Good bc for newbie

[Bigd2722]

Zeagle Express Tech is a great option at a very affordable price. Backplate and wing is still the best option

 

[zaberman1]

+1 on the BP/W. Though it may seem slightly foreign if it wasn't introduced in your OW class, it is simple, configurable, flexible, adaptable, and helps promote good trim. I'd do a standard wing, bp, and harness to get started. My advice, keep it simple and don't be tempted by all of the bells and whistles...

Additionally, questions you might want to ask yourself are what type of diving do you plan on doing and what type of equipment is best suited for that?

 

[Shftrdog]

We have rental Cressi Aqua Pro R5 BCDs for sale for $199.99 each. Otherwise I would recomend the Oceanic Probe or Excursion II they are great BCD's that will last forever.

 

[-hh]

I've tried a sea quest latitude XLT I like that style, I really can't find something like that, im looking for one for my first set of gear! Thanks!

Took a quick peek at the product (Google Images); it looks to be a fairly standard modern Jacket style BCD.

I hate to just "jump" on the BP/W wagon but my story is similar to to yours. I took my cert classes with standard Vest-type BC's. I hated the suffocating feeling of the vest style. I shared my desire to dive with (what I called) "next to nothing" gear (I just wanted that true feeling of freedom and weightlessness in the water) with my dive instructor and she pointed me towards a BP/wing set-up. In the end I did about two months of research and put my own set-up together for about $350.00 bucks. I went with a SS BP, 32 lb bladder, a couple XS SCUBA weight pockets, picked up a reg, etc... Anyway, I simply can't imagine using a vest style BC! I just don't see any disadvantage to the BP/W.

All gear has a trade-off somewhere. It might be something important that one hasn't yet recognized, or it might be something that is recognized but isn't important because of other factors (such as dive environment, or cost).

Tough question, a bit open-ended. Virtually any BCD is good for a newbie - jacket, back-inflate (soft), back-inflate (hard backplate). The style of equipment is almost incidental at your stage of diving development, as long as it FITS YOU. Frankly, a simple, inexpensive, used jacket BCD would be a reasonable suggestion. Irrespective of what you buy now, you may end up buying something different in a year or two, so buy inexpensive at first. As long as it works, it is good.

Well stated. I'm becoming increasingly of the opinion that a new diver should seriously consider buying used gear, not only because it saves a good chunk of money upfront, but also because of the unfortunate reality that diver drop-out rates are high (over 50%), so it is hard to get a good return-on-investment until it has been demonstrated by real dives that the person is going to really stick with the hobby for 5+ years.

Plus, a lot of today's products are expensive partly because they're using textiles like 1000 denier nylon which is a case of rediculous overbuild. To put this in perspective, the luggage that you put the BC into for airline travel probably is only 420-1000 denier (LLBean), which means that that "cheap junk" that salesmen try to steer a buyer away from is still sturdy enough to last 5 years / 200 dives. It is still more likely that a person under age 30 is going to "grow out of" a size than for it to wear out.

Now, to be a little more specific - what is it about the Seaquest Latitude XLT that you like? Is it the jacket style? Is it the integrated weights? It it the back trim pockets?

Great questions.

My first BCD was a Zeagle Ranger - new, expensive, but a great BCD in many ways, still have it but haven't used it in years. My second was a backplate / wing - used, functional, still have it, still use it for personal recreational diving. My third was a Seaquest Pro QD jacket bcd - used, bought for OW classes, but very functional and I love it. I still use it after 7 years, and have no complaints.

A quick Google indicates that the Seaquest Pro QD is built with 420-denier .. and your's is 7 years old and still going strong.

My first BC was ... none. Just a backpack with thin (~1") cloth straps and a Steel 65. When I got my own gear, I had a hand-me-down horsecollar. Only later did I get a Jacket with a new technology called a "Power Inflator". Used that for 13 years before it became too small for my girth; then got a Wing setup, which I never liked how it floated me with an AL80, so after 8 years with that, I've gone back to a Jacket.

Good diving technique - bouyancy and trim control - has little if anything to do with equipment, and everything to do with diver skill development and attitude (the 'good diver is always training' mentality). You can spend A LOT of money on pretty, new gear. Or, you can spend a modest amount on very functional, used gear, and go diving.

The best thing to improve skills is time in the water, although I will say that some gear designs certainly do help with making it easier to get trimmed out exactly as desired. For example, I currently like having BC weight trim pockets up in the "shoulder blade" area, because if one doesn't like how the backpack & tank would need to be positioned relative to the body, the weight pocket replaces less appealing solutions, such as to put an ankle weight around the tank's valve stem. OTOH, an ankle weight on a valve stem is both effective and cheap


-hh