B.C. Choices

[LKunze]

One other thing I forgot to mention on the BC's is that fit is extremely important.  With a BP/Wing it's one size works for all.  You just need to adjust the webbing harness to your size and you never have to adjust it.  With Jacket BC's you need to make sure you get the right size.  One thing I see quite often when out diving is how many divers have poorly fitting or adjusted jacket BC's where the weight of the tank is pulling the entire BC up on the front and the bottom of the tank is down to their knees and the top of the tank valve is down below the shoulders making reaching the valve impossible and resulting in a very poorly trimmed out rig.

[DetectorGuy]

I do not know alot about the BP/Wings so enlighten me... alot of people who wear the BP/W claim to like it for the streamlined fit and increased hydrodynamics... How many pockets do those things have? Not that it matters but I have two on the BC that I often have filled with any combination of the following: Camera, secondary light, folding snorkel, finger spool, pelican buoys, (for retrieving anchors after the dive), lift bag, SMB, etc... Where do you put this stuff when you dive with a BP/W? does it just hang from a beaner from one of the many, but cool looking, "D-rings"? If all this stuff is just hanging from your streamlined and hydrodynamically superior harness, is it really that much more streamlined? I realize that most if not all DIR divers use these harnesses and sometimes I wonder if all that stuff just hanging around "outside" would get tangled-caught-lost in a challenging dive site? I think this is a great thread but there is not much support from the BC camp. Are BC's going the way of the Edsel or is it still a matter of personal preference? I think that If you have good dive practices and keep your gear in A-1 condition you can be as safe and as comfortable as the next guy wearing the "Trendy" stuff.

[LKunze]

Drysuit bellows pockets for wetnotes, spools, rolled up goody bag...etc. all clipped off to bungee loops running through the top of the pocket with double enders.  No Christmas tree danglies necessary.  You really only need 3 D-Rings (cool looking ones aren't necessary but you can get those if you want),  nothing wrong with more than 3 if you want too.  Backup lights mount great clipped off with boltsnaps...one on each shoulder D-ring.  The end of the light is retained firmly against the harness with bungee loops...once again nothing dangling.  SPG clipped off to the hip D-ring...once again, nothing dragging in the mud or dangling.  Nothing trendy about it but you have to try it first to find out what it's really like. 

[DetectorGuy]

I did purchase a very used Aqualung backpack with twin 63's mounted to it. I primarily bought it to use the manifold and screw two 80's on it. I tried to hydro the old 63's and the LDS told me that they may or may not pass. I chose not to hydro them and I sold them on craig's list and made 25 bucks... Just another reason not to buy those good deals on-line. It was a lame idea for me to even think that it would be a realiable set-up. It was so old that it had a J-valve that when the one tank was done you would just reach back on the lower left side and turn on the other tank. Not the redundancy of the twin tanks, twin first stages, and the twin second stages. There are strong advantages for diving with twins if done correctly and that would be the determining factor of me buying a back-plate with wing.

[jasondbaker]

I started out years ago with a seaquest balance.  I thought it was a good BC and I used it for both fresh and salt water dives.  I liked the fact that my chest was clutter free.  But I had one big problem with the BC.  Every once in a while it would ride up on me and shift depending on my horizontal trim.  I switched to a BP+W with a crotch strap and the problem was solved. My tank and gear felt like it was firmly affixed to my body.

I dive the same 36lb wing in both fresh and salt water.  I use a 6lb steel plate in fresh water and a 2lb aluminum plate in salt water.  I have each backplate rigged with its own harness because I hate having to make adjustments as I switch between a drysuit and a 3mm wetsuit. I like the balance of the rig in salt water because all I need to do is add 4lbs and I'm good to go.  It packs small and light for travel. 

One downside I can see to a BP+wing setup for diving is in situations where you might share equipment with someone else.  A BP+wing is a set-and-forget type system.  You don't want to have to adjust it all the time because it is a bit of a pain. 

[arcFlash]

I'm a big fan of the BP&W. My brother started diving and was looking for gear. I lobbied for BP but also said, you'll know if it's for you. So I brought him to the pool and he tried a few configs. wrist computer & air integrated console, 2 wings, fins (turtle like & 'normal'), plates...

In the end he enjoyed all kinds of things and found advantages to both but he bought an integrated jacket with back inflate.

I think he saw the jacket as 'one stop' diving and the BP&W as technical and more then he needed. He said it changed his buying and he struggled with buying a BP but in the end he felt that the jacket was enough. I respect it. (He still got a cobra so you win some)

About all the extras in pockets. I want pockets but don't have them. It's still easy, do one thing and do it well. I only bring what I need. Nothing hangs. If I go for anchors, don't bring the camera. My snorkel attaches to my mask, not my pocket, Overhead, no snorkel. Bag and reels are high and out of the slipstream, the rest is like Lonnie said, tight.

I use a DUI weight and trim harness. It's great. Up to #40 and ditchable with shoulder straps, I forget it's on much of the time. You can thank Dog Days for that, tried it, bought it.

[grumpie]

iF YOU MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS the harness will also act as a safety harness for ice diving.
grumpie

[DetectorGuy]

Im curious... Do people Ice dive with a BC or is that taboo?

[arcFlash]

If you wear a harness with the jacket, I've seen it. It's fine.

I don't have any problem with the BP and ice, I can't see them pulling the harness off me. For the argument about if I exit my gear. Then I don't want them pulling me away from my fouled 1st stage. Or pulling my gear away from my fouled fins. I would tug 'exit' and wait for my team/buddy/rescue divers to come and clear me before I remove my gear.

[grumpie]

The advantage we have is we use comm gear and can talk back and fore with the tender and safety dive. we can decide what our best way to solve the problem.