Is a Zeagle BCD all that?

[UncleJoes]

Interesting. I was under the mistaken impression physical laws applied to us all.

My point has nothing to do with physics. It is a cost benefit analysis.

I would rather wear the most comfortable BC possible. When I dive, I dive WITH the current so drag is not an issue.

It is just like the hundred posts I see glorifyibg Jet fins. YES they are a time- tested great fin! But for the diving I and ALL the instructors I know do, Power is not the issue, Volos and splits require less effort and create less fatigue.

If you CHOOSE to dive against a screaming current I'm NOT judging you. I simply dive differently. So STOP Harrassing my posts with your condesending tone. My opinion is just as valid as yours!

 

[Nick_W]

Most of my diving right now is beach diving. Boat is on the backburner for now.
I wonder if anybody has done any like drag tests to see the impact of a bc with and then without padding to see the difference in drag.

I haven't been able to find anything regarding padding vs. no padding. The few results of tests I have found regarding drag on BCs shows that the difference really is negligible provided you're talking about minor differences. Clearly if you've got some sort of massive BC stuffed with padding to the point it looks like its going to burst, you're going to create some drag. But I'm talking about minimal padding on the shoulders/hips compared to no padding on the shoulders/hips.

Unless you're in some sort of underwater race I don't really see where these minimal reductions in drag would come into play. It should also be noted that generally speaking, when you see a comment on a website about reducing drag with a BC, its usually made by someone trying to sell something. That always makes me a bit suspicious.

Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to be a bit more streamlined and not have 39 pieces of flare attached to your BC. But there are much better reasons, I think, to do it than to cut down on drag.

 

[RiverRat]

When I dive, I dive WITH the current so drag is not an issue.

OK so that sounds like a standard drift dive. You roll with the current like you're supposed to. But some divers, myself included, dive wrecks with STRONG currents you swim INTO to get to the wreck. The last wrecks I dove were in the St. Lawrence Seaway, a river with up to 4 knot currents. You HAD to swim along the side of the boat on a line and then down to the wreck in wicked current. Once you got down you "hid" from the current and then drifted back to the boat along the wreck. Drag was an important component on that dive for sure.

And I surely would not have wanted to be in split fins on that dive! Yes they require less effort and "can" be more efficient on some dives I guess. But not for the diving I do. Most people are just lazy and don't want to invest time and effort into learning proper kicks and building leg muscle. Once you do you'll have more control and thrust than any split fin diver will ever achieve. Splits have a place for lazy vaca divers.

No harrassing, just my point of view.

 

[Walter]

My point has nothing to do with physics. It is a cost benefit analysis.

That may have been your intention, but it wasn't your post.

I would rather wear the most comfortable BC possible.

Most comfortable where? In the store in street clothes? In the water? Walking to the water? In the store, a BC with padding is most comfortable. In the water, padding doesn't help. Walking to the water, padding in the shoulders would help, but most BCs have padding otherareas where it adds nothing to comfort.

When I dive, I dive WITH the current so drag is not an issue..

Good for you. If you never dive from an anchored or moored boat, current isn't much of an issue. I prefer not to limit myself, but to each his own.

It is just like the hundred posts I see glorifyibg Jet fins. YES they are a time- tested great fin! But for the diving I and ALL the instructors I know do, Power is not the issue, Volos and splits require less effort and create less fatigue..

I don't know what fins have to do with this thread, but following that logic, bare feet require even less effort and create even less fatigue.

If you CHOOSE to dive against a screaming current I'm NOT judging you. I simply dive differently..

Enjoy your diving.

So STOP Harrassing my posts with your condesending tone.

Sorry if you've felt harrassed, I thought you were participating in a discussion. Disagreements are what, in my opinion, make discussions interesting. Disagreements are not harrassments.

My opinion is just as valid as yours!

That's your opinion.

 

[highdesert]

Will you people give it up? You have hijacked a thread and taken off an a tangent that seems destined only to satisfy your ego. If you want to just go out into the alley and have it out, start another thread.

 

[jpcpat]

Will you people give it up? You have hijacked a thread and taken off an a tangent that seems destined only to satisfy your ego. If you want to just go out into the alley and have it out, start another thread.

Aw C'mon, there were a few amusing moments, and in the end, we're all friends, right

 

[UncleJoes]

You're right highdesert I give up trying to explain that his is just ONE opinion!

 

[yangnome]

NOt looking to get into any flamewars, but here is my experience, take it for what it is worth.

I decided eary on that I wanted a zeagle ranger. I picked one up sometime as soon as I was able, sometie around dive 12. I dove with it for a couple months, then someone offered to let me try out a bp/w around dive 24. I liked the bp/w and was able to borrow it for a bit. Eventually, I bought the bp/w I was borrowing, and haven't touched the ranger since. I sold the ranger this month at a loss.

The zeagles (at least the ranger) is a very good BC. The back inflate requires no learning curve, imo or if there is one, it is insubstantial. I would highly suggest that you try a bp/w first before making a purchase if possible. Try the ranger (or whatever zeagle you're looking at too). For me, I liked the back inflate of the zeagle, but it still lacked the stability of the bp/w. The bp/w is also more streamlined. I will also be able to grow further with my bp/w than I would have been able to with the ranger.

Anyway, I'm not saying don't buy the ranger (Like I said, it is a good BC and seemed to be very well manufactored. The bp/w is an even sturdier design though and offers more room for growth. Take a look at both, take a look at where you want to go with your diving, then make your decision. I know I'm not the only one who has lost a few hundred dollars to jumping on one product too early.

 

[Colliam7]

As several noted, the focus of your question appears to be 'back-inflate' BC vs 'jacket' style. And, there is clearly no absolutely right answer for everyone, so all we can offer are our opinions and experiences, in hopes that you take away something of value. Some people start with back-inflate. Many people appear to evolve to back-inflate over time. (Perhaps, the number on SB who have done so is disproportionately higher than the total diving population, but that is not at issue.) Zeagle is an excellent diving equipment brand. It is unlikely that you will be disappointed with the quality of a Zeagle product (a Ranger that uses velcro rather than cord to close the bottoms of the weight pockets must be a very 'mature' BCD), although there are other excellent brands of back-inflate BCs available as well. Like Yangnome, I started with a Ranger, which now sits unused in my closet. It is a superb BC, comfortable, functional, etc. But, once I tried a BP/W, with a simple unpadded one-piece web harness, I never used the Ranger again. A BP with web harness is VERY comfortable (for me) in the water for recreational, single tank diving, wet or dry, shore based or boat-based. It is comfortable for doubles-based technical diving, with multiple additional bottles clipped to me. I own a jacket style BC which I use for OW classes (because that is the style we use for students) and it works great. I still prefer the BP/W. If convenient, I would suggest the time and expense of travel to a location where you can try several models might be a worthwhile investment. Whatever you buy, as you continue to develop as a diver you will find that you will think about tweaking your rig. It is the nature of human beings, I suspect.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think my Zeagle Ranger is the best BCD made. Lots of people agree with me.

Zeagle makes a nice BCD ... and their customer service is excellent. But the same can be said for other BCD manufacturers.

FWIW - I don't think there's such a thing as "the best BCD made" ... they all have advantages and drawbacks. There may be a particular brand and model that best suits your budget, diving style, and personal preferences.

The important things to look for in a BCD are (in this order, to my concern) ...

- Does it fit me properly? Things to look for here are comfort, accessibility of D-rings and pockets, and that it doesn't "ride up" on you when surface swimming.

- Does it offer the proper amount of lift? This is application-dependent, and will depend to a certain extent on your body size, exposure gear, cylinder size, and the type of diving you plan to do. People have a tendency to buy BCDs that offer more lift than they need ... then they struggle with a wing that flops around the cylinder and traps air.

- Does it have the features I want? Pockets, integrated weight systems, D-rings, placement of dump valves ... these are some of the considerations.

- Does it fit my budget? Although you generally get what you pay for, some manufacturers offer more value for your dollar than others.

In researching the answer to each of these questions, you will discover the advantages and tradeoffs I mentioned. It is up to you ... individually ... to determine which are important to you and which are not. Once you've determined that, you'll have found the BCD that's "best" for you.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)