New SB.com member - Info on equipment for my 14 daughter.

[Yellowdog]

Hello. I am a new member and I need advice on purchasing dive gear for my newly certified 14 year old daughter. She is 4' 8" and weighs 95lbs and probably will only be 5'1-2" fully grown. Her diving for the foreseeable future will be with me in warm water dive vacation locations like Cozumel. I have found one package that looks like it is a good value but I am open to any suggestions. There is a Cressi dealer close by. The Aqualung DS is a longer drive but the owner seems solid and knowledgeable.
This is the package I am looking at:
Essential Package - Women’s $999 Retail: $1490
Regulator: Titan by AquaLung
Alternate 2nd Stage: ABS Octo by AquaLung
Instruments: Zoop 2-Gauge Console by Suunto
BC: Pearl by AquaLung

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

[rivers]

The only thing I would change would be the BC. As someone who is 5'2" and small framed, I would suggest a backplate and wing with a small backplate. That way it can be sized to fit her exactly as opposed to a standard jacket which may not fit her all that well.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Agreed. The BPW will last her as long as she dives no matter how much she grows. She'll never need to replace it. Only components IF they wear out. Al aluminum plate and smaller wing for tropical diving will also be lighter for travel, easier to pack, and less hassle. I have an article on BPW's I'd be happy to send you if you'd PM me with an email or click on the email link in my signature line and get with me that way. I am leaving shortly for the next four days to teach and may not be able to send it until I get back if I don't hear from you in the next 45 minutes or so.

 

[TSandM]

Another small-framed woman chiming in on a small backplate setup. Deep Sea Supply makes a small plate that should fit her beautifully.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Titan's a very nice reg in its price range.
Zoop is a perfectly good dive computer for recreational diver.
I don't know anything about the Pearl, but even as a backplate advocate I will tell you that they're better suited for cold water than warm water diving, due to weight considerations. With careful choices you can resolve that issue by choosing an aluminum or ABS type backplate, but you're still faced with choices of wing (size and configuration) and harness (standard HOG or "comfort" style) ... which take some knowledge to get right. Fit is the most important thing ... if possible, have her try one on in the exposure gear she'll be diving in and make sure it fits right. Best option is to try it in a pool first. If that option's not available, then have her wear it in the dive shop .... grab her by the shoulder straps and lift up ... a properly fitted BCD should allow no more than a couple of inches of strap to move up above her shoulders. If you can pull it up around her ears, it's too big ... or just a BCD that's not designed for her body shape ... and it will shift her tank underwater every time she moves.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kelemvor]

My advice is a little different. I'd suggest you find a place to rent gear for a little while.

My 16 year old daughter was certified last winter. She loved it and raved about it during class. After her first post cert dives she confided that she really didn't like it. I got her to do a few more dives but she really wasn't into it (to my dismay). Fortunately I found a use for the s600/mk25 I bought for her. The expensive wetsuit and other gear are relegated to a life in the closet.

My daughter is about the same size as yours. Wetsuit and BCD sizing are a real challenge. Whatever you decide, make sure you have her try them first.

 

[packrat12]

My daughter started diving around 11. She is small, about 100lbs and will be around 5' - 5'4 at most. We have an XS Aqualung Zuma for her. Upside: Great fit, wears like a BP/W and overall is a great BC that is also very lightweight and good for traveling. Downside: I do not love how the bladder is done. We are careful to make sure not to tear/puncture it.

After my daughter got hers, my wife also bought one. We have now used them 4 seasons and have well over 50 dives on each. They have held up very well and we would easily buy them again. They are highly adjustable and fit like a glove.

 

[Rythmmaker]

As others have mentioned here and in other forums, while BP/W configurations are very popular with a large number of advanced divers, (especially cold water divers), you mention Cozumel, and I wonder if your 14yo would be more comfortable bobbing at the surface after a drift dive waiting to be picked up by the dive boat if a jacket BC offered her more "head out of water" and head-up attitude. Just a another perspective...

 

[Frosty]

yellowdog-my kids use Atlantis Icon jacket bcd's because they go down to XXXS (might be just XXs)
They are a standard BCD -no fancy bells n wistles. so they are an inexpensive bcd
My suggestion to you would be to get the biggest sized icon that fits her comfortably with her in her swimming gear (no wetsuit) and with the straps pulled down so theres room for her to growand room to allow for a variety of wetsuits.
Im not an advocate of bp/w for younger divers.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I highly recommend BPW's for younger divers because it will grow with them through adulthood. There is also no need to be chest high out of the water if you have a working reg and or one of those goofy things known as a snorkel. With a bpw properly weighted you put just enough air in to get your head out of the water and lay back and relax. Like being on a raft in the pool.