Buying a new BC, I have it down to three any ideas?

[PirateDiver XD]

And...The Excursion is very adjustable, has plenty of mounting points and I have read that the bladder IS replaceable. Not sure if you have to replace it with an Oceanic bladder or if you can use another type.

 

[Thalassamania]

i'll make sure my estate posts a retraction

It will grieve us if we have to read it, but we all have the right to go to hell in the handbasket of our own choice.

Here is the sort of thing I worry about, just consider it: I came across a diver tangled in a gill net, struggling to get free. The diver had gotten into the net whilst trying to surface were a current had bowed the top of the net over the diver. The diver had first taken out a knife to try and cut free but had dropped it, and it was now out of reach on the bottom. The diver then had then tried to take off the tank and BCD but had somehow managed to wind the intermediate pressure hose around the diver’s neck and was now badly fouled in the net. I signaled the two divers with me to buddy-up and stay clear. I approached the fouled diver, got the diver’s attention, and offered my auxiliary. I helped the diver complete the removal of the tank and BCD, and we surfaced together, leaving the tank in the net. After settling the diver down, my buddy and I submerged and recovered the tank from the net and the knife from the bottom. Had the diver been wearing an integrated weight system this would have been much more difficult to deal with.

 

[The Chairman]

i'll make sure my estate posts a retraction

Rumors of your impending demise are grossly over exagerated and is nothing more than the fallacy of "an appeal to fear".

Fit and comfort are THE two most important factors in choosing almost any modern scuba equipment, with the exception of your wet suit (where hot and tight are the criteria). If you are not into technical diving yet, and are looking for a BC as you build your skills then any of the three will suit your purpose most nicely. Should you choose to pursue technical diving at some future date, then you will have even more options than you have now and quite possibly, one of these options would be more "optimal" than any current BP&Wing. Don't be a Tech Diver Wannabe! There are WAY too many people who purchase more/better gear rather than spending money on training and/or diving. IOW, get what suits you NOW! Don't worry about what those tech divers are using: GO HAVE FUN!

 

[Walter]

What would you recommend?

I don't concern myself over style - BP/wing vs back inflate vs vest because frankly any of those styles will work quite nicely if they are properly designed. With small doubles, you won't need extra lift. If you are planning to use larger doubles, being able to increase your lift by switching wings is a nice feature.

Things to look for in a BC:

1. No padding - Padding requires additional weight, yet compresses at depth so it no longer cushions. Additionally, air in a BC lifts the BCs weight off your back rendering padding redundant. Padding also increases drag, making dives in current more difficult and increasing your air consumption.

2. No cummerbund - Cummerbunds increase drag.

3. Dump valve at the highest point of the BC. - Inflate the BC and hold it up as if you were wearing it at the surface. Is the dump valve at the highest point? If not, look for a different BC. If it is, turn it as if you were swimming in a prone position. Is there a dump valve at the highest point? A good BC will pass both tests. If the dump valve is not at the highest point, it will trap air, requiring contortions to dump all the air or additional lead. A nice extra is a right shoulder dump valve and dump valves at the bottom.

4. No fabric covering of the bladder. - These BCs are sometimes called "bladderless" or "single bladder BCs." The fabric covering creates drag in current.

None of the three BCs being considered meet my criteria for a good BC and yes, I know the Ranger is extremely popular.

I don't keep current on all the hundreds of BCs on the market. I do know the Scubapro Classic Sport is an excellent BC and handles small doubles quite well. It is often not in stock at Scubapro dealers because they push their more expensive (more profitable) models like the Classic. In my opinion, the Classic is not an excellent choice, although it is better than most. I'm sure there are other models from other companies that are also excellent I just can't tell you which ones they are without examining them.

 

[crosing]

I like Zeagle but if you are tending towards tek diving then I would recommend that you save yourself some money and go directly for the Backpack and wing configuration.

 

[crpntr133]

I don't concern myself over style - BP/wing vs back inflate vs vest because frankly any of those styles will work quite nicely if they are properly designed. With small doubles, you won't need extra lift. If you are planning to use larger doubles, being able to increase your lift by switching wings is a nice feature.

Things to look for in a BC:

1. No padding - Padding requires additional weight, yet compresses at depth so it no longer cushions. Additionally, air in a BC lifts the BCs weight off your back rendering padding redundant. Padding also increases drag, making dives in current more difficult and increasing your air consumption.

2. No cummerbund - Cummerbunds increase drag.

3. Dump valve at the highest point of the BC. - Inflate the BC and hold it up as if you were wearing it at the surface. Is the dump valve at the highest point? If not, look for a different BC. If it is, turn it as if you were swimming in a prone position. Is there a dump valve at the highest point? A good BC will pass both tests. If the dump valve is not at the highest point, it will trap air, requiring contortions to dump all the air or additional lead. A nice extra is a right shoulder dump valve and dump valves at the bottom.

4. No fabric covering of the bladder. - These BCs are sometimes called "bladderless" or "single bladder BCs." The fabric covering creates drag in current.

None of the three BCs being considered meet my criteria for a good BC and yes, I know the Ranger is extremely popular.

I don't keep current on all the hundreds of BCs on the market. I do know the Scubapro Classic Sport is an excellent BC and handles small doubles quite well. It is often not in stock at Scubapro dealers because they push their more expensive (more profitable) models like the Classic. In my opinion, the Classic is not an excellent choice, although it is better than most. I'm sure there are other models from other companies that are also excellent I just can't tell you which ones they are without examining them.

Walter you forgot that if the OP uses any of the above mentioned BC's that they would kill themself. That drag is going to just kill the SAC rate it might go from 6 to 6.1 thus causing them to reduce their dive time from 20 minutes to 19.5 minutes. Give me a stinking break. If drag was a big issue the cave divers would have another system instead of the long hose. Remember there is extra hose causing extra drag

A lot of people use the Ranger for doubles. I didn't do it but I do use the Ranger bladder on a plate. For what it is worth I converted three DB's to a Zeagle product from Oceanic.

 

[Scubastud16]

I love the excursion, it will be my next BC. I work at an Oceanic dealer, and I currently have an Islander. I'm getting into deeper/longer dives with heavier tanks, and I'm eventually headed to the Tech arena (or so I hope), and I think the Excursion is a great fit for that situation.

The Excursion DOES handle doubles.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Woohoo, who's winning, BP/W or Conventional BC's??? I can only tell you my experience. For me the most important thing is how I feel in the water. I used to have a BlackDiamond, and it was a nice BC. When I tried the BP, it was a no brainer on which device I needed. Try it before you buy it, and tell us what you decided.....not trying to convince you either way, it's your money.

 

[bvmjethead]

Dang, I come into this thread looking to affirm my choices for a first BCD and end up taking a serious look ar BP/W configurations for the last two hours.....

I like this one...

http://www.golemgear.com/images/PRODUCT/icon/293.jpg

 

[Over My Head]

Dang, I come into this thread looking to affirm my choices for a first BCD and end up taking a serious look ar BP/W configurations for the last two hours.....

I like this one...

http://www.golemgear.com/images/PRODUCT/icon/293.jpg

I went through the exact same evolution in thought a couple of months ago. Went to Scubaboard to learn about BC's, then started looking at Zeagle, and then learned about BP/W. Ended up buying an Oxycheq Mach V Extreme with a SS plate, and I've been very happy with it. One nice side-benefit of diving a BP/W is that everywhere you go you end up in conversations with experienced and TEC divers who want to check out your equipment.

I recommend talking to Patrick at Oxycheq, he loves to talk and will give you lots of good information. I bought from Golem Gear at Patrick's recommendation, but had some problems with the sale so I wish I had bought from Scubatoys instead.