A good BC for a growing teen...

[daniel f aleman]

He's 14!

He doesn't need anything more than a basic jacket BC - buy, what is useful for HIS CURRENT diving needs.

 

[RonFrank]

Hello,
I own a Poseidon Besea W50, and is by far the best BCD I've tried,

There is no reason to use a 50lbs wing for diving singles.

I've considered an 18lbs wing for singles, but 30lbs is certainly plenty. Larger wings have a tendency to trap air. Why have 20~30lbs of unnecessary lift that results in the potential to trap air, and comes in a larger, bulkier, and heavier package? And for a 14 year old?

 

[ETnScuba]

Try the Sea Soft Pro BC. It's a jacket style BC and is fully adjustable from XS to XLg!

Laur, my wife, is 5'3" (I'm being genreous). I', 6'2" and 240 pounds. When my Genesis Recon dump valves failed on me recently, I borrowed her BC, adjusted it to fit me and made a couple of dives!

The weight ingtegration is about the most sane on the market, too. No fumbling with pouches and special hook in locks. The Sea Soft Pro has big pockets with zippers on top. Drop in the weight you neede, zip up and go! The bottom of the pocket is the quick release.

They're not cheap, but they're really well made and your son may not need another BC until this one wears out!

Here's a weblink for you: SeaSost Pro BC

No, I am not a Sea Soft dealer or salesman. I just replaced my Recon with a SeaQuest Balance. I prefer a back inflate BC.

Ian

My LDS recently started carrying the Sea Soft and I was impressed with its versatility. I bought one for my teenage daughter because of how easy it is to adjust the size. I'm hoping this is the last one I have to buy for her!

 

[Rockhound76]

Great answers and I appreciate the help.

We're going diving this weekend and I'll query him some more on his preferences (and why). I have an offer for him to try both a Ranger (med) and a Poseidon BeSea, if not this weekend, in a couple of weeks.

I tend to lean to the "back inflation" mindset, as that was what I learned to dive on way back when--I even went over to a jacket style BC for a few years (still have it-it's too big for him), but I never really enjoyed diving with it. The backplate/wings idea also appeals to my preference for modular gear that can grow with him or change as his demands change.

Of course, the decision must be based on what he is comfortable wearing and somewhat on what he thinks he "needs". With so little experience, I'm not sure he has the tools to make a good decision, but his input is important.

I'm also hesitant to make too many suggestions, as I don't want to "push" him into certain gear any more than I would want to push him into diving or anything else he doesn't enjoy.

Btw, I like the BeSea just fine. I agree that 50lbs is overkill for a warm water rec rig, but I'm more concerned with "rapid ascents" when he does have to carry air in the bladder (wetsuit/photo dives). However, my old At Pac had more than 50lbs and no dump valves, yet as a teen diver way-back-when, I recall no problems with trapped air or too much expansion. Until he gets enough experience, I'll watch his weighting and his bouyancy control very closely.

On our last dives, he did great....neutral UW with hardly any air in his BC. I also liked that he didn't overinflate at the surface, even in rough seas. Most complaints of "pushover" I've seen with new divers and back inflation has been when they put more air than necessary in the bladders on the surface.

 

[Todd128]

My newest dive buddy is my 14yr. old son...any condemation for getting him a nice "one size fits all" wing type bc like the Poseidon BeeSea?

Regarding this BC in general, we dive Besea 50s and love them for our needs. We use them specifically for recreational shore diving that typically involves a back-breaking trek humping negative steel 100s.

My kids are much younger than your son, and snuba and snorkel at this point. Once one is old enough to get her junior certification, we're likely to stick with a simple vest for shallow cove dives, though.

His preferences, btw, aren't strong. He doesn't seem interested in the gear as much as the diving

Could this be a sign of good parenting?

Maybe try a bunch of different BCs and form your own opinion.

 

[smb1014]

Get a backplate and wing with a continuous weave harness.
I have the Halcyon Eclipse 30 and I love it.

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

I ended up with an oxycheq 30 lb wing and hammerhead stainless backplate with harness for around 350, give or take 20. I am glad to see that you are thinking back inflate.

The Besea and the ranger are both good ideas, but in my opinion, the bp/w setup is far more adaptable to a growing and changing torso.

Good luck with whatever you choose... and happy diving!!!