Zeagle Stiletto -Sizing Advice

[simmitop]

Hello,
after trying out LOTS of different BCDs I have finally narrowed things down to the Zeagle Stiletto.
i am a bit unsure about sizing, though.

Waist size is 42", genererously measured so that is clearly an L.

Shoulders are 26", exactly on the brink between L and XL.

I am 6'3 with a longer than average torso.

Any suggestions whether I should go for L or XL shoulders? If that helps I will only dive tropical, so never more than 3mm wetsuit.

 

[AdivingBel]

Here's a vid for sizing Zeagle BCs. It worked well for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWRFpnrRdMg

 

[simmitop]

Thanks, that video is more or less what made me confused in the first place
My problem essentially is, that my waist comfortably fits and "L" and my shoulders are right in the middle between two sizes.
I tried both sizes in the shop and the "L" seemed to work fine ...
I will probably just go with the "L" and change the shoulders if it turns out that I'm off.

 

[AdivingBel]

There is quite a bit of adjustment with each size. If you are between sizes, I would go with the larger. You'll just end up with a bit more excess webbing when you snug up the straps on the shoulders. If you've tried them in the shop, you'll be on the right track. Good luck. The Stiletto is an excellent rig.

 

[jchance]

Call Scubatoys in Texas and speak with Joe. They can size you correctly and mix/match waist and shoulder sections for an exact fit. I have done this with 5 different Zeagles with them.

 

[simmitop]

Unfortunately I am based in SE-Asia so an American dive shop is no real option. Luckily we have a big wholesaler in town who seems to be quite forthcoming. Will have to talk to him.
My main issue is that I have a hard time picturing how the "dry fit" of a BCD will transfer to behavior in use.
That's why I decided to go for Zeagle because you still have space for adjustments if you think the fit is off.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[AdivingBel]

The other thing I noticed when sizing between large & medium shoulders, if you are short waisted with narrower shoulders, the large shoulders tended to "cup" a bit at the top of the shoulder. The medium alleviated this to some extent. Other than that, the difference was really about the amount of "excess" webbing after snugging up the shoulder adjustments. I noticed this when resizing a Stiletto for my wife. BTW, she loves diving it even over other "fitted for women" BCs mainly because of the flexibility of the fit. (Sorry, don't mean to be a fanboy, but she's sitting over my shoulder and she tried a number of BCs before she found one she liked). Not really sure how this extrapolates to L vs XL, but it does show some of the differences I found between sizes. All IMHO, YMMV.

 

[simmitop]

OK, some final news in the matter.
I went for an XL/XL combination due to the fitting of the shoulder straps. In size L the straps just went too ... "tight (?)" under the arms.
The waist is a bit largish but fits perfectly right now. I just need to watch out that I don't lose too much weight.
How realistic that scenario is remains to be seen

 

[hilljo88]

I've enjoyed 100s of warm water dives in the Stiletto. You'll love it. i'm surprised the LG shoulder straps didnt adjust to fit you. I'm 6 feet and have at least 4 inches or so of play in the shoulder straps of the LG. In your XL, the waist cummerbund can be adjusted to fit more snugly in the back of the BCD. That might help your fit. Also, be sure to keep up your beer consumption!