bc back inflate vs jacket style

[samnewsom]

i am new to scuba diving actually starting class next week then headed to belize in april and decided to purchase some equipment my concern is i recently was told that i purchased the wrong bc because it was back inflate i will list my equipment and could someone tell where i went wrong or what i would need to add to make my week in belize a great one

oceanic excursion
gt3 regulator
octo 180 swivel
veo 250

my fiance purchased the same package however got the hera bc

what are the pros and con back inflate vs jacket

will i have a problem staying afloat with the back inflate

sam

 

[akscuba]

Whoever told you that purchasing a back-inflate was 'wrong' is crazy in my opinion! I am not familiar with the particular back-inflates that you and your fiance bought, but I think back-inflates in general are far superior to jacket style BCs. For one thing, you won't have that horrible constricting feeling around your ribs. For another, the BC will create less drag. Also, as long as the BC fits you and has enough lift, you should have absolutely no problem staying afloat in it. Back-inflate is no different from jacket style in that regard.

If you haven't already used the BCs, and can return them, here are some things to think about (I'm not saying you SHOULD return them, just think about these things before you've used them)

*How small will the BC pack? This is important especially if you will be doing mostly travel diving
*How durable is it? Will it last you 2 years? 5 years? 8 years? (Ask around about this one. Find people on SB who have used it)
*Does it fit your comfortably? This one is hard to do without actually using it--if you can find an LDS that rents out the ones you bought and try them at the pool or on a dive that's ideal (I think your fiance's is really new though, so that may not work for her)

Seriously, though--take ALL advice you get with a grain of salt. Many people on this board disagree about what the best stuff is--and it's up to you to make sure you have what works for you. Odds are that the things you bought will be wonderful and fine for you, so don't feel pressured to totally change your rig.

Have fun in Belize! Good luck!

 

[pir8]

The difference is in how you are orientated underwater. If wreck diving and you want to be horizontal trim then a back inflate is the way to go. If you are wall diving, taking pictures and need to be verticle then vest can be advantageous. If you are spending time at the surface a vest is more comfortable since the back inflate will be pushing you forward.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
Like most anything else, BCs are a matter of opinion. What you will find is many (most I would bet) of the experienced divers on this board prefer some type of back inflate BC. There are several major reasons. Back inflates tend to be less cluttered across the chest area and lack a lot of unnecessary gadgets. Another reason experienced divers do not to like vest BC's it their tendecy the change fit when they are inflated and deflated. The harness of a back inflate will stay snug reguardless of how much the air bladder is inflated, this is the major reason I like them. The vest style tend to lift a diver higher out of the water and make them feel more secure at the surface, a good thing while training a new diver and a big reason dive shops use them for training but not really of any value to an experienced diver. Either BC can and will do fine, it's really the skill of the diver rather than the equipment.
IMO-keep your BC and train in it, in the long run you will be happier you did.

 

[tonka97]

The difference is in how you are orientated underwater. If wreck diving and you want to be horizontal trim then a back inflate is the way to go. If you are wall diving, taking pictures and need to be verticle then vest can be advantageous. If you are spending time at the surface a vest is more comfortable since the back inflate will be pushing you forward.

One of the best and most helpful posts ever on SB.

Thank you!

 

[samnewsom]

thanks for the input hope everyone will continue to give opinons on the excursion bc

 

[kneptoon]

I am considering replacing my jacket BC for a back inflate. Not because I am unhappy with the jacket style, but because it is approaching the end of its life/reliability (10+ years). I haven't tried a back inflate, but my dive companion is happy with hers and the typical criticisms have not held to be true and the attributes seem to make sense. I have one question regarding back inflate in the event of emergency/survival swimming. At some point when a long surface swim is necessary and dropping the tank is a reasonable option. How does a back inflate BC perform-tank free. I realize that this is low probability scenario but I am interested in feed back.

 

[pir8]

Never tried it so I wouldn't venture a guess

 

[RoyN]

Switched to back inflation and I'll probably never go back to jacket style. My Oceanic Probe LX was crushing me so instead went with a knighthawk instead.

 

[DivingCRNA]

The difference is in how you are orientated underwater. If wreck diving and you want to be horizontal trim then a back inflate is the way to go. If you are wall diving, taking pictures and need to be verticle then vest can be advantageous. If you are spending time at the surface a vest is more comfortable since the back inflate will be pushing you forward.

The back inflate does not push you forward. Overinflation of a back inflate on the surface can make it easier for you to lean forward into the water if you are leaning forward.

You almost never need that much air in your BC to keep you afloat on the surface.