I would prefer IWB since that is how I carry but they specifically said for level 1 class OWB. I think level 2 is whatever holster you want.As with most things, everything is a trade off. I personally like the belt loop style because it keeps the gun tighter to the body, but you have to take your belt at least halfway off to take the holster off. Paddle holsters are awesome when you're going into no carry zones and you have to disarm throughout the day, but they tend to stick out farther, meaning you will print more if you do wear it for EDC.
With that in mind, I would generally not recommend a paddle holster with the paddle style seen in the pic you posted in the first post. I have one with a clip like that and I pretty much hate it. It has the upturned belt hooks on both sides of the paddle which makes it hard to take off, defeating the entire purpose of a paddle holster. It has since been assigned duty for use on a battle belt because it can live there full time and I don't need to remove it very often.
I love the Safariland paddle style. It has a single belt hook right in the middle, making it easy to rock the holster enough to easily disengage the belt. It also give more options for positioning it on your belt line depending on how many belt loops you have and where they are positioned. Not all pants allow you to carry in the exact same spot. The Safariland also has active retention, which for me is a must for open carry, which I do from time to time.
I would not dismiss using an IWB for the class if that's the way you normally carry. You really should train with the gear you use every day. It doesn't make sense to train with an OWB holster if you won't be wearing it the day you find yourself in a gun fight (God forbid). If a defensive pistol instructor won't allow you to train with your IWB, I would seriously consider whether that's a class you want to take.
I would also say you might find that you like an OWB much better after trying it out. I almost exclusively use OWB holsters these days, and the belt loop style keeps the gun very tight to my body, as mentioned above, while keeping the grip much easier to access.
Of course, all of this assumes you're just carrying a gun with standard sights. It gets even more complicated when you start adding weapon lights and red dots. I've purchased four holsters for the same gun in the past year because I added a light, and now a red dot.
I looked at blade tech, unfortunately they don't make a holster for my handgun a CZ p10cI'm not a big fan of paddles. For my body shape, it tilts the holster away from my body at the barrel end. With belt loops, it's pretty much a straight drop.
I have Bravo OWB's that work well for concealment and classes. However, recently I purchased a BladeTech OWB with a Tech-Lok belt clip that you can unhinge which allows you to use it like a paddle. No belt removal necessary. I bought it in the event I start shooting competitions. It rides a touch lower than my Bravos and is a straight drop vs a canted drop. Should be good for 0.002 seconds making it possible for me to finish a Steel Challenge string before timing out.
Those holster clips look interesting. I'd like to hear from those that have used them. If they would work well on my Bravo, I'd be able to don and doff it easier.You can usually add easy-on / easy-off solutions to an OWB. I personally use OWB pull-the-dot loops on no fewer than 3 OWB holsters. They make donning and doffing QUITE easy. They're also SECURE.
You can also look in to something like this: https://www.holstersmith.com/vcom/mountings-belt-clips-speedease-c-547_779.html which may assist in donning and doffing. I've never used something like that, but I admit that I've given it good thought. I'm just not convinced they're secure enough.
Yep. There are different lengths. You can sometimes even mount the snaps to give you a smaller or larger loop so it'll hold tighter.Are the "pull the dot loops" those flexible snap type loops? I would consider those if it will still hold the holster tight to my side.