Backplate or Jacket

[Qix]

How about a slightly different suggestion to the dive shops and instructors out there....invest some time making your new divers aware of the BP+W option after they finish their training but before they invest in their first set of gear. This way they will be better informed and maybe save them some money in the long run. The way I see it, if a person buys a cheap/moderate BCD from your store or a BP+W setup from your store they will spend about the same amount if money. Hopefully your profits will be about the same too. So, why not expose them to the BP+W and long hose setup and let them decide.

I did over 500 dives in a Ranger and the setup worked but something was never quite right. I kept reading about Hogarthian configurations and asking people and finally changed last year. You would have to pay me to put the Ranger back on. The BP+W setup packs easier, weighs less, easier to clean and way more streamlined and configurable.

I wish someone would have taken me "under their wing" (pardon the bad dive joke) and convinced me to try it right away before buying that BCD, plus all the plastic clips and gadgets all for nothing in the end.

Webbing, bolt snaps, zip ties and 1/8" bungy might not be as s3xy as the other stuff on the shelves but it sure works well.