Tech diving equipment for ladies?

[jessone]

Hello Lady divers.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a wing, side mount rig or tech BCD that would fit a petite frame
I'm in desperate need of an upgrade and am looking to get into tech diving. My last BDC was the Oceanic Isla XS the model with the sliding straps so you could adjust them so they left more room for the bust. But it was still slightly to big although still manageable

I would love recommendations.

Thanks

 

[sea_otter]

I have a small Halcyon backplate. 5'3" tall. I love it.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hi Jess,

Twin tank Wings come in lift sizes like 45lbs, 50lbs, 60lbs and 65 lbs etc. Their size is dependent upon your required lift rather than your own size. One of the advantages of a back plate and wing set up is that it can be adjusted to fit anyone. My recommendation would be to discuss your lift requirements with your tech-instructor prior to starting your course and then buy the wing with appropriate lift. A basic hogarthian harness with a back plate should work better than any tech bcd. Good luck!

 

[decompression]

My wife (5'3") used both Halcyon and Deep Sea Supply gear for BM and UTD for SM. Tobin at DSS can really be helpful getting the right gear.

 

[kathydee]

I dive a small Halcyon B/P and love it. I'm 5'4"

 

[jessone]

Hi Captain Sinbad,

Thank you for your reply. I think doubles will be a little ways down the road for me. My current BCD has a meager 21lbs of lift and it was always (except once) enough for me. I typically dive with a 5mm wetsuit, hood and 4kg of weight although I could probably stand to drop a half kg (so approx 8lbs of weight). I haven't bothered to do any calculations but I assume doubling the lift I would need to 45 might be excessive even with the additional weight from the backplate and to compensate for an extra tank/reg required. Dunno though.

I have never been diving with a backplate. I only know from seeing them being used (usually by men) that they are generally enormous. As I am quite small 5'1 and work in diving (which requires tons of travel), I was hoping perhaps a smaller lighter version existed for the ladies But c'est la vie.

I'm still looking for a good tech instructor, so atm I have no where to ask for help but here Hoping to do adv Nitrox and Deco in the next few months.

Hi Jess,

Twin tank Wings come in lift sizes like 45lbs, 50lbs, 60lbs and 65 lbs etc. Their size is dependent upon your required lift rather than your own size. One of the advantages of a back plate and wing set up is that it can be adjusted to fit anyone. My recommendation would be to discuss your lift requirements with your tech-instructor prior to starting your course and then buy the wing with appropriate lift. A basic hogarthian harness with a back plate should work better than any tech bcd. Good luck!

 

[Ayisha]

My small Halcyon Eclipse wing is long for me, and required drilling holes to make the wing sit lower, with the bp as low as reasonably possible.

Deep Sea Supply sells a bp one inch shorter, not sure how the wing and wing position compares.

UTD has a new bp/w for people as short as 4'10 to short/average.

I guess it depends how petite jessone is. How skinny you are or well endowed you are are easy to fit with any harness of any bp/wing.

 

[Ayisha]

As I am quite small 5'1 and work in diving (which requires tons of travel), I was hoping perhaps a smaller lighter version existed for the ladies But c'est la vie.

You might be borderline with the Halcyon too. The other 2 I mentioned are shorter. Is there any way you can try a bp/w, adjusted for you, before buying?

There are smaller, lighter versions of bp's. I use an aluminum bp, which is only 1.8 lbs. There is kydex, which is lighter. There are travel bc's, but the lift can possibly be a little too little, depending on where you dive. Around 25 - 30 lbs of lift is typical for a single tank wing. A wing for double tanks is typically 40 lbs.

 

[jessone]

Hi Ayisha,

Thank you for the info I'm 5'1" and currently 116lbs. My weight can fluctuate quite a bit but i'm generally about 30" around the torso.

I'm going to look into the UTD backplate, and see if I can find anything with dimensions. From seeing several back plate setups I am concerned that the width of the backplate will extend quite far past my frame in addition to it being a little long. I'm not really expecting perfect but would like to shoot for as close to the proper fit as possible.

Ideally I would love to try one on before purchasing. I'm in NY and the only place I am aware of is Leisure Pro but they were not really all that eager/helpful when I went to try a few pairs of booties so I think I might be even less successful asking for help finding a wing that fits

You might be borderline with the Halcyon too. The other 2 I mentioned are shorter. Is there any way you can try a bp/w, adjusted for you, before buying?

There are smaller, lighter versions of bp's. I use an aluminum bp, which is only 1.8 lbs. There is kydex, which is lighter. There are travel bc's, but the lift can possibly be a little too little, depending on where you dive. Around 25 - 30 lbs of lift is typical for a single tank wing. A wing for double tanks is typically 40 lbs.

 

[tbone1004]

I'd go with DSS long before I go with anything from UTD personally and I know of several divers that are around 5'0" that use his short backplate with great success.

I think the only shop near you that MAY have a short DSS plate is Northeast Scuba Supply. If not, it is worth calling Tobin and talking to him, he'll be able to know over the phone whether it will fit or not.

If for whatever reason that plate is still too long, which would shock me, then this one should. I would still go to DSS first since it's better overall and gives you more options, but this one should fit.
Cave Adventurers - Cave Adventurers Harness, OxyCheq Wing and Ultra Lite Plate - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

now, if you want to go sidemount. then that may surprisingly be a bit more difficult because the rigs with sufficient lift are going to be too long for you. Not to say that they don't exist, but you are going to be somewhat limited due to the length of these units