What is the best and lightest BC for traveling? Cressi Travelite??

[Lorenzoid]

Unfortunately, on an Internet forum it's difficult to gain an understanding of what's going on inside an OP's head when they ask for a gear suggestion. Someone asking for a lightweight travel BC may or may not be interested in suggestions that are far different from what they had in mind. In response to a simple question about an item of gear, the options are to say nothing, suggest something along the lines of what you think the person is familiar with, or offer the person something entirely new to them to think about. Without knowing the person asking the question, there's no way to know in advance of offering a suggestion what they're going to make of it.

 

[RayfromTX]

Y'all sure are playing nicer than these threads played out in the old days. I suspect losing a few "knowledgeable" curmudgeons to being banned plays a role in the kinder tone and lo and behold, all the same info is still available with or without the vitriol. I must say it is amazing to me that a thread that has played out identically every month for years can once again grow to 100 posts in around a day.

I started with a Zuma because it was light and part of a package deal that was going to save me money and keep me from spending more than x on scuba. I was so naive. After 30 dives I bought a DSS Kydex plate and 20 lb wing. What I gained was even more freedom of movement, a wing that is sized right for my diving so it doesn't taco around my tank like the 34 lb zuma wing did. My wife's smaller zuma has 22 lbs of lift so it is less of an issue but it doesn't fit her worth a damn and a bp&w would. She likes it so she'll keep diving it until she changes her mind or wears it out.

The bp&w cost no more than the zuma but is much easier to use and get trimmed out in. It is easier to dive with it and it is better thought out. If it wasn't available I would have been ok with the zuma. As my diving progresses, the platform will accomodate it.

The reason so many people push bp&w around here is probably for the same reason I am posting. Buying the zuma was a mistake based on ignorance and a sales pitch from the LDS. If I can help someone else to be as happy as I am with my rig without throwing away the money I did, I will feel good for having been able to help. The better analogy for me is in trying to help people avoid buying hybrid bikes to ride on the road for fitness. They end up hanging in the garage and not ridden because they don't give the same feeling of freedom and speed that a road bike does. People buy hybrids anyway because they think they will be more comfortable than those aggressive bikes with their skinny saddles. sigh

 

[BDSC]

To the OP. Another vote for the Scubapro Litehawk. I had been diving a SP Seahawk until my buddy bought a Litehawk. I loved the look and it was several pounds lighter than my Seahawk. It's definitely a travel friendly BC. So I bought one and my first trip with it was to Palau and did over 30 dives. Best BC I have ever owned and most likely will never dive my Seahawk again. And their quality is first class.

By the way, I'm one of those folks who has tried two different brands of BP/W's and didn't like them. Just not for me.

 

[JamesBon92007]

What do all of you BP/W folks do for pockets? That seems to be a feature that I like that is missing I found some "fanny packs" on eBay and some were nylon and waterproof but did not find anything when searching for "BC Pockets" or "BCD Pockets" etc. My girlfriend is in the market for her first BC and I'm going to have her look at the BP/W types in addition to the jacket types. We travel to dive so that alone makes the back wing appealing.

Right now I'm converting an old Voit Mae West into a back wing and it's going well. I attached an old ScubaPro pocket to the waist strap and the Voit has two pockets built in which are now "back" pockets. The positioning seems to be the tricky part and moving it towards the bottom of the tank seems to give the best horizontal trim. I'm also attaching a 2 LB weight to each shoulder strap, near my chest which I expect to improve my trim. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I'm one of the crazy, lunatic, suicidal divers who dove without a BC for about 43 years so for me the BP/W is the next closest thing to nothing.

Jim Scuba 1985

• JamesBon92007
• Sep 4, 2016
• 5

Me in 1985. I still have the same mask, snorkel, booties, and regulator! It was taken with an...

This is me around 1985

 

[Jason]

What do all of you BP/W folks do for pockets? That seems to be a feature that I like that is missing I found some "fanny packs" on eBay and some were nylon and waterproof but did not find anything when searching for "BC Pockets" or "BCD Pockets" etc. My girlfriend is in the market for her first BC and I'm going to have her look at the BP/W types in addition to the jacket types. We travel to dive so that alone makes the back wing appealing.

Right now I'm converting an old Voit Mae West into a back wing and it's going well. I attached an old ScubaPro pocket to the waist strap and the Voit has two pockets built in which are now "back" pockets. The positioning seems to be the tricky part and moving it towards the bottom of the tank seems to give the best horizontal trim. I'm also attaching a 2 LB weight to each shoulder strap, near my chest which I expect to improve my trim. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I'm one of the crazy, lunatic, suicidal divers who dove without a BC for about 43 years so for me the BP/W is the next closest thing to nothing.

Jim Scuba 1985

• JamesBon92007
• Sep 4, 2016
• 5

Me in 1985. I still have the same mask, snorkel, booties, and regulator! It was taken with an...

This is me around 1985

BC Accessory Pockets | Dive Gear Express®

Also, glue pockets onto your wetsuit

Add-On Thigh Pockets | Dive Gear Express®

Or wear one of these over your wetsuit.

DGX Neoprene Pocket Shorts

 

[teknitroxdiver]

What do all of you BP/W folks do for pockets? That seems to be a feature that I like that is missing I found some "fanny packs" on eBay and some were nylon and waterproof but did not find anything when searching for "BC Pockets" or "BCD Pockets" etc. My girlfriend is in the market for her first BC and I'm going to have her look at the BP/W types in addition to the jacket types. We travel to dive so that alone makes the back wing appealing.

Right now I'm converting an old Voit Mae West into a back wing and it's going well. I attached an old ScubaPro pocket to the waist strap and the Voit has two pockets built in which are now "back" pockets. The positioning seems to be the tricky part and moving it towards the bottom of the tank seems to give the best horizontal trim. I'm also attaching a 2 LB weight to each shoulder strap, near my chest which I expect to improve my trim. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I'm one of the crazy, lunatic, suicidal divers who dove without a BC for about 43 years so for me the BP/W is the next closest thing to nothing.

Jim Scuba 1985

• JamesBon92007
• Sep 4, 2016
• 5

Me in 1985. I still have the same mask, snorkel, booties, and regulator! It was taken with an...

This is me around 1985

I have a pocket that slides onto the waist strap. I don't use it a whole lot as my flashlight goes on the shoulder strap and line cutter is on my waist belt. Only if I'm carrying an SMB and wet notes do I use it.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I have a pocket that slides onto the waist strap. I don't use it a whole lot as my flashlight goes on the shoulder strap and line cutter is on my waist belt. Only if I'm carrying an SMB and wet notes do I use it.

If you don't have your pocket with you what do you do with the sunken treasure when you find it?

 

[JamesBon92007]

BC Accessory Pockets | Dive Gear Express®

Also, glue pockets onto your wetsuit

Add-On Thigh Pockets | Dive Gear Express®

Or wear one of these over your wetsuit.

DGX Neoprene Pocket Shorts

Thanks! I must have been looking in the wrong places. Excellent instructions too!

 

[teknitroxdiver]

If you don't have your pocket with you what do you do with the sunken treasure when you find it?

Hopefully it'll be doubloons that I can just stuff into my wetsuit.

 

[tbone1004]

@JamesBon92007 pocket shorts are probably the most convenient/easiest. If you own and travel with your own exposure suits, glue on pockets are great, and if you really need something on the BC you can put bellows pockets on there which is sufficient. DIR style BP/W harnesses don't have a d-ring on the right side, so the pockets typically go over there to leave the left free for stage bottles, but no reason you can't semi-permanently stick one on the left as well.
Frankly there just isn't much to put in a pocket, so when I'm diving OW, I typically don't carry one. Lights go on the shoulder straps, DIR style, a SMB/spool gets clipped to my tail d-ring *I use Deep Sea Supply sidemount tail plates on my harnesses in addition to the standard d-ring fwiw* as well as a navigation slate. After that, there really isn't a whole lot of stuff you need to take into the water. My buddy carries my backup computer, I wear a watch, my spool is knotted so I don't need an analog depth gauge *for following the rule of 130 if for whatever miracle you lose your buddy and computer*, and really that's about all you need for recreational diving.... Pockets can be for putting stuff in, but if I'm planning on collecting stuff, I usually bring a bag