Back inflate BCD as a beginner?

[ScubaMetal]

Hey everyone,

I got my OW certification recently so I'm obviously still a beginner. I've heard both sides of the get-your-own-gear-right-away argument and was going to wait a bit to get a BCD. However, I recently was offered a great deal on what seems to be a great back inflate BCD used (Zeagle Ranger). Do you guys think I should go for it, or wait until I've dived more? I like the ripcord weight system but I'm still very new to back inflate BCDs and am worried it's not the style I'll end up liking. Thanks in advance!

 

[Marie13]

I know many people who dive the Ranger and love it.

Being a new diver doesn’t mean a thing. I’ve dived a BP/W from the beginning, back inflate.

 

[diversteve]

I've a;ways dove back-inflate - even in class 30 years ago.

I have a Ranger LTD - it's solid and has never given me any problems. Buy the BX inflator if it doesn't have one - makes it easy to flush.

If there's one small flaw it's that the pockets are harder to open when standing on the boat with a tank on- once in the water it goes away.

I have an LTD and carry stuff in the zip-on pockets under the wing. You can add the kit to a regular Ranger also.

You'll never get one in a carry-on though...lol

 

[Scuba-74]

If the deal is good, buy it. Zeagle makes great gear. As diversteve wrote, if you have a BX inflator (or Octo-Z) you can unscrew it from the inflator hose and flush it really easily after dives. I'm not sure if any other manufacturer offers it, and flushing BC through the inflator is PITA.

There will be some, I'm sure, who'll say try it first, because in theory you may not like the back inflate. I myself never felt that sensation of being pushed into water face-first once on the surface, and back inflate is much more conformable under water and really frees up your torso compared to the jacket style.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I train my OW divers in BPW's. Start with a jacket in session one then let them try a BPW in session two and after that they decide what they want to use. A BC is a BC if the instructor knows what they are doing. Jacket, back inflate, BPW, or even sidemount. It's a bag that holds air that you fasten a cylinder to.

 

[taimen]

I recently was offered a great deal on what seems to be a great back inflate BCD used (Zeagle Ranger). Do you guys think I should go for it, or wait until I've dived more?

I am one of those who were OW trained in BPW. Absolutely no issues. Most people here find back inflate easier to dive than a jacket. No experience needed.

 

[txgoose]

I have used a back inflate Zeagle for all but the first dozen or so of my dives. Rather than experience, I would say comfort in the water might be a larger contributing factor. If you don’t mind learning a bit about body positioning, a back inflate is fine. I can float vertically or on my back depending on conditions. If you need your face to stay mostly high and dry without thinking about anything, a jacket might suit you better. Push the button and you get a slight belly lift with no thought.

 

[boulderjohn]

I bought a BCD almost immediately after getting certified two decades ago. It was a Zeagle Ranger. I liked it just fine and used it for many years.

 

[Joshua Pritchard]

I got my BC as part of a package that i won for doing my OW as a winter course (didn't even know the comp was on lol ) and as such i didn't have a lot of choice ... Tho as an Aqualung BC its nice ... that said I i had my Final OW dive with a Back inflate wing and it was nice and im currently planning to get a new BC for a twinset which mean BI. and if i hadn't won it i would likely have gone BI i think if you have a basic BI setup you just have more room for change in the future. and im still kicking myself for not offering to pay the extra to upgrade the BC

i guess when I'm going with this is .. Is it different, yeah I found it was different but it wasn't really better or worse, and the adjustment was actually pretty easy.
So if its a good deal and as people here seem to be saying its a great piece of kit go for it.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

With the exception of maybe my first 10 dives (and I really don't have all that many) all of my dives have been done in a Zeagle Brigade, which is a Zeagle Ranger with a smaller, 32 lb bladder. I felt that a jacket style BCD always made me roll side to side in the water, which made me quite unstable. Once I dove the Zeagle though, I felt much more comfortable. So yes, if you can get a good deal on a Ranger, I say go for it. And as suggested, do get the BX inflator if it doesn't already have it. Unscrew it and connect a standard water hose directly to the inflator hose to flush out the bladder. Works really well and I don't think there's another manufacturer that offers it. I know there's an accessory hose you can attached to the low pressure inflator, but no one else adds that functionality for free.

If you do decide to go this route, a word of advice....try using your heaviest weight in the trim pockets on the tank cam band(s). I've started doing this recently and it's helped a lot with my trim in the water column.

And if nothing else, wherever you're buying the Ranger from....see if you can test drive it in the pool before you throw down the cash.