I need an opinion on fit for BP/W for a 12 year old

[tattooedjeeper]

So, my daughter is done with her academic portion and is doing her Open water cert dives soon. She will be using the shops gear for those dives, but since I have an aluminum back plate already I was hoping to fit her into that right off so we didn't have to buy another bc, just a wing and cam straps. I took a few pics of her in it and semi adjusted for her size, we'll fine tune it later in the wetsuit she'll be wearing. Does the plate look too long for her? She's 5'2" and around 95 lbs. Also, do the weight pockets seem good in that location on the waist belt? I appreciate any input...

 

[KevinNM]

Not an expert, but it looks roughly right. The pockets are bit further back than on my Halcyon, but the Halcyon has the left D-ring on the weight pocket. I will decline to opine on the length of the BP, I've never really looked at how that works. I know there are shorter BP made, but I've never seen one on someone or if I have I didn't recognize it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

While she is a bit on the small side, that looks ok to me. I start to recommend a small plate for those under 5 ft.

The thing is at 12 she could possibly grow an inch or two in 6 months. The important thing is how does she feel with it on? What size wing do you plan to put on it and what size tanks is she likely to be using?

I'd recommend al63's if you can get them and a 23 lb wing. Or better because of the buoyancy characteristics a steel LP 72.

That will be the real test. If she feels ok in that setup with any kind of exposure suit on there is no need to do something different. As for the placement of the weight pouches if she can access them and use them effectively they will work fine there.

Personally, depending on how much lead she needs, I'd consider having cam band pouches on hand at least.
The al 63 or an al 80 for that matter and an aluminum plate MIGHT combine to throw the weighting off. It might be better to have the option of putting a percentage of her weight on the cam bands just in case she feels the need to over inflate the wing a little. That might give her the feeling of tipping forward. At least until she learns how to give a kick and lay on her back when on the surface.

 

[DogDiver]

Ditch the back plate unless she is diving doubles. Get her a good fitting weight integrated jacket style bcd. She will be happy, comfortable and safe.

 

[tattooedjeeper]

@KevinNM - Thanks for the feedback. I'm no expert either and I'm all for any help that's given.

@Jim Lapenta - Thank you as well for the help. She does look a little small in it but, I know she'll grow and she says it feels comfortable. Then again she's so excited about the certification she'd say anything to have her own gear...As far as tank and wing, I did plan on al 63's for her (I can't seem to find any of the steel 72's) and a 23lb wing as well. I do have one cam band pouch for her to help with trim if needed. It's comforting to know I was thinking on track for the set-up.

@DogDiver - I appreciate the advice but I'm trying hard not to make the same mistakes I made by buying a $350 Jacket style, then a $600 back inflate stiletto bc just to end up in a $380 bp/w. If I do this right, she can grow and grow and all I'll have to do is buy another 10ft piece of webbing and if she wants it fancy... I'll buy pink webbing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

This ^^^^! The last thing I would do if possible is waste money on a jacket bc for a growing child. Bpw's are not just for doubles. They make the most sense for young divers. More economical, better fit, and accessories can be placed according to the needs and wants of the child.

 

[DogDiver]

Brought up all three of my kids scuba diving. The first time I put a backplate and wings on them was when they started intro to cave and they were using double steel 80's.
The non tech wanna be dive industry has spent millions on R&D on BCD's. Chose your dive gear for the type of diving you are doing now. If in 2 years they need a larger or different type of BCD, then shell out the cash and buy them one.
Try outfitting yourself and 2 of your kids in full cave gear. $$$$&

 

[cool_hardware52]

So, my daughter is done with her academic portion and is doing her Open water cert dives soon. She will be using the shops gear for those dives, but since I have an aluminum back plate already I was hoping to fit her into that right off so we didn't have to buy another bc, just a wing and cam straps. I took a few pics of her in it and semi adjusted for her size, we'll fine tune it later in the wetsuit she'll be wearing. Does the plate look too long for her? She's 5'2" and around 95 lbs. Also, do the weight pockets seem good in that location on the waist belt? I appreciate any input...
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If back plate is too short the waist strap will pass over bottom of the divers rib cage. (Remember the "waist" is just below the rib cage, it's not the top of your jeans)

If the back is too long it will hit the diver in the pelvis, and more importantly interfere with the diver being able to arch their back. From the photos it looks to me like the plate is too long for the diver.

Tobin

 

[Ayisha]

It looks good to me. The plate is just above the curve of her um, shorts. It might be an inch or so too low but you could raise the plate slightly without it being too high on her back. That combined with placing the tank valve at the right height for her (ie not too high) so it doesn't hit her head should be great. She may be quite comfortable just the way it is right now.

The weight pockets and d-ring will depend on where she's naturally reaching for them with her full gear on. Easy to move them a little forward if she's more comfortable with them that way. I find that I prefer my d-ring slightly forward from my side in my full gear, then my cutting tool, then my pocket. Whatever works for her.

IMHO, getting her started on a bp/w is a great thing to do. For a growing teenager, it's honestly a no-brainer. Why change more than just the webbing over the years?

 

[James R]

Brought up all three of my kids scuba diving. The first time I put a backplate and wings on them was when they started intro to cave and they were using double steel 80's.
The non tech wanna be dive industry has spent millions on R&D on BCD's. Chose your dive gear for the type of diving you are doing now. If in 2 years they need a larger or different type of BCD, then shell out the cash and buy them one.
Try outfitting yourself and 2 of your kids in full cave gear. $$$$&

Are you being facetious?

If you had bought them a backplate and wing from the beginning all you would need is a different bladder for the doubles. Their muscle memory of where everything is on the harness would be locked in. If, or when, they grow you may (at the most) need a new harness - or leave enough in the first one to adjust for some growth. Simple!

Suggesting people buy new BCD all the time seems like something a dive shop owner or employee would advise to boost the bottom line of said shop.