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My wife has been diving for over twenty years. She has used various BC's over that time. Recently she has had lower back problems in her lumbar spine area due arthritis and is in the market for a new BC which will not weight down her lower back so much. We are looking for any suggestions. Currently she is using a woman's zeagle which is not comfortable.
thanks.
Side note. We live in Mexico so we cannot go to dive shops and "try out" a BC in the pool are open water before buying it.
I've attached a link to our Hera Video Review. Bill Mitchell goes into great detail describing how Oceanic's Hera BC is dedicated to addressing the needs of the Lady diver.
You also might consider the BARE Curve. It also is dedicated to the lady Diver. It also provides many of the features desired by the lady diver. The BARE Cure BC Video Review is out of production and will ba available in the near future. Please PM me with any questions. I've included a link to the Curve for more information. BARE Curve BCD
You might also look into a backplate and wing. With a SS plate you can remove 5lbs or 6lbs pounds from the weight belt/pockets. Also most jacket style BC have alot of padding and require added weight (3lbs /4lbs) to sink. So if she is using 14lb with a jacket then with a BP/W you can take 8lbs plus out of the belt/pockets. Just another view.
"Forget all the labels and pile of cards one might have. Get in the water and it becomes clear who put the time in and who did not. Let's dive." (JC) James Clark / "They are the McDonalds of diver certification. Quick, inexpensive and tasty. Pardon me for saying so, but I also believe it to be a health hazard." - DCBC
I have the Aqua Lung Pearl I3. It fits nicely and has a small lumbar support system in the back. I am not sure how much different it would be to your wife though. I have a (sometimes) bad back and with this it does not bother me as much but that could also be to because I am getting used to carrying all the gear to go diving and my back is getting stronger.
I wear the cummerbund tight across my waist and keep the shoulder straps tight and have little to no problems with my back after diving.
Good luck to you. Hopefully you will find an LDS that you can buy from or a good online retailer that will let you buy it and if it is not right, then return it with little hassles.
I also have a Hera & highly reccommend it. While it is an extremely well padded & comfy BC, the biggest minus is it is rather heavy (for a BC) & bulky for travel. I will say I love the Hera, just not for packing for a trip. Takes too much space & weight in my opinion. It is a hybrid jacket/ back inflate BC with the best of both worlds. It is highly adjustable & will fit women of almost any frame.
The Sea Quest Libra is a back inflate with lumbar support. It is very light & does pack down very well. The only minus (for me) is they do not make them large enough for me, as I would have to use a large to accommodate me & my drysuit. They only go to size M/L. I would have to use the men's version,... the Balance.
My wife has been diving for over twenty years. She has used various BC's over that time. Recently she has had lower back problems in her lumbar spine area due arthritis and is in the market for a new BC which will not weight down her lower back so much. We are looking for any suggestions. Currently she is using a woman's zeagle which is not comfortable.
thanks.
Side note. We live in Mexico so we cannot go to dive shops and "try out" a BC in the pool are open water before buying it.
Hi Augustus!
Which BC is your wife using, and what seems to be the issue with it??
hi scott,
i have a zeagle escape. it sets heavily on my lower back and really hurts my lumbar 4 & 5 vertebrae. the double tank straps hold the bc quite rigidly against my lower back. i use two 2-lb.weights in the back trim pockets ... and two lb. weights in the weight pockets. the bc was fitted for me when i purchased it two years ago.
whatcha' think?
genevieve
We have changed the Escape BC a little over the years, so can you tell me if the shoulder section is changeable? They used to be, but now they are sewn down. Does it have a ripcord weight system, or pull out weight pouches?
Have you tried adding a lumbar pad to the BC? That makes a world of difference to many people with back troubles.
If you want to try to work through this, I will help you however I can.
I have been diving for about 15 years and have had several different models of BC's. I bought a Seaquest i3 Pearl about 6 months ago. It was a little more expensive than other women's BC's, but it was well worth it. It is truly designed to fit a woman's shape. I wasn't initially sure I would like the i3 controller. It took a little getting used to and now I wouldn't go back to a traditional inflator hose.
If you're not sure if you will like the i3, a traditional inflator hose can be added or it Pearl also comes without the i3.
It also has neoprene padding on the inside of the shoulder straps that I love. I have always had problems in the past with neck chafing after repetitive diving that was also a problem. The neoprene padding on the inside of the shoulder straps fixed that problem.
The only downside is that I would have liked a couple more metal D-rings.
Carrie
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Originally Posted by Augustus
