Hi Folks,
For the last 15 years or so I have been diving with a traditional style SeaQuest BCD. Although it has served me well I think it's probably time to replace it.
My general requirements are quite simple. I will always be diving in warm water with a single tank and will be travelling to do so. I have been looking at the merits of back inflation BCDs versus some kind of BP/W setup and obviously there are plenty of both types that meet these requirements.
I'm quite drawn to the simplicity of a BP/W setup however with some of my more specific requirements/preferences I'm not so sure:
- Easy release shoulder straps. I have had a shoulder reconstructed following an accident and have limited movement in that arm so would probably struggle with fixed straps.
- Integrated weights. I know some people advocate using a weight belt but I have used integrated weights for the last 15 years without issue and see no reason to change. I only use about 4kg of lead.
- Pockets. On most dives I tend to carry a number of items e.g. a small torch, a macro wet lens etc. With my current BCD I stow these in the BCD pockets.
- Reef hook. I frequently dive with a reef hook and line which I currently store in a BCD pocket.
Certainly there are back inflate BCDs that would meet these requirements e.g. Hollis 200 BCD. But what I'm really interested in hearing about is any experience people have with a BP/W setup with accessories that might meet 1-4 above. In particular does adding pockets etc. to a BP/W negate the advantages of a simple setup to such an extent that I might as well use a BCD. Alternatively is there a way of carrying items such as torches, reef hooks that people would recommend that prevents the need to use pockets?
Thanks,
Richard
