Is back inflation really 'all that'?

[hammet]

I recently upgraded my 20 year old BCD that was falling apart at the seams to an aqualung axiom jacket style BCD that, compared to my old one, is like night and day and I enjoy it. It's very comfortable and does the job. That said, it was more of an impulse buy as my old one wasn't going to make another dive and I needed something quick, so I didn't do my research. Now I'm wondering if a back inflate would make a big difference under the water.

 

[snowdog61]

If you like it and it answers the mail for you, does it really matter? Back-inflate/wing type BCs have there place and if you haven't tried one, yeah you may have missed out but again, if you are happy with what you have, that is what matters. If you aren't planning on doing a more technical route then you likely won't need the flexibility a wing style BCD offers. Most people however seem to be of the mind that that once they went BPW, they wish they had done it sooner.

 

[Motojack]

I have a Zeagle back inflate BC & really like it. But I am always surprised how little difference I notice when using a regular rental BC on short trips where we dont want to bring all the gear. If you are enjoying your new BC I wouldnt give it another thought.

 

[Top_Gun]

I tried my back inflate for the first time last Saturday, although I only did 2 dives..
(Before that I've done like 25 dives on rental jacket style BCDs)

At the surface I didn't really notice much of any difference- I floated like I usually do, vertical, on my back, full inflated /deflated, whatever.

In the water I really loved the comfort and "openness" of it all. I felt very high speed, low drag

And don't forget about how much cooler I looked

But honestly, it's not something Id lose any sleep over; and as long as your new BCD feels good to you and your diving, its all that matters!

Happy diving!

 

[GreggS]

I have a jacket style while my wife has a back inflate. They are both made by the same manufacturer. We both like what we have, but I had thought about buying one like hers for travel since it is lighter-weight than mine. I have travelled with mine with no problems so just decided to stay with it.

As others have said, if your comfortable with it, you're fine.

 

[Bison]

I've been using jacket style BCD for a long period of time and I recently had the chance to dive with back inflate. I have to say I liked the back inflate. Key is dive what you like and who knows maybe in the future you'll change your gear preferences. Whatever you choose, just have fun and dive safe!

 

[divad]

I floated like I usually do, vertical, on my back.

Do you have a picture?

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I started out in a jacket bc (a Seaquest Pro QD+, not sure how I managed to remember that) and then switched to a bp/w about 12 years and hundreds of dives ago. I have been very happy with that choice for a few reasons:

It travels much better as it takes up a fraction of the room in a suitcase that the jacket did.
It's more durable for the long run. I recently replaced the webbing harness, that cost something like $12. Nothing else shows any sign of wear. I only had to replace the harness because I cut it a little too small way back then and could no longer make it work.
It's so much more streamlined. Having nothing wrapping around my torso is far more enjoyable than the bulk of a jacket. Even adding a pocket on the waist strap is still very compact.
It's wonderfully stable. The rig does not move an inch, it is one with my body. And that stability does not require the shoulder straps to be particularly tight, either.

I never saw any of the claimed pros of a jacket or cons of a back-inflate. Contrary to popular opinion, a jacket will not necessarily keep an incapacitated diver's head above water. You need a proper Type 1 PFD for that very unlikely situation. And contrary to other popular opinion, a back-inflate does not force your face into the water. I once spent about 30 minutes bobbing around waiting for the boat and was quite comfortable in mine.

 

[Scuba Scott]

I don't like getting squeezed and there is none of that with back inflate. Also, the jacket style lets the tank rest on your back and the back inflate lifts it off of you for more comfort when diving.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

.. the jacket style lets the tank rest on your back and the back inflate lifts it off of you for more comfort when diving.

Would you explain what you mean? I dive BP/W and have a regular jacket style BCD, but have never used a back inflate BCD. Are you saying that the bladder in the back created more space between your body and the scuba tank? I wouldn't expect that, but rather that the bladder (much like a wing) would go around the tank.