BCD differences

[Billg68bg]

I'm a novice diver with OW cert. I learned to dive with a, I guess, jacket style BCD (wings and back inflates.), and have used the same type for the dives I have made so far. wings and back inflates. A buddy gave me a back inflate BCD that I haven't used yet.

Is there a major difference between the two, as far as performance and buoyancy? Or anything else I may not yet know about?

 

[Shabaday]

Can you tell us the brand and model of these BC's?

 

[formernuke]

My advice to new divers

This is my personal advice to those who are brand new to diving. I'm targeting those who are considering getting into the sport, currently in OW or just out of OW. I am not a professional and I not pretend to know everything about this sport. This is based on my experience and the experience...

scubaboard.com

 

[Billg68bg]

The jacket ones I used and learned on were all Aqua Lung, I believe. Don't know model. The one I currently own is a SeaQuest Pro QD.

 

[Shabaday]

What kind of diving do you plan on doing? Cold water? Warm Water? Travel? Local? Saltwater?

 

[James79]

Just some clarification of terms (which can get fuzzy!):

Jacket BCD - the aircell is the whole vest (or nearly so) and wraps around you. That puts some of the air in front of you when fully inflated. Helpful if you want to have your head and neck fully out of the water at the surface, but means the air cell will also hug or squeeze you as it inflates. It's also just a lot of "Stuff" on the front of your body (built in pockets and such).

BPW - Made up of components. The Backplate (which can be aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, or even a fabric "soft-plate"), the Harness (ranges from 1 piece continuous to fancy multi buckle padded monstrosities), and the Wing (donut or horse shoe air cell that goes between the plate and tank). Minimal clutter on the front of you, pockets and D-rings can be added and put where you want them, and the air cell is behind you (typically good for in water trim, not as good if you want to sit high in the water at the surface. With my BPW I typically hang out on the surface with my chin touching the water... if I want to sit higher then I lay back on the wing).

Back inflate - Basically a jacket where the air cell is strictly behind you. Think prebuilt pockets and such of a jacket with the air cell of a BPW.

As to benefits of each, some is addressed above.... but the most critical thing is to find what YOU prefer. I love the freedom of minimal clutter that a basic BPW gives me. My wife can't stand back inflate or BPW, only likes Jackets. Since your buddy gave you a jacket BCD you have a chance to dive it a bit and see what you like or dislike about it. Then see if you can borrow a BPW for a few dives. Then borrow or rent a back inflate. It really is all about personal preference until you get into niche stuff (like tech diving or vintage) where the dives dictate the gear.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Billg68bg]

What kind of diving do you plan on doing? Cold water? Warm Water? Travel? Local? Saltwater?

Yes...

All of the above. My current experience is 9 Carrageen dives.

 

[Billg68bg]

Caribbean. Weird spell correct.

 

[Belzelbub]

Is there a major difference between the two, as far as performance and buoyancy? Or anything else I may not yet know about?

It’s largely a matter of personal preference, but there are a few differences. You’ll also hear about BP/W which some on here are very vocal about. For recreational diving any of the styles will work, and it’s primarily preference.

Since you asked about jacket vs. back inflate, I’ll limit to these.

Jacket BCs have the air all around you as you mentioned. This can make the front and sides of the BC more cluttered. At high bladder volume, the BC can squeeze you a bit, but generally not a problem.

Back inflate BCs move the bladder all the way to the back. This generally results in a less cluttered chest area, though some models are more cluttered than others.

Some back inflate BCs can have the tendency to tip The diver forward on the surface. However, if properly weighted, this is generally not a problem. Just something to be aware of. Try it out on your first dive, if you do feel pushed forward, see if you can reposition some weights, or use less weigh, which would mean less air in the bladder required. At the surface, you should not need to fully inflate the bladder to be buoyant. If you do, you most likely have too much weight.

 

[Billg68bg]

Thanks for the advice. all.