Jacket BCs versus BP, etc. Help me decide! Thanks.

[lbussell]

I was all set to order a Stiletto, then someone mentioned back plate systems. A third possibility would be the Zeagle Zeus, which looks great. My only possible issue with that model would be the front bladder.

I like to travel light and (as of now) am only interested in tropical diving.

 

[Jorgy]

Lots of options and opinions on this.......

A nice light travel BC is a good option........

Many on SB are real fans of a BP/W combo........

I travel with a AL BP and 18 lb Oxycheq which works well for me........

My rig weighs 6.5 lbs with 2 tank bands (which I prefer), lots of SS D-rings, SS buckle, crotch strap and 4 XS Scuba weight pouches (2 on the belt and 2 on the top tank band).......

It packs into a very small area and gives me great freedom underwater........

Hope this helps..........M

 

[hg frogman]

BP/Ws are fashionable, notably on this board, perhaps because they look more "technical".

BP/Ws are great (and actually the only reliable option) with a twinset and/or deco stage(s).

But for open water diving in warm waters with currents, they are not any better than a good, sleek jacket-style BCD (for example Scubapro Classic Sport, or T-Sport, or T-One) which is cheaper, lighter, more streamlined (with a little bit of "tuning", eg replacing the cumberbund by some 2" webbing and a belt buckle), and will last about the same time.

Also jacket-style BCDs provide better support at the surface, which can help if you are adrift at sea and waiting for the boat to pick you up.

I am not saying that BP/Ws won't do the job - they will - but I feel bored with that "BP/Ws will dramatically improve your diving" motto, which I believe is simply not true.

By the way, I own two jacket-style BCDs, one BP and three wings - and I am happy with each of them. But for traveling in warm seas, my jacket-style BCDs win.

 

[Diver0001]

I was all set to order a Stiletto, then someone mentioned back plate systems. A third possibility would be the Zeagle Zeus, which looks great. My only possible issue with that model would be the front bladder.

I like to travel light and (as of now) am only interested in tropical diving.

I'd bet that the zipper on the front of the Zeagle Zeus would become a royal PITA on short order. I don't think that's a front bladder, though, it's probably just padding.

I think at this point your best friend is google. Try googling some things like "lightweight travel BCD" and look what it brings up.

If you're really hell bent on buying a Zeagle then I'd think the Stiletto or the Ranger designs would be better than the Zeus.

R..

 

[TSandM]

I love my Kydex backplate and tropical wing for warm water diving. Light, easy to pack, comfortable to wear (very minimal) and I have NO trouble floating comfortably on the surface for as long as it is necessary.

 

[burna]

I was all set to order a Stiletto, then someone mentioned back plate systems. A third possibility would be the Zeagle Zeus, which looks great. My only possible issue with that model would be the front bladder.

I like to travel light and (as of now) am only interested in tropical diving.

Ibussell,

I have just moved from a stiletto to a BP/W and can't believe the difference. I have always struggled with my trim and now it is almost perfect. I just sit nice and flat in water.

I always thought that my stiletto was so close to a BP that I pretty much considered them to be the same, that is until I tried one!

After one dive with a buddy's Zeagle BP with the [almost] same wing as on my stiletto, I have now ordered one myself and converted. I took the wing and tank bands off my stiletto and put them on the BP.

Another buddy asked me the other night if I was going to become one of these BP/W proclaimers on SB and I said "Nah, there's enough of those on there already."
Oops!!

 

[burna]

BP/Ws are fashionable, notably on this board, perhaps because they look more "technical".

BP/Ws are great (and actually the only reliable option) with a twinset and/or deco stage(s).

But for open water diving in warm waters with currents, they are not any better than a good, sleek jacket-style BCD (for example Scubapro Classic Sport, or T-Sport, or T-One) which is cheaper, lighter, more streamlined (with a little bit of "tuning", eg replacing the cumberbund by some 2" webbing and a belt buckle), and will last about the same time.

Also jacket-style BCDs provide better support at the surface, which can help if you are adrift at sea and waiting for the boat to pick you up.

I am not saying that BP/Ws won't do the job - they will - but I feel bored with that "BP/Ws will dramatically improve your diving" motto, which I believe is simply not true.

By the way, I own two jacket-style BCDs, one BP and three wings - and I am happy with each of them. But for traveling in warm seas, my jacket-style BCDs win.

For me personally, I couldn't disagree with you more. The difference between BC and BP is quite noticeable, I put it down to the weight distribution of the SS plate.

When I was trying my buddy's BP he was diving my stiletto and he said he couldn't notice much difference. Everyone is different I 'spose.

 

[Diver0001]

When I was trying my buddy's BP he was diving my stiletto and he said he couldn't notice much difference. Everyone is different I 'spose.

To me it's down to experience levels. I know a lot of new divers find the "blimp and basket" configuration easier to handle and I guess since we hear that a lot it's worth mentioning.

On the other hand, and with all due respect, I personally believe that choosing a BP/W because one can't get their buoyancy control sorted with a jacket is a case of throwing gear at a skills problem.

Lynne and I have had this discussion before and she'll probably say what she did the last time i mentioned that, which is "whatever works works".

That's a valid point, but what I don't like about these discussions is that people who can't get their jackets under control are usually the ones saying jackets are no good.

In all cases, however, what we're really seeing is the expression of an issue with buoyancy control that goes beyond gear. Tellingly, highly experienced divers with excellent control over their buoyancy hardly ever show up on these threads saying jackets don't work.

So yeah. BP/wings work... but so do jackets and with all things equal, the better ones buoyancy control is, the less the differences matter.

R..

 

[hg frogman]

Ibussell :
A common mistake when buying a jacket-style BCD is taking it too big - a BCD is not a tuxedo, it must have a snug fit when you try it on land.
Replacing the cumberbund by some 2" webbing normally improves the adjustment (an advantage of BP/Ws is that you can adjust the harness till fit is optimal).

TSandM :
I am not saying that you cannot float quite a long time with a BP/W at the surface (though "as long as necessary" may appear overconfident).
I am saying that most jacket-type BCDs provide a better support at the surface (the genuine Scubapro jacket BCD is even rated by the European Community as a Floating Emergency Device or whatever its name in English) and that's an asset if you have to wait for hours in a choppy sea.

Burna :
Certainly, feeling a difference between a BP/W and a jacket-style BCD depends on the diver, the amount of lead he (or she) needs, the amount of lead he (or she) uses, and where he (or she) puts that lead.
But given the weight of a SS BP (about 5 pounds) there are ways to obtain the same trim by putting your weights in different locations, eg in the pockets of your BCD. And an Alu BP, much more "travel-friendly", is too light for having any significant influence on weight distribution.
Regarding trim, I (and all my fellows with similar experience) don't feel much difference between my BP/Ws and my jacket-style BCDs for recreational depths in warm water, where I use 2 to 4 pounds of lead with a 3 mm full wetsuit, an Al80 tank and a jacket-style BCD.
The only thing I miss (sometimes) when diving my jacket-style BCDs is the crotch-strap.

Caution :
Beware, a back-inflate BCD is not a jacket-style BCD. Back-inflate BCDs are an ersatz of BP/W and you'd better buy the original, ie the BP/W, simpler and more robust, than the copy.

 

[Scubagolf]

Take a look at the comments to this fairly recent poll. You may find them interesting/informative/confusing.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/315670-what-level-diver-what-type-bc.html