Researching First (jacket) Bc

[dmaziuk]

My other hesitancy is the transition curve from jacket to back inflate. I only dive for a few days once or twice a year, so I don't want to spend my whole trip trying to figure out the new system. But the people I spoke with today gave me more confidence that switching isn't that difficult, and it is mostly a difference at the surface.

IME the main difference is you pump up the jacket and it holds you up straight, way up. With a back-inflate you need to give it a small puff and float with just your head above the surface. Which may be less comfortable, especially in a chop. OTOH if you need to swim, about the only way you can do it in a jacket is on your back, turning around all the time to see where you're going. With the aircell on your back you can comfortably swim on your front.

 

[Altamira]

I am happy to see responses to the elora-c's actual question and request for help. Too often, questions requesting assistance on choosing a jacket bcd very quickly transition into a sales job for bp/w or back inflates. While I personally use a Zeagle Covert back inflate, and love it (as I would a bp/w), my wife would not be happy diving either. She uses a Scubapro GO because she likes to ride higher out of the water while waiting to board the boat, especially in choppy seas. Elora-c may, at some point, decide she wants to transition out of the jacket bcd, but she might be perfectly happy diving a jacket for the rest of her diving days, and that is all good.

 

[admikar]

Let me get this straight - you buy a $600 BC that once the weight pockets are gone needs a belt to continue diving with possibly the rest of the trip? What's the point of buying weight integration?

Don't buy weight integrated BC in the first place? I don't have problems with a belt. Before I went BP&W route, I considered Mares Hybrid Pure. Then I learned about weight security problems, and best solution for me, if I did buy it, would be not to use pockets at all. It's not about losing weight, it's buoyancy problems that would arise from that. To be honest, I do not remember choices any more, but there must be some BCs without weight integration on the market at this moment.

 

[Centrals]

I won't waste any money on weight integrated unit.

 

[CassieNYC]

I bought my first BCD a month ago. I went with a scubapro glide-x, which is a jacket style. I rented one several times and tried a few other styles in the pool or as rentals. I got a good price from my favorite Florida LDS because it was a refurbished rental BCD.

 

[BDSC]

Good choice and smart move buying used.

 

[diversteve]

It's not about losing weight, it's buoyancy problems that would arise from that.

Ripcords make that incredibly difficult - the weights are encased in a nylon bag that has a support inside it so they don't drop unless you pull the Ripcord about a foot out after removing the velcro surrounding the handle. Contrast that to a weight belt buckle which can be pulled accidentally reaching for another buckle or even caught on a boat ladder or something in a wreck and released inadvertently. To each his own...

I don't have a problem/fear of losing weights since you have to pull the Ripcord or un-zip the weight pockets from the top to hand them up.

To be honest, I do not remember choices any more, but there must be some BCs without weight integration on the market at this moment.

Zeagle Scout or their new Base (that's the model name) jacket model. The Scout includes trim pockets in back standard. Also the Aqualung Pro (not the Pro HD which does have w/i). There must be a basic Scubapro jacket also - IDK which one though.