good bc to buy

[GreenDiverDown]

Scotty once bubbled...
Don't I wish. I am trying but time is the problem. Anyway what do you mean by [Oceanic Chute and the Seaquest Balance but even they might be more than you'll want if your diving is going to be limited].

Only that they are very nice Bcs. I'm not sure on their price but they "might" be more than you want to spend.

SA

 

[Scotty]

I always dive with some sort of skin or wetsuit no matter what water temp. I have a .5 scubapro that I would use but no matter what water temp on the second dive I would get cold (wimp I guess) so I went with a 5/4/3 and love it as it keeps me warm. I just dove in 83 deg. water and it was great not too hot or too cold. Anyway this is what I will continue to use so as for bc what you said makes sense.

 

[Zerogravity]

I usually dive a 5mm wetsuit because I get cold easily. I would'nt recommend a harness for unprotected skin as it could chafe. Rest assured however, that, given enough time, the wing and harness will prove superior in ALL environments, cold, warm, cave, tec, rec, whatever. There is a learning curve with any new system, so be prepared for that, esp if you are used to diving something else. The BP should affect your trim and weighting. For example..if you need say 12# of ballast to be neutral with a regular BC, then you are carrying 12 # of lead SOMEWHERE. IF you get a SS backplate that weighs 6# then you can drop 6# from the weightbelt. Additionally, if diving AL tanks, then the 6# weight of the backplate is exactly where it will do you the most good. Your lungs are bouyant and so is the AL tank after it reaches about 1500 psi so having the 6# of ballast of the backplate helps to offset the positive bouyancy of the Al tank as it goes from full to empty. I dove a SS 6# BP with AL tanks and it worked great. When I swithched to steel tanks I got an aluminum BP that was only 2# negative due to the negative buoyancy of the steel tanks. You see, it's all a balancing act. A little weight here means less weight there. You are still carrying the weight, but it's the distribution of that weight that makes the difference. I have found both bouyancy and trim to be much improved with the BP/Harness. Once again though, this is MY experience. Others obviously have other opinions and experiences. SO.......you are basically going to have to make p your own mind and invest the cash in what you think will work best. Hopefully you will be happy with the choice you make. If not, there are several alternatives, whether you choose trad bc or bp/harness. As far as prices are concerned..email Fred T..I think he has the best prices AND very good quality for BP/Harness. He's cheaper than Halcyon or OMS or Dive Rite, but every bit as good as far as BP are concerned. For the wing, I use a Halcyon 27# for single tank diving with HP 100's and it works great. I dont think it matters how much you dive. If you are used to and comfortable with a system, then it will work for you. DSAO ZG

 

[ScoobyDave]

Scotty,
I had the opportunity to try a number of BC's out before deciding what to purchase. Since I had to rent gear anyway, ask for a different BC everytime you dive and see what works for you.

That being said, I found the Zeagle Ranger to fit me the best, and give me great underwater performance. It's a back-wing BC, and you'll want rear trim pouches. It's not cheap - perhaps one of the more expensive BC's, but I would go buy one again without hesitation. You can find BC's for half the cost of this one, but I found the Zeagle to give me a fantastic fit and great trim underwater.

Dave