I recreation and spearfish dive. Need BCD, any advice?

I'm an experienced diver but only spearfishing about 3yrs. Recommedatiins on BCD?

  • Bcd

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  • 1st stage and regulators

    Votes: 0 0.0%

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    1

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TopPredator

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Messages
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Location
Winter Haven, Florida
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi All,
I have dove for about 7 yrs. I had been diving since 1989, spearfishing only 3 years before I had to stay out of water. I am back in Florida and need a new BCD, selling my sherwood magnum, first stage and regulators. I need recommendations from actual divers, not a shop trying to sell. Whats a good BCD for recreation and spearfishing? Whats a good first stage and regulators?
 
For spearfishing, you don't need anything except a mask and fins. For recreational diving, I highly recommend a backplate and wing. Any regulator that breathes well while swimming should be OK.
 
If you really wanted a safety margin while breath-hold spearfishing, you could use a manually inflatable life vest as used by the real rock fishing enthusiasts.
Spearfishing on SCUBA is illegal in Australia.
They are quite compact and so won't bob up and obstruct your peripheral vision or aim UW, but one pull inflates the CO2 cartridge.
Winner Sele Manuell – Baltic!
 
Here's what I would recommend.

DGX aluminum plate, harness and wing. Ask for a discount and skip their tank straps, inflator and inflator hose.
DGX Custom - DGX Gears Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package

Two of these for tank straps.
OTG Dive

Dive Rite DIN first stage and second stage with 40" hose. Plus a swivel elbow to run the first stage under your arm.
DGX Custom - Dive Rite XT Regulator

Air2 5th Gen. Pick up a round inflator hose the proper length so you can turn your head while breathing. I use a magnet hose clip coated in epoxy to keep it tight to my shoulder strap.
https://scubapro.johnsonoutdoors.com/regulators/octos/air2-5th-gen-inflator-reg

AquaTec Dive Horn. Version for Air2
Scuba Diving Sub Alert

If you have or get an air integrated wrist computer you'll have a really clean and streamlined setup with just two hoses coming off your first stage.

Spearfishing and scuba is legal in the USA, especially Florida. The op didn't ask that question.
 
For spearfishing, you don't need anything except a mask and fins. For recreational diving, I highly recommend a backplate and wing. Any regulator that breathes well while swimming should be OK.

I prefer to dive with SCUBA gear. I am in Florida, USA
 
I just switched from jacket BC that I dove for ~20 yrs to a backplate and wing. I totally love it. I dive and spearfish as well.
 
You do not want a jacket bc for spearfishing. Nor do you want weight integration. A rubber weight belt is still superior for many reasons. That thread is 12 years old and unrelated to spearfishing.

Adjustable straps are a good idea though. I was fortunate enough to buy a Dive Rite HunterPac before they were discontinued. It is very similar to a back plate and wing with the benefit of not having a plate and loops to allow free sliding and adjustment of the shoulder straps through the waist harness. Plates are often unnecessary because most Florida spearfishermen are diving steel tanks. It is one of the best designs I've seen, especially for spearfishing because you don't have the concern of a pinched wing on an often crowded private dive boat.

If my HunterPac fails I will likely try and mimic the design through the use of some sort of soft plate and wing.

That said, you can add aftermarket loops to the plate for adjustable shoulder straps.

I added similar ones to my doubles rig which is a true bp/w.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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