Rear inflation bcd vs. jacket...need opinions

[MtnDiver]

I own a back-inflate and love it. I have never experienced a tendency for it to push my face into the water, never. Of course, mine has trim weight pockets on the tank bands in back which I keep a couple of pounds of lead in.

I had no issues making the transition from jacket to back inflate and it is much more comfortable.

 

[Rainer]

OK, here is my opinion
Jacket style BCDs are good on the surface (for those that teach or wanna relax on the surface) back Inflation style BCDs tend to push your face in the water unless you lean back.

I often hear this claim (backinflates push you face forward at the surface), yet have *never* experienced this myself. Not in my Ranger, my DSS Torus, or the Oxycheq Mach V I'm using at the moment. Not even with the wings fully inflated was I pushed face forward into the water. With a correctly fitted BC, I just haven't experienced this "problem".

 

[divemaster_jim]

The Black Diamond won't do it either,

 

[sandersondiver]

I like the back inflate when I'm working and when I'm diving for fun. On the boat, it's nice not having anything but the harness on my chest when engaged in a rescue, or simply towing somebody back to the boat. I also like it when I'm spearfishing for the same reason and for the stability. I also like the 46 lbs of lift it provides.

 

[Col_CCC]

Yes my vote is for a rear inflate or for a backplate and wing. With a backplate/wing you can drop several pounds of lead due to the plate itself. My gf used a jacket mostly but now that she has switched to a backplate/wing she loves the feeling more. Again it is all personal preference and feeling. But she shoots photo and i video and we find the wing very nice

Chris

 

[soudan]

OK
my dive buddies have back inflation BCDs and they also have no problem with it (on the surface or UW), but i did when i used a recreational type back inflation BCD (on the surface), but when i used a dive rite tech set up i didn't have any problems, and it was extremely stable UW but it was really hard to rotate (especially when using doubles).
i just feel allot better (weightless) when i am using my Jacket style BCD, i am not saying all other jacket bcds are the same, but the Oceanic Probe LX is the only Jacket style BCD that gives me that 0 gravity feeling.
And like i said before, don't make a decision till you try (depending on your body type and size).

i do like both styles, but after trying several types and styles, i made my choice and that is what you have to do. borrowing your dive buddies BCD is a good way to try different ones.

good luck.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I have an Oceanic Excursion back inflate.....and I love it! It was my first back inflate and I fell in love right away....

The reason some say a back inflate pushes them forward is because they are not used to it. I have found that most students go thru OW with a jacket, and when on the surface, they fill the BC completely full of air....so they dont sink This is fine in a jacket as the air is all around you, but now you take that student and put them in a backinflate....they do the same thing and it pushes them over.....They just dont understand that they dont need all of that air in the BC to float...you only need a little bit......with just a bit of air, and not fully inflated, you will not fight the BC and be pushed forwards.....just a modification on how to use the equipment the right way and the problem is gone

$.02

Mike

 

[TRIG]

http://home.comcast.net/~jepuskar76/bpwvsbc.wmv

 

[TRIG]

http://home.comcast.net/~jepuskar76/bpwvsbc.wmv

 

[TSandM]

What's important is that you have gear that fits you well and in which you feel comfortable. Different people prefer different setups, depending on their particular needs and perceptions.

I didn't like the jackets we dove in OW. I didn't like the feeling when you inflated it and it inflated around you. I also didn't like that they were too big and slopped around on me, but that wasn't the fault of them being jackets. They just didn't fit.

I bought a back-inflate BC, but it didn't fit, either. I dove it for a while, but never liked the amount the tank could move around on my back. I did like the relatively uncluttered front of it, though.

I was lent a backplate and wing, and was instantly hooked. It was three things: I could adjust it small enough for me, the tank was then completely stable, and the weight moved up onto my back made it easier to be horizontal.

My husband accomplished the same weight shift by putting more in the trim weight pockets on his Seaquest Balance, which he really liked and dove for a long time.

He's now diving a Deep Sea Supply backplate and wing, and talking about selling the Balance.

The key is that the gear has to fit you well and feel comfortable to dive. There is no "best BC". There probably isn't a "best BC for a given application", until you get into technical diving.