Zeagle Brigade or BP/W?

[cgvmer]

You may want to look for a tech shop that will let you rent one. I borrowed one but could not dive with it, went to Pompano Fl, and rented a DR transpac, found it very comfortable for diving. I ended up buying a Golem Gear Bp/W and changed the hog harness to a DR Transplate harness.

[ScubaCaveman]

I have a Ranger LTD BCD. I love it. I prefer rear inflation.....but I have not tried a BP/W so, that may just be the best thing since sliced bread and I just don't know about it yet! LOL.

[TJDiver]

Originally Posted by bent

Jackson, TN. It doesn't take me long to get to Memphis or Nashville.

If you're ever in the East TN area, Rhea's Diving in Maryville would most likely let you try a BP/W in their pool, depending on what they have going on at the time. But, they only deal in Halcyon when it comes to BP/W's...$$$. I tried one after re-certifying with my son, and just didn't like the feel of the BP/W. I ended up going with a SP Knighthawk back inflate BCD, and I really like that rig.

[DevilDiver]

You know the funny thing is personally I would recommend BP/W to every diver including students and new certs looking for gear. I try not to jump into threads saying "you have to buy a BP/W" because it is a personal choice and depending on the individual and how they dive it may not be the best answer. Plus that is the kind of stuff you find on other forums and I believe it turns more away than not.

I still do not usually see shops offering BP/W as one of the primary options to divers looking for new gear. I do not know if this is because some consider this to be more of a tech style product still or they just need to sell more traditional style BC's.

IMO the BP/W broke free of the tech stereo type years ago and should be at least offered as a option up front.

[cgvmer]

Devil Diver I totally agree with you on that. My daughter was 10 when certified, I had found a used Transpac for her to use during training. The shop had no problem with it, but none of their rental gear was bp/w (i know a tranpac is not a bp/w but is similiar) even though they sold DR gear. I would think a bp/w with non-hog harness would be cheaper for shops.

[Vercingetorix]

Originally Posted by DevilDiver

IMO the BP/W broke free of the tech stereotype years ago...

If only that were true.

After my Rescue course, I volunteered as a victim for othr Rescue classes. When I showed up with the BP/W, one idiot instructor told me, "I don't want you wearing a BP/W around my students. I'll allow it this once." During one of the scenarios, I was the victim on the bottom of the lake. The students brought me to the surface, towed me to land and revived me. During the debriefing, the idiot instructor told the students "You should not have rescued him, because he's wearing tech gear, and you're not trained to rescue tech divers." Mind you, I was laying face-down on the bottom, so they couldn't tell I was wearing a BP/W. Yeah, the stupidity was deep with this one.

During an OW class that I was helping with as an assistant, the moron DM made me switch to a gawd-awful orange wrap-around constricting BCD because he didn't want the students to see a BP/W because it's tech.

The stereotype is alive and well and being passed to future generations of divers.

Oh...FYI, the LDS owner, nor manager, nor TD had any problem with me wearing BP/W. They encouraged it so students could see options.

[cgvmer]

I definitely agree that other divers look on BP/W's as some strange tech only gear. This summer the four of us were diving together, my golem gear bp/w, my son's used Halcyon bp/w with hog harness, my other son and daughter both have transpacs. All my kids gear was purchased online used. But the looks and questions the other divers had were pretty funny. I got the impression most divers thought we were all tech divers when (yeah even my 11yo )

[DevilDiver]

Un....Frigg'n.....Believable.

Can't imagine someones gear being a reason to not rescue them, maybe it was because of the color. Tech haters......

It's not that it's so much different, it is simpler in fact. There are no silly Velcro cumber buns or plastic clips or zippers (yes, zippers) to figure out. If I had to pull you up in a regular BC... if it's not simple, it's getting cut off.

In OW class (and rescue) they go over different types of gear so new divers have some idea of what's out there (like an octo-inflater) so what's the problem? Tell me that instructor did not go over how to use an octo-inflater getting a diver to the surface in rescue.............that's different.....it's mainstream.

OK..... I am done now.

[bent]

Thanks for the great input. It looks like I need to learn more about the BP/W option.

Hmmm .... Is this Hog Harness something I should get for my sweetie on Valentines day??
Hopefully she doesn't see this post.

Seriously, I do not know anything about the different harnesses. The only options I have really seen in stores were the jackets that give you that great squeeze. Most I have been to steer clear of back inflate except one guy that deals Mares and Bare. Keep the great info coming.

[Vercingetorix]

Hog harness: Just 10 feet of 2-inch webbing, a metal belt buckle, 4 D-rings, a few retainers. Add a D-ring and a few feet of webbing for crotch strap

Webbing a Harness