......

I'm tall as well and hated jacket BCs. They all would strap above my belly button and I felt like baby Huey.

Started with a Cressi jacket. Now have a DSS large plate and two DSS wings (one for singles, one for doubles). Also have an Oxycheq aluminum plate for balancing my rig with doubles.

 

[mainedvr]

dove several BC's in training both jacket and back inflate, then bought a back inflate edge bc, and am now diving a BPW.

This is a bit off the exact subject of BC's but the idea is the same. What is interesting to me also is the whole gear set up for new divers. I realize we have no idea what the pro's and con's of different regs, tanks, fins ect... will be, and this is something that you have to figure out over time and the way your diving goes (shore, boat, deep, technical, cave and so on). I understand that a shop is in business to make money and selling gear is how they do it. I would like to see shops have some sort of program that you could rent gear for a year and a portion of that go towards a purchase, or if you buy one of those packages that I see thousands of on ebay a craigslist or even here on SB that they give you a portion back towards the gear your really going to want after about 20 dives.

I worked in a bike shop for several years and they had a program like that for us amature road racers, time trialist and tri junkies. If you bought a new bike with in a certain time they gave you half what you paid minimum and more if the market for that bike was good.

Great post.

Thanks

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Started in a Oceanic Probe jacket and dived that for a bit over a year. THen found Scubaboard and went to a BPW and a Zeagle Express Tech. Probe is gone, Express Tech still sees use, and I have five BPW's now. For singles and doubles. Need to sell one of the bigger doubles wings to get a smaller one for my 72's. Anyone need a 58 lb doubles wing at a good price shoot me a PM.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Zeagle Express Tech. I dive a single tank in warm water, sometimes as part of a 4-6 week trip involving a number of flights on airlines that charge a lot for excess weight, so I wanted a lightweight minimalist BC.

I started with a so-called hybrid back-inflate/jacket (Aeris) but decided after a few years and increasing amounts of post-9-11 air travel that it was too heavy. The Express Tech fits my needs. BP/W piques my curiosity, but I just can't see why it would be better for the kind of diving I do than the Express Tech.

 

[TSandM]

Did OW in a shop jacket; bought a SeaQuest Libra right after class (back-inflate) which lasted right up until the day that NW Grateful Diver lent me his spare singles rig (BP/W), which he never got back . . . I now have three plates and four different wings, and I wouldn't dive anything else.