B.C. Choices

[beeger]

My personal opinion is that jacket BCs should go the way of horse collars. I really think that teaching students in back buoyancy BCs is a better way to go. Most of these (but not all) seem to fit people better than jackets. This will likely give the student a more "positive" feel in terms of fit: better comfort and control, which can lead to a greater sense of confidence. What's the documented #1 reason new divers stop diving? Lack of comfort and confidence in the water.

I'm a die-hard backplate/harness/wing guy for everything I do, and have been for some time ... fresh/salt, warm/cold, tec/rec, but I do understand the logistic challenges of getting these setup correctly for multiple students in an OW class, especially when you are dealing with rental gear. I'm sure it can be done, and I think it's an even better idea, but at the speed with which most OW classes are taught, it would take some coordination.