looking for a great BCD

[obada.jandali]

Hi everybody!

i'm a new diver gonna be finished with my open water diver course by the end of this weekend!!

i am investing in my gear, so far i am decided on a great regulator, the "Apeks XTX200", i did a whole research and asked around until i was decided, so now the next step is to get me a good BCD! better said, a GREAT BCD!!

so i have no idea about what to look for in a BCD other than being fit and comfy!!!

suggestions and some information about this would be highly appreciated ppl!!

thanks in advance, :cool2:

 

[ToPpS]

Well, firstly let me say welcome to the diving community. I'll let others point out where the search button is oh and good call on the Apek.

A BCD is primarily about comfort (as you said). Straight and simple.
Yes there are jackets, back inflation and wings styles of BCDs but they all perform the same function at the end of the day. Now that you're almost completed your OW course and I hope you have tried a few different makes and styles, or at least have seen what's out there.

Most people don't like jackets because when they are fully inflated they tend to squeeze your rib cage. People don't like back inflation bcd because they think they're going to tip over when on the surface..... (that doesn't happen). And then generally the people who use wings are tec divers.

The Mares Dragon is a great BCD in my opinion. I personally have the Mares Pegasus which isn't fancy but it does the job beautifully.

 

[RJP]

Get a BP/W.

 

[padrogj]

I have a Scubapro Nighthawk with Air/2. It is a back inflation BC with integrated weight system. It is very confortable and does not feel like it is giving me that "squeezing" feeling. The Air/2 is also nice because it combines the Octo and the low pressure inflation system so you have one less hose attached and one less hose to worry about. I guess it really comes down to what it more to your liking/comfort.
HTH, Gary

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Most people don't like jackets because when they are fully inflated they tend to squeeze your rib cage. People don't like back inflation bcd because they think they're going to tip over when on the surface..... (that doesn't happen). And then generally the people who use wings are tec divers.

The vast majority of BC's in use worldwide are vest style (don't jackets have sleeves?). Even among non-rental fleet sales, the majority of BC's sold worldwide are vests. It's possible that back inflate BC's make up ~33% of non-rental sales, to the ~66% non-rental vests; leaving ~1% for BP/W.

If you factor in worldwide rental fleet sales; back inflate might be less than 20% and BP/W is probably less than 1%.

I am making educated guesses with regards to those percentages based on a decade of working as a warm water dive instructor/guide and half a decade of reading internet scuba resources too much.

The underlined part of the above quote might be more correct, albeit less pc, with these additional words:

Most fat people who are uncomfortable in the water don't like vest BC's because when they unnecessarily fully inflate them at the surface they tend to squeeze the blubber covering their rib cage. :shocked2:

My 6 dive operator employers have had only a handful of back inflate BC's between them, in XL or XXL only; compared to at least 20 vests each. As a guide in the past 10 years I have witnesses only 10-15 divers using BP/W, and at least 5 of those divers are technical instructors or full cave divers.

If you are diving cold water in a dry suit, which is not what the vast majority of divers worldwide are diving, then the local percentages are likely different than the percentages I made up.

 

[halocline]

Go for the backplate, you won't regret it. Jacket BCs suck. Every single person who even begins to think that a jacket BC might be remotely appropriate for any sort of diving must be a total and complete moron who is barely able to get him/herself out of bed and certainly can't handle complex tasks like tying shoes.

I just thought I'd save us from another endless thread and go right for the personal insults!

 

[Crush]

If you are going to dive you will want something that will allow you to get good trim in the water. Many SB members believe that jackets are not as stable as rear-inflate BCs or BP/w. I have a back-inflate BC (Zeagle Scout) and it does not flip me over face-first into the water if my weights are properly distributed.

If you are going to travel to your dive sites ever, strongly consider a travel BC or a BP/w (aluminum would be a good choice). I believe that less is more.

I believe that having integrated weights is a PITA as the extra plastic and reinforcement makes the BC very large and hard to pack. A web belt is way smaller. Rent the weights when you get to your dive site.

 

[DrunkenParrot]

Get a BP/W.

+1

 

[SangP]

Hi everybody!

i'm a new diver gonna be finished with my open water diver course by the end of this weekend!!

i am investing in my gear, so far i am decided on a great regulator, the "Apeks XTX200", i did a whole research and asked around until i was decided, so now the next step is to get me a good BCD! better said, a GREAT BCD!!

so i have no idea about what to look for in a BCD other than being fit and comfy!!!

suggestions and some information about this would be highly appreciated ppl!!

thanks in advance, :cool2:

If you're going to be doing mostly rec dives n won't think of ever doing tech, then a Scubapro Seahawk, Zeagle express tech and the dive rite transpac are great bcds.

If you may be doing doubles in the near future than a back plate / wing is the way to go.

AL back plate w/ Oxycheq Hog Harness & Oxycheq Mach V wing [DROCpkg] - $375.00 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!!

Btw, if you want the bling factor the Halcyon Infinity is the one but... at $820 you could get 2 rigs for the price of one and the cave adventurers package has the best designed wing out there imo.

SangP

 

[formernuke]

Try out as many as you can borrow, rent etc and pick the one that fits you and your diving style best. I bought a back inflate right after I did open waters however for the type of diving I do (cold water, year around, drysuit etc) A BP/W was a better choice. Yes got weird looks when I went to caribean with a stainless backplace and my long hose with a bungie backup up here though I have been on dive charters where everyone had a BP/W. What is most important is that you are comfortable in whatever diving you do in the future. My advice is to finish your open water and look at all foreseeable diving you might do borrow or rent as many types and brands as you can (they fit a little differently) and decide which BP/W you like the best.