BC for women

Hi, I am in the market for a decently priced BCD. I am female, 5 ft 5 and 125 lbs. i am a fairly new diver and mainly plan to dive in the Caribbean, Hawaii and Fiji. I noticed there are traditional jacket style and back inflated. What is a good place to start with selecting one? I wont be able to try it and then exchange or return it if it doesnt fit.

If you have suggestions for something functional but expandable (can add options later on) please send them my way.

I having been renting equipment so far, but it is starting to get expensive.

Thanks.

Why can't you try something and return it? I don't know where you live in NY, but there are some BIG dive shops in NYC, and I know there are dive shops in towns along the coast north and south.

Fit really is the most important thing in a BC. If it doesn't fit properly, it won't hold the tank stable on your back, and it will make diving uncomfortable. It's worth the time and effort to find something that really snugs up around you, and I know, as a woman of similar size (5'4", 120) that it can be hard to do that.

Well, you may actually have to go to the shops . . .

My wife recently (May) purchased a Aqua Lung Pearl i3. She loves it. It has trim pockets located in perfect locations, as well as integrated weight system. She wore it in Cozumel and this weekend in a fresh-water quarry. Her buoyancy and trim were terrific and, best of all, she was very comfortable and confident in the BCD. She adapted to the i3 buoyancy control very quickly and loves it.

Try as many different types and styles that you can, believe me, you'll be far happier in the long run. The biggest first choice you should make IMO is whether you want back inflate or jacket style. Once you've figured that out, it narrows your choices down quite a bit.

Bottom line is that it doesn't matter what I or anyone else dives, what matters is what is comfortable for you and what YOU like! Fit and comfort is everything in a BC, so please take advice about specific brands/types as simply recommendations to try.

My story is similar to a lot of divers in that my first BC was one that was the "most popular" and "best women's BC" on the market. I bought one confident in my choice. Realistically, it took less than 6 dives to know I had made a huge mistake. Fortunately I had purchased it used on ebay and when I sold it on ebay was fortunate enough to get my money back. That began my quest for the "perfect BC" for me. After a lot of reading, researching, and trying, I decided on a Zeagle Zena. I love that it is simple (a corset and wing), weight integrated, and doesn't move on my body ever (once adjusted properly). Plus the Zena is modular in design so it can be custom fitted to each individual diver.

Because of the hype on SB about back plates and wings, I decided to try one a few years later and had a tech friend fit me in one. It didn't take long for me to know this wasn't the gear for me, and I happily went back to my Zena. This only makes the BP/W the wrong choice for ME, which of course causes me to recommend that people try them before they buy and not simply follow the hype here blindly. But there are quite a few folks who love them, so I always think they should be considered when someone is interested.

Since you're in NY, I'd say go to Leisure Pro to check out gear. You won't be able to go in the water, but you can at least try a bunch of different options on land and start seeing which feels most comfortable to you.

pjoh127:

Hi TSandM, I am in NYC. I will call some diveshops to see if they will let me try a BCD. If you know shops that do, please let me know.

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I've only had experience with the following three shops in Manhattan and they have BCs in the store.

Adventure Scuba on the upper east side, York Ave & 90th St.
Pan-Aqua on 43rd St between 9th & 10th Ave
Leisure Pro on 18th St between 5th & 6th Ave

My first BCD was a Zeagle Zena and I loved how well it fit on my body compared to the rental BCs I'd been diving up until that point. My only issue with the Zena was I knew I was going toward cave training so the Zena would not work, for me, in those environments. I switched to a BP/W which I love even more than my Zena. It's a more stable platform, more streamlined and works well for me and my training.

I loaned my Zena out to a fellow female SBer who was interested in trying different BCD and she ended up buying it from me a few months later. She loves her Zena.

I think it is important to try on and dive them before deciding to purchase one. If you want to try a BP/W you can try mine in the water at Dutch Springs. PM me if want to take my BP/W for a spin in the water so we can coordinate.

Btw, WELCOME to Scubaboard. There is a wealth of info and a TON of opinions on Scubaboard for all things dive related.

Hi TSandM, I was planning on going to shops in person and physically trying on te BCs. But I wanted to know if you knew of any dive shops in NYC that let you try BCs in water before buying.
I have bought all my dive equipment to date from Leisure Pro and I know they won't let me try the BC in water.

I am intrigued by the Zeagle Zena. Perhaps I will look for a used one on eBay or Craigslist. I don't know anything about BP/W except for the enthusiasm it garners on this board. My sense is it might be overkill for me at this point in my diving experience. I will mainly dive when away on family vacations. And right now wreck or cave diving are not on my radar. But thank you ScubaSam for your offer to let me try your BP/W. I will PM you if I want to take you up on it.

Do you know if there is a resource where I can find pros and cons of back inflated vs. jacket style BCs? I think that might be a good start.

Thank you so much!

I don't know any dive shop which will let you try a BC in the water before buying it, at least not in NYC. I've heard of divers who have rented BCs from dive shops to dive in local waters.

I use my BP/W for tropical vacation dives. I dove my BP/W in Bonaire, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bahamas and the Keys.

The Zena is a back-inflate, the front panels of the Zena BCD vest do not inflate.

A buddy told me that Leisure Pro is having a demo day at Dutch Springs on August 26th. May be worth a call to them to ask which BCDs will be at demo and if you're able to dive them during their demo.