New diver just completing open water dives

[theskull]

The Recon is an excellent BC, one of my favorites. No, you don't NEED 75 lbs. of lift, but it can occasionally come in handy, for procedures best left unsaid for now. The tip on putting weight in the trim pouches and not over-inflating on the surface are good. You will also benefit from wearing the additional weight you need in a weight belt with the weight all the way behind you, rather than using the integrated "weights-in-front, face-in-the-water on the surface" position.

Most of all, dive with the gear you like, not what the popular on-line opinion is!

theskull

 

[pasley]

Welcome to the board. Lots of lift and lots of weights, hmmm, that can impact your air consumption. Diving is about finness and the bottom line is the more air you put in your BC at depth, the more mass it has. The more mass it has, the more drag it has. The more drag, the more air you consume, not counting all the air from your tank you pump into the BC. Remember, you need a little lift at the surface, then again at depth once the wetsuit compresses you need enough lift to offset the weight of the lead and the gear. Bottom line, big BC with lots of lift and lots of weights equals small bottom time. Besides, once you put on your rig, don't forget you have to carry all that weight to the dive site (if beach diving) or up the ladder if boat diving, and of course to and from the car.

My advise, wait a little on the BC and see what you want and need and what type of diving you want to do.

 

[mikswi]

I agree with pasley,
I have certainly "grown into" my Recon but, given the choice- I probably would have bought the Sherwood Avid to get my first year(s) experience in. Its compact, comfortable and has a blabber on each side in the front to fight against the "face down" posture at the surface.

I would suggest renting a few different types for a short while and find out what features that appeal to you. I know its more $$ to rent but its better then dropping money on a BC that you decide you dont like after a few dives.

Another suggestion is one I put in a previous post. Some LDS will apply a portion of your rentals over a fixed period to a purchase. This is great because you are investing some of your rental into your purchase.

 

[mikswi]

.