Just to throw another thought out there for consideration....
My first BCD was a DSS BP/W. I only used BP/W rigs ever, up until about a month ago when I got a ScubaPro Hydros Pro.
Now, the Hydros has become my go-to rig for single tank diving. Of course I still will use a BP/W for back mount doubles.
The Hydros comes in several sizes for women, with parts of it made specifically to fit a woman's shape.
The Hydros is lighter than a stainless steel BP/W setup. It packs down smaller. It conforms to my back better than a flat plate. It's slightly easier to get in and out of (compared to a well-adjusted BP/W - WAY easier than how a lot of people end up with their BP/W's setup), mainly because of no crotch strap and no need for a crotch strap. The Hydros back plate material (monoprene) is kind of grippy and so the rig does not move around on my back at all, even though it has no crotch strap. In contrast, my BP/W rigs all have a tiny bit of movement to them - e.g. if I were to turn on my side or on my back and then turn back to stomach/chest down. A good BP/W is stable in the water. My Hydros is simply MORE stable. The only rig I have used that is as stable is my single tank BP/W rig that has a Freedom Contour plate.
The Hydros bungees do a good job of keeping the wing pretty streamlined, even though it's way more lift capacity than I need.
The Hydros comes with two sets of waist belts. One has the big, bulky weight pockets. The other is their "travel strap" setup. With the travel straps installed, it's virtually as clean in the front and streamlined as any BP/W rig. And the wing has trim weight pockets on the back, so you might not need the front weight pockets at all anyway. The whole rig is neutral in the water and I don't need any weight in mine when using a 3mm suit and a steel tank (in fresh water). With an aluminum tank, I need 4 - 6 # (again, in fresh water), which would fit in the trim pockets. So, I can travel with it without the bulky weight pockets, no problem.
With it's tank hang strap and single QR tank strap, the Hydros mounts onto a tank quicker and more easily than a "normal" BP/W setup. And it's quicker/easier to have the rig mounted at the right height on the tank (because of the adjustable tank hang strap).
The Hydros also dries in minutes, which is kind of nice. I got out of the pool the other day and by the time I had the rest of my gear packed up and ready to leave, my Hydros (still mounted to my tank) was dry enough to put on over my hoodie and walk out to my truck without ending up with a wet back.
The Hydros is way more expensive than even a DSS rig (which are expensive for a BP/W). But, I have seen a couple in the Classifieds here recently for less. Not sure if it's still available, but I even saw one in a woman's size.
I poo pooed the Hydros from the time it came out. I only bought mine to have something to teach Open Water classes in that would allow me to demonstrate skills like weight pocket remove/replace and BCD remove/replace in exactly the same way as the students would be doing. But, now that I have it, I have become a huge fan. I would not pay full price for one. I would use an inexpensive BP/W (e.g. my HOG wing and Blue Reef back plate) instead. But, that is purely a financial decision and thus, your decision on that is yours and no one else's. I teach for a shop so I got mine for quite a bit less than MSRP. After looking at all the "regular" BCDs that we carry at the shop, the Hydros was the only one I could see myself ever using as a backup to my BP/W, so I paid more for it compared to what I could have gotten some other BCD for. Now, I am glad I did.
Just something to consider. Your wife may feel like it's worth the extra money. Or she might like a regular BP/W better.
My first BCD was a DSS BP/W. I only used BP/W rigs ever, up until about a month ago when I got a ScubaPro Hydros Pro.
Now, the Hydros has become my go-to rig for single tank diving. Of course I still will use a BP/W for back mount doubles.
The Hydros comes in several sizes for women, with parts of it made specifically to fit a woman's shape.
The Hydros is lighter than a stainless steel BP/W setup. It packs down smaller. It conforms to my back better than a flat plate. It's slightly easier to get in and out of (compared to a well-adjusted BP/W - WAY easier than how a lot of people end up with their BP/W's setup), mainly because of no crotch strap and no need for a crotch strap. The Hydros back plate material (monoprene) is kind of grippy and so the rig does not move around on my back at all, even though it has no crotch strap. In contrast, my BP/W rigs all have a tiny bit of movement to them - e.g. if I were to turn on my side or on my back and then turn back to stomach/chest down. A good BP/W is stable in the water. My Hydros is simply MORE stable. The only rig I have used that is as stable is my single tank BP/W rig that has a Freedom Contour plate.
The Hydros bungees do a good job of keeping the wing pretty streamlined, even though it's way more lift capacity than I need.
The Hydros comes with two sets of waist belts. One has the big, bulky weight pockets. The other is their "travel strap" setup. With the travel straps installed, it's virtually as clean in the front and streamlined as any BP/W rig. And the wing has trim weight pockets on the back, so you might not need the front weight pockets at all anyway. The whole rig is neutral in the water and I don't need any weight in mine when using a 3mm suit and a steel tank (in fresh water). With an aluminum tank, I need 4 - 6 # (again, in fresh water), which would fit in the trim pockets. So, I can travel with it without the bulky weight pockets, no problem.
With it's tank hang strap and single QR tank strap, the Hydros mounts onto a tank quicker and more easily than a "normal" BP/W setup. And it's quicker/easier to have the rig mounted at the right height on the tank (because of the adjustable tank hang strap).
The Hydros also dries in minutes, which is kind of nice. I got out of the pool the other day and by the time I had the rest of my gear packed up and ready to leave, my Hydros (still mounted to my tank) was dry enough to put on over my hoodie and walk out to my truck without ending up with a wet back.
The Hydros is way more expensive than even a DSS rig (which are expensive for a BP/W). But, I have seen a couple in the Classifieds here recently for less. Not sure if it's still available, but I even saw one in a woman's size.
I poo pooed the Hydros from the time it came out. I only bought mine to have something to teach Open Water classes in that would allow me to demonstrate skills like weight pocket remove/replace and BCD remove/replace in exactly the same way as the students would be doing. But, now that I have it, I have become a huge fan. I would not pay full price for one. I would use an inexpensive BP/W (e.g. my HOG wing and Blue Reef back plate) instead. But, that is purely a financial decision and thus, your decision on that is yours and no one else's. I teach for a shop so I got mine for quite a bit less than MSRP. After looking at all the "regular" BCDs that we carry at the shop, the Hydros was the only one I could see myself ever using as a backup to my BP/W, so I paid more for it compared to what I could have gotten some other BCD for. Now, I am glad I did.
Just something to consider. Your wife may feel like it's worth the extra money. Or she might like a regular BP/W better.
