BCD for short, but not tiny, woman

[cspott]

Hello,

I am new to diving. I just finished my PADI open water diver certification and am starting to look for my own equipment. I had a bit of trouble with the rental gear as it just didn't fit correctly.

I am 4'11" and weigh 135lbs, so I am short, but not tiny. I have now stumped two dive shops for getting me into a BCD which properly fits.

Does anyone here have any recommendations? Do I needs to start asking for children's equipment?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[ljwillia]

Hello,

I am new to diving. I just finished my PADI open water diver certification and am starting to look for my own equipment. I had a bit of trouble with the rental gear as it just didn't fit correctly.

I am 4'11" and weigh 135lbs, so I am short, but not tiny. I have now stumped two dive shops for getting me into a BCD which properly fits.

Does anyone here have any recommendations? Do I needs to start asking for children's equipment?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi cspott-

I'm 5'2 and dive a Zeagle Zena. I'm very happy with the fit. Because all of the panels can be ordered separately you can customize it to your specific size. It took me a while to get used to but I love it. Make sure you work with someone who knows how to fit it. I ended up having to swap out some of the components that were the wrong size.

There are many women on the board who use the Zena. If you do a search I'm sure you'll find many posts that ID the pro's and cons as well as alternative BCD's.

Good Luck and welcome to the sport!

 

[tbone1004]

your best bet is going to be to contact @cool_hardware52 and talk to him about the short backplate options that he has. You will have a much better chance of that fitting you perfectly than any fabric BCD.

 

[RyanT]

Seriously consider a backplate and harness. A short backplate will likely fit you and the shoulder harnesses can be adjusted to the exact length you need. They take a little futzing with to get set up, but once you do, they are amazing.

 

[rhwestfall]

My 5'-2" wife liked it when I put her in a BP/w.... (And yes, it was a DSS)

 

[scubasmacks]

No no no. No need to shop for children's gear! I am short and have a short torso. I had the same issue in the beginning. Wasn't a "tiny" girl, either. I saved up a ton of $, and tried on and tested all the jacket style bc's there were. And I hated, and was dissatisfied with them all, I was so upset, (I feel ya girl!)

Until I found the answer. The backplate and wing was the answer! For me, at least.

PS. Also, it saved me a bunch of $

 

[uncfnp]

Hello,

I am new to diving. I just finished my PADI open water diver certification and am starting to look for my own equipment. I had a bit of trouble with the rental gear as it just didn't fit correctly.

I am 4'11" and weigh 135lbs, so I am short, but not tiny. I have now stumped two dive shops for getting me into a BCD which properly fits.

Does anyone here have any recommendations? Do I needs to start asking for children's equipment?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi cspott. First, which BCDs have you tried so far and what felt wrong? Next, what type of diving do you see yourself doing, warm or cold water, travel or local. Last, what price range do you have in mind?

 

[ScubaJill]

What did you use while training? Was the smallest size too large? Was it designed for men? What kind of diving will you be doing? How often? Will travel be involved?

In general, I second the Zena suggestion. It's back inflate, and it has three different areas that can be tightened/loosened: the waist, below the chest, and the shoulder. You could shorten the shoulder straps to see if the waist straps actually lie at your waist. It's easy to pack for travel.

Unless you have someone who can walk you through the backplate/wing (which is essentially a stripped down version of most of the BCDs you see sold in stores) concept and set up, or you are savvy about gear, I would recommend starting with a traditional BCD, whether the jacket or back inflate.

 

[bethie]

I am about your height and weight and am very happy with my Scubapro Ladyhawk, size small. Look in the classifieds here- I got mine barely used for an awesome price.

 

[Wingy]

Having a short torso also I found the Aqualung Zuma a great fit.