Jacket BC or Wing BC

[DevonDiver]

DevonDiver; go ahead and continue to use a derogatory descriptive term that seems like the N word vs negro to me, but please list your considerable experience diving in Vest BC's?

(all my jackets have sleeves)

You say what???

 

[UnderwaterCameraHouse]

In my opinion both are OK, use whichever you like. Both works fine.

 

[freeflydive]

I've had both, but prefer the back-inflate. Most new divers complain about back-inflates pushing them forward, face down when at the surface. This is remedied by "trimming" the BCD...re-distribute some weight to the back pockets "OR" install weight pouches on the tank strap.

 

[knowone]

Standardisation incorporating minimalism, is the core of streamlining

without having to balance on a stick in The America's Cup, test tank.

 

[Den7]

A friend of mine asked me a question about a BC I was not really able to answer. I mean I replied but I also told him to double-check on it... Here is what he asked. He used a rented BCD. When he entered the water the waist belt (strap) slid up moving from his waist up to his chest and the shoulder straps that were supposed to sit ON his shoulders also moved up and were touching his ears when the weight belt dragged him down. He tried pulling the entire BC down, fastened the waist strap as tight as he could and dove. It did not bother him much under water though. However, upon ascending the story repeated. The inflated BCD slid up and he was practically hanging on the waist strap that actually moved to under his arm pits and the shoulder belts were "standing" a way above his ears. It must've been the funniest view ever!

I suggested three possible ideas: 1.) BCD was too big for him. 2.) He did not properly fasten his waist belt. 3.) BCD's waist belt was too loose for him and could have required adjustment.

Has anybody seen anything like that? Any more suggestions?

 

[Teamcasa]

A friend of mine asked me a question about a BC I was not really able to answer. I mean I replied but I also told him to double-check on it... Here is what he asked. He used a rented BCD. When he entered the water the waist belt (strap) slid up moving from his waist up to his chest and the shoulder straps that were supposed to sit ON his shoulders also moved up and were touching his ears when the weight belt dragged him down. He tried pulling the entire BC down, fastened the waist strap as tight as he could and dove. It did not bother him much under water though. However, upon ascending the story repeated. The inflated BCD slid up and he was practically hanging on the waist strap that actually moved to under his arm pits and the shoulder belts were "standing" a way above his ears. It must've been the funniest view ever!

I suggested three possible ideas: 1.) BCD was too big for him. 2.) He did not properly fasten his waist belt. 3.) BCD's waist belt was too loose for him and could have required adjustment.

Has anybody seen anything like that? Any more suggestions?

Jacket BC's need to fit properly to work well, both in and on the water. It is a pretty common occurrence, particularly with rental gear to have a poorly fitting BC.

With the correct fit and properly adjusted that should not happen. (Unless he is shaped like a pear , in which case he should just buy his own BC or BP/W that has a crotch strap.)

 

[Crush]

I own all three designs and find the streamlining argument not that relevant. Nor is the trim argument valid. All other factors being equal, one can trim out just as well in any BC. The stability of the plate does make a difference for me though, as does the overall simplified design and modular adaptability. I like being able to swap out singles and doubles and being able to replace or repair parts easily.

+1. I am glad that you posted this statement. I find that if I make such posts I sometimes get crapped on by someone telling me to get more dives before I express such opinions. FWIW I can trim, frog kick, helicopter turn, etc., in both my BC and my BP&W. I might even post this "secret" once I hit 1,000 dives.

...What difference does it make if the weight is integrated/attached to the BP/W or is on a discreet belt if, at the end, it is still attached to the diver? The wing would still have to support all of the weight worn by the diver regardless if it is integrated/attached to the BP/W or not.

It would make more sense to me that the bulk of the weight on the diver is worn on the BP/W in a way that would make it easier and convenient to ditch it should the need ever arise. Putting any lead behind the diver where he can't reach it doesn't sound terribly safe.

When I dive a drysuit I don't worry about ditchable weight since I will be near-neutral at all times during the dive. If my suit fails catastrophically my #30 wing can lift me to the surface. If my wing fails catastrophically I should be able to swim up (being neutral) or even use the suit for some buoyancy. To my mind (and bear in mind that I don't know sh!+ since I only have 80 dives) ditchable weight is more of an issue with wetsuit diving where suit compression makes you increasingly negatively buoyant with increasing depth.

I believe that having the bulk of your weight on a belt is preferable to having it on your back from a stability point of view - your suit will make you positively buoyant, so (discounting the rig for the moment) placing the weights around you on a belt will not lead to an unstable configuration where the lift (your suit) is below the ballast (your plate-mounted weights). That being said the unstable configuration does not mean that you can't swim about without turtling.

With my BC I wear a separate weight belt that I can ditch, but I find that a separate weight belt is a PITA with my BP&W. My arguments of instability (above) notwithstanding, I have some weight on the cam straps (for trim) and some on the belt of my BP in velcro pockets that would allow me to remove the weights and dump them.

 

[coolhandcarter]

IMHO the people who dive more often and who take their diving farther (tech and so on) typically dive with wings. Also if you plan on traveling with your dive gear then wings usually are the BC of choice because they are typically more compact. Also if you inflate your jacket style BC it has a tendency to squeeze you, like wise when you deflate it has a tendency to loosen up. You don't have this issue with a back inflate style since the bladder doesn't touch you.

 

[dolesorchard]

I have switched to a wing in the last year. I don't plan to dive with a jacket again. The thing I hate about a jacket is when I fully inflated it, if the jacket was adjusted tightly enough to be secure, it squeezed my to the point that it was very uncomfortable. I tried several different makes and models and always had the same problem.

 

[Den7]

I have switched to a wing in the last year. I don't plan to dive with a jacket again. The thing I hate about a jacket is when I fully inflated it, if the jacket was adjusted tightly enough to be secure, it squeezed my to the point that it was very uncomfortable. I tried several different makes and models and always had the same problem.

What I did with jackets was loosing my belts a little. This way they did not painfully squeeze me when fully inflated and actually were quite securely and comfortably tight at the same time.