Equipment for a new diver

[tbone1004]

@Mr. Manfrenjensenden honestly even on the BC's there isn't really much of a need to try it. If you are diving locally, it means neoprene, and lots of it. Get a stainless steel backplate and wing, will allow her to take 8-10lbs off of her weight belt which is ideal, as well as the whole thing being more comfortable and economical. Any of them really work, however if she is going to be wearing lead on a belt, she'd probably be well set up in a Deep Sea Supply Torus 35 which has a bit more lift in the bottom part of the wing to help with trim. Comments about trim being off because of weight belts are not accurate provided the weighting was done correctly. If you call Deep Sea Supply, you can talk to @cool_hardware52 directly who owns the company and designed and still makes all of the products. There is a reason that they are probably the most recommended bcd on this forum, and his customer service is a large part of it.

Regulators don't really need to be tried out, biggest thing there is what she thinks looks cool and what you can service or get serviced easily. I'm partial to my Poseidons but they are not cheap, not really easy to find service. @BurhanMuntasser knows of several Scubapro shops in the Boston area, so those are easy enough and the MK25/S600 is a great reg. Not my preference for salt water diving, but to each their own. Deep6 makes some killer regulators that are very reasonably priced and their service options for them are awesome to boot.

 

[flyboy08]

If your local shop has a pool, then she can try options in the pool....I'd go balanced regulator though with a 90degree swivel. I'd also suggest integrated weights....for the BC. My wife's setup was around $600 (BC and Regs)...I'd also go with a wrist computer and drop the SPG for a PSI only hose....keep it simple and introduce her to using a computer early in her diving.

 

[MichaelMc]

My point on weight belts was I believe similar to tbone's comment on the Torus’s lower lift helping with trim for the weight belt. To the same point, a BP/W’s steel plate moves weight away from the belt and higher up, helping trim. I’ve seen people struggle with just a weight belt and a BC with no weights. tbone is far more the expert, I'm not.

 

[msinc]

I am definitely no expert, but I like all of the gear I bought. I didn't buy a package deal or complete setup, I had a few different brand pieces of gear I liked and the LDS didn't carry those brands.
I use a vest type BCD, I just don't have all the problems or issues everyone posts about vest type BCD's...or maybe a better way of saying it is that I am not sure I need all the so-called advantages of a back plate/wing/back inflate/BPW. I get that they are not necessarily all the same thing, but the one thing all of these have in common is that they are not a vest and aren't all of the so-called advantages pretty much about the same for these types{we all know what they are...they get repeated on this forum ad nauseum}.
Nothing against them at all and maybe one day I will be just like absolutely every one else on this forum and all of a sudden just have to have one. All that said, the one thing I cant wrap my head around is when people say "get a wing {BPW/back inflate/whatever besides a vest} and you can get rid of your weights"....is any one really "getting rid of anything"?????...I mean, is it more correct to say, "get a backplate and you wont need as much weight because now the plate is the weight, except that it is weight you cannot drop if you need to"???? Is it that no one says it this way because, heaven forbid, this doesn't exactly paint the god almighty back plate/wing/BPW/back inflate in the best light???
I guess to the OP, what I am trying to say here is these are very prejudicial times when it comes to these style BCD's and like the inflator mounted safe second there are many divers that will not just tell you this is the only way to fly, but sound very convincing doing it. She really needs to try both styles and decide for herself. I can tell you what I like and why I like it and I can even do it in a factual and fair non-slanted way, but it will be my preferences, not necessarily what she will like. Best of luck!!!

 

[MichaelMc]

I think most using BP/W do not describe them as God’s gift, but are rather a bit more nuanced. If what you have works, just go diving.

Some weight is often actually removed. Many BCs have padding which requires lead. Put your BC in the tub. Does it float neutral underwater or must you add lead to get it down? As most divers wear some wetsuit anyway, most BP/W do not have padding, though it is on option, so a bit less lead.

Yes, the rest is just moved, though often to a more useful place for trim. As far as being not ditchable, you do not need all your weight ditchable, but some is prudent. If you only need the 6 lb. that went into the plate; yes, not so flexible. In that case you can go with an AL plate plus moving the remaining 5 lb. as needed. Not as common and that case seems not to gain you much, but the BP/W is rather a flexible tool, and that modularity is the gain. Maybe not worth switching from an existing vest BC that works for you, but when starting with no BC, it gives you more options.

There may be secondary benefits that if you get more level, you will not kick your self up as much, if you were, and so you realize you can remove lead and be less over weighted. But that depends on if you were to begin with.

Yes, back inflate give many of the benefits of BP/W, just not the ready flexibility, and the normally 6 lb. weight of the plate along your body. BP/W is just a very modular back inflate, with standard 'interface' between parts that allows wide mix and match as desired between manufacturers.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Thanks to all for the input. I ended up taking advantage of Deep 6's holiday special for regs after reading up a bit about them and having a long conversation with Landon at Deep 6, so I'm pretty excited about that. My wife will try out a couple different kinds of BCs, though she really liked the rental jacket BC she used a few weeks ago, so we may end up going that route. So I think we're off and running!

@Mr. Manfrenjensenden honestly even on the BC's there isn't really much of a need to try it. If you are diving locally, it means neoprene, and lots of it.

No, she won't be diving locally. She has zero interest in cold water, or anything cold, actually. It's amazing I was able to convince her to live in New England. She's especially unhappy with me at the moment about that.