Best beginner BCD for mixed warm/cold water

[BrianP2k19]

Good morning, all. Newbie here (first post!)

We're just on the cusp of getting our certification (confined finished yesterday, open in the next few weeks). We're looking to purchase our own gear, and since this will be our first setup I'd like to get something that can be used in both warm and cold water. We go down south every year (Caribbean), but we'd also like to start diving with our local dive clubs (Central Ontario).

It was recommended to us to look at the Oceanic BioLite BCD, but I was told that's really only good for warm water - it might not have enough lift for cold. So with that said, can someone recommend a good BCD that would work well in both environments and not be overly bulky for putting in our luggage? Cost-effective would be a factor as well - we'll probably upgrade in the future, but something that balances price vs. effectiveness would be ideal.

 

[TGIF]

I don't know anything about the BioLite BCD. If you want to dive locally, a travel/warm water BCD will not have the lift required to support cold water diving (typically). I would say buy a cold water BCD that travels well as it will be versatile. That being said, I use and LOVE my Scubapro Hydros Pro because it does both warm and cold easily, is great for travel (it comes with a backpack that everything you need to go diving fits into), and it's very adjustable. The downside is that it's a bit on the spendy side.

Ultimately, it will depend on how the BC fits your body and your personal preferences.

 

[Zef]

A backplate (steel or aluminium) and a 30 to 32 lbs lift wing will work well in warm or cold water and will travel well if need be.

-Z

 

[loosenit2]

you Will find that Scubaboard is heavily slanted towards backplate and wing setups, and with good reason. There are a number BCD’s that. Will work for cold water and warm water but they tend to be bulkier and heavier, which is a drawback for travel. As mentioned BCDs that are lighter tend to not have as much lift. I have a Cressi Travelight bcd that is inexpensive and effective but only has 23 lbs of lift, which is fine for diving in a 5mil wetsuit or thinner but. Probably not enough lift for a 7mil or dry suit. I. Also recently purchased a vintage double hose 35 lb wing with an aluminum backplate and added some weight pockets and a cargo pocket and it weighs about the same as my Travellight although it is not as compact to store for travel. Dive gear express and dive right in scuba also sell entry level, but good quality backplate and wing sets.

To do it all over I would have started with the BP/W setup, lots of advantages in the water in terms of trim and buoyancy but depending on the harness you choose may take a little bit to get used to donning.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @BrianP2k19

What BCs do members of your local dive clubs use that might fit your criteria for both cold water and travel?

The Biolite appears to hold up to 24 lbs of weight and has a lift of 32-38 lbs. I believe that @Dogbowl and her husband have some experience with this BC

 

[JackD342]

Aside from lift capacity, it is important to note that it is common for a travel BCD designed specifically as light weight to be constructed of lighter, less durable materials than a "typical" BCD. Even if it provides enough lift, maxing out the necessary lead in the integrated weight pockets may hasten the demise of the BCD from wear and tear.

So continue to think it through, but you may be better off thinking in terms of simply avoiding a heavy BCD that also may not easily fold flat. For instance with Aqualung, the Zuma travel BCD is 4.8 pounds, the Pro HD is 6.5 pounds, and the Axiom is 7.9 pounds. If you were in my shop with those needs, we would be discussing the Pro HD as a starting place. Nothing dramatically positive or negative to say about that model; it is a typical jacket BCD that gets the job done.

 

[ams511]

Do you want a jacket style BC or a back inflate style? In Canada, are you diving dry or wet? Do you want weight integration? These are some of the factors you need to think of. I would also recommend a backplate and wing, because you can swap out the hard plate for a soft one for travel.

 

[Dogbowl]

Yes, my husband and I do have Biolites. We also live close to @BrianP2k19 , so was of the same mindset as him when we were looking for our first bc - that is, trying to find a bc that would be good for both warm water and cold water. My opinion on that is that I don’t believe such a bc exists (except for a backplate/wing, but see my comments below about that). I think a bc that is “good” for warm water and cold water simply does neither well. It is neither here nor there, and it is nessarily a compromise. I am admittedly a perfectionist so I want my tools to work well for the job, not just be “ok”. I know this is probably not what the OP wanted to hear, but it is my honest opinion.

My husband and I both think the Biolite does it’s job very well. It’s a true travel bc. It’s light at 5.5 lbs and it’s flexible so packs well (this is VERY important for travelling and the main reason why we’re selling our other bc). It has 2 waist weight pockets and 2 included cam band weight pockets so you can establish good trim and is advertised to hold up to 24lbs., although I’ve only used 16lbs. I always wear my 5mm wetsuit when I dive in warm water. It doesn’t have pockets but it does have loops on the shoulder straps where you could attach things to if you add a bolt snap. It’s also not flimsy and I was impressed with its quality. This is a very beginner diver friendly bc and I’m keeping it as my pick-up-and-go-I-don’t-wanna-fuss-with-my-bpw kind of bc. I’ve not used it in cold water and don’t think I would.

Having a little bit of experience with a bpw now I think this is an ideal bc for both cold and warm water diving, in terms of functionality and packability. A bpw with most wing types folds incredibly flat, and if you add a light weight backplate such as aluminum or carbon fiber, it’s also very light. You could go as far as replacing some of the hardware with non stainless steel and chop even more weight off although I know that kind of suggestion can be controversial here. I’m not suggesting it, but I’m saying it can be done. For cold water, you can add a stainless steel plate with weighted single tank adaptor (like the Halcyon one), and voila! you’ve added 10lbs(?) to your rig that is not in a weight pocket or on your weight belt. The major downside to a bpw FOR ME is that you need to get it fitted to you. I had the assistance of my GUE instructor and thank goodness cause I would’ve given up! It also needs to be readjusted after a dive or two to be optimal. People here will say it’s really no big deal and you can watch Youtube. And my response would be yeah sure, how do you use a hammer again? Haha, I’ll admit that I don’t like to DIY and I suck at figuring things out. You also have to make sure the wing nuts are on tight after every dive, which might be an added annoyannce if you’d rather not deal with that kind of thing. Even having these drawbacks, I think it’s truly well-suited for both warm water and cold water diving.

By the way, we have 2 rather lightly used bc’s (Transpac XTs) we’re going to get rid of. We bought it because we thought it was going to be the best option for both warm water and cold water diving. We’ve decided it didn’t pack well enough for travelling despite it being under 8lbs. And since we’re doing a lot less cold water diving than we first thought, our priorities have changed. It’s extremely well built but maybe perhaps too much so for the kind of diving we do. Sometimes you really have to try them out on a real dive to form your own opinions.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Add another vote for BP/W. I did a lot of research prior to get one and I'll admit that I was intimidated by it (mostly thought it was going be uncomfortable) so I went with a BP/W with a comfort harness. It took about 20 dives before the comfort harness was removed. BP/W are so comfortable that I don't even know it's there. I've dove in low 50s to 80+F and a 30lb lift bag is adequate.

Do lots of research, good luck, and congratulations