When Did You Switch to a Backplate/Wing

[Pook-60]

Howdy Folks

For those of you that got a BC first then...for whatever reason...switched to the BP/W configuration...I'm curious as to what threshold in your diving life you crossed that brought you to that decision. Was it that first drysuit? Tech diving requirements? Was it simply the realization that all those pockets weren't that useful to you? Streamlining goals? Was it the discovery that BP/W harnesses have equipment rings too? (My own personal dilemma). It couldn't have been BP envy...or could it?

You may ask...Why Do I Ask? Just planning out that ol' Pook budget. Before I evolve in my diving skill-set I'm trying to figure out what the "equipment path to happiness" looks like and why.

Thanks ahead of time for responding.
Pook

 

[Vie]

I switched to using a Halcyon bp/Eclipse 30 on my 275th dive. The main reason for switching was to prepare for DIR-F.

I have always liked the idea of having a modular BC system. Unfortunately, when I started diving, the single tank wing/bp setup was a very rare beast and impossible to get here in Thailand. The "next best thing" was the Dive Rite soft-back harness/wing setup and I ended up with a Scubapro S-Tek/TravTek (a cheaper copy of the Dive Rite TransPac I/Travel Wing) as my first BC. I started diving with a long hose/bungied backup on my 97th dive and adopting a bp/wing setup was the next logical step for me.

 

[PerroneFord]

Dive #7. I had laid off for many years, came back and wanted my own gear. Everyone doing the type of diving I wanted to do was wearing the BP/W. I researched why, and then bought one for myself. Easy decision, and it's made me a happy person.

 

[cummings66]

I'm in the process of switching now. I've placed an order for the bp/wings and hope to have it by Monday.

I have a goal now, it's wreck diving. To do that I want to be at a certain point skill wise and that requires diving a known config for a period of time so I'm familiar and completely comfortable with my gear. Now that I have my gear, or will soon I'll dive it and get comfortable with it.

Skill wise I got my advanced rating a few months back. Next year towards the end of the year I'll do my rescue diver course, and then come Jan 1 of 2007 I'll do some courses oriented towards wreck diving and start on that.

So for me, the bp/w was a decision I based on what type of diving I intend to do in a year from now and nothing more. The drysuit was but one step in the chain for me, but it was due more to cold temps than anything else. I can do one dive in 42 degree water with a 7mm wetsuit and be comfortable, but I want to dive colder than that and that's why I got a drysuit.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

When I started diving back in 1979 I didn't even know what a backplate and wing was. I dove with a backplate harness and a set of low pressure doubles. It was 1983 when I saw my frist BCD. My buddy and I who were full time police officers and the only search and recovery divers in the area thought they were a joke since everything we went after was on the bottom. Bodies and cars didn't float in mid water. We used our lungs and proper weighting for buoyancy control but it was far from perfect.

When I decided to get my AOW I had a chance to use a BCD in the pool and did see the advantage for new divers in their quest for neutral buoyancy. I didn't care for movement of the jackets or the constriction.

About six years ago I switched to a BP/W when I started doing technical diving. A BP/W was of course a standard requirement. I immediately saw and felt a difference in my ability to stay horizontial in the water. I now own three BP/W setups, two plastic with single wings and one SS with a double wing. I use the BP/W on all my diving whether it's wetsuit, drysuit or just in a pair of trunks and t-shirt.

The backplates of today are better than what we used 25 years ago and the stanard harness is now one piece and more comfortable but just as simple. The streamling of course makes it easier to move through the water and I was never one for having a whole bunch of snaps, pockets, and clutter. I guess that goes back to my years of diving in zero vis water and finding lines, strings and limbs that weren't suppose to be there.

I dive with no weight with a full 3 mm suit so the plastic plates are ideal with my rig and with my drysuit and the 6 lb SS plate I only need 8 lbs on my weight belt. I will always be a fan of steel tanks.

I also own a Black Diamond back inflation and a Dacor jacket that I teach in. I make sure that I expose the Advanced Students to the BP/W so that they can see how it works and let them make their own decision.

 

[dbush]

I switched when getting into the tech world. Got the BP/W for my DIR-F & tech 1classes. I like it and can see some advantages for tech diving, but there were alot of things I liked about my BC.

 

[gander]

I am in the middle of switching also (Dive #37). My new near term and long term goals are more technical diving (Deep and wreck). I've just got my doubles, BP/W, and getting my reg's converted to DIN. Now its just waiting to warm up a bit and start into more training.

 

[TSandM]

NW Grateful Diver talked me into signing up for Fundies, and then was kind enough to lend me a BP/W setup to practice with . . . I was pretty much instantly hooked. It was the first time I'd been able to get a tank to sit STILL on my back. Bob never got the rig back

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I began with a plastic hardpack and butterfly wing, then bought a BC after a few dozen dives. I upgraded to the Dacor Rig for a couple years until I began using doubles. The Rig kept tearing under the weight of the tanks, so I got a ss backplate and 55# wing in the mid 1990s.

 

[skinerd]

I recently got my OW cert and when I looked at my long term goals for diving knew I would be doing techinical diving. Being a student money is tight so for me the decision was a simple one to go right to bp/w. I purchased the trans pac II and love it!