Gday Bob. I am not one of those DIR types, just a good ole kiwi diver and I find them superb.
I have owned about 5 different BCD's and have had a BP&W for around 4 years now and completely love it. I could not go back to a stab jacket type BCD. If I did (which I wont) it would be the knighthawk.
The best thing about my BP&W is that the backplate weighs 3 kg (for the SS) and sits right above your lungs, which is great as they are a source of buoyancy, and enables a diver to remove weight from the waist to which in turn helps their trim. (So when collecting those scallops you dont kick up all the silt)
The inflation at the back is also nice and stable (Think hot air ballon) and stops the wrap around pressure squeeze.
They are also modular and easy to repair if you by chance puncture them.
You wont look like a w@nker but people will comment about "Angel Wings" and "Tekkie" gear because they don't know any different. I teach in mine and have given a lot of my students a chance to try one. Most have loved them.
My wife used to get so pi33ed off with people telling her she must be a tekkie because she has a "tekkie BCD" but has now learned to ignore them because the reality is they don't know what they are talking about. There is nothing Tekkie about them. They are just a Keep It Simple Stupid BCD with no extra dangly flashy plastic breakable bits.
Kinda like a bivvy bag really...Nothing flash about it but it does the job without the fluffing around!
If you want to try before buying you can have a play with mine if you like? We can just whip out after work during the week in my boat and give it a blast.