The great back inflate vs. jacket BC debate

[aerodiver]

I have been looking at buying a BC in the next few months. The problem is I have only dove jacket style BC's so far and am curious about back inflated. What I was wondering was have any of you started with a jacket style BC and gone to a back inflated? If so what made you switch and was the transition from styles relatively easy.Also any other comments or tips about specific BC's would help a lot. Just so you know I am starting by NAUI advanced class soon and if size matters I am kind of small (5'5, 115lbs). Any comments on switching BC types would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mwilding]

The big dig against back inflate is that (according to the haters) it pushes your face into the water on the surface. If you are unconcious, this is clearly a bad thing. Not everyone experiences this problem - it is easily address with proper placement of your weights. For example, a small weight on your lower tank cam strap will counter the effect. When you are concious, you just inflate your BC, lean back and it feels like you are up on top of a raft.

No BC is rated as a life preserver, so don't think a jacket inflate is going to save you if you are unconcious...

 

[rab]

When I was BC shopping, I also wanted to check out back-inflation. My LDS rented me one for a weekend. It was an older Zeagle Concept and not part of the regular rental stock for the shop. (I think it may have originally been a personal BC of one of the shop owners or family members.) That one weekend was enough to convince me that I would buy a back inflation style BC. It was only 3 dives, but the fit and comfort was fine. The wife was good to me at Christmas and a new Zeagle Ranger was under the tree.

Definitely try to find a place to try or rent a back-inflate BC. I've not personally tried a back plate / wings design, but you can find many opinions about them with a simple search on the board.

-Rob

 

[bridgediver]

Its really just personal preference whether you choose jacket or back inflate. You'll hear alot of pros and cons for each but since you asked I'll give you my version.
I started with a jacket and went to a back inflate - actually a back plate and wings because I am working towards tech diving (but thats beside the point). What I found right away is the the bladder is totally away from your torso and you tend to swim in a more horizontal position - both good points. I think you'll find these same characteristics with any back inflate BC - not just a back plate system. You'll hear other details like you'll be more streamlined, better trim etc but thats what I found was the most dramatic of differences.
As far as forcing your face into the water on the surface; yes if the bladder is filled to capacity it will tend to tip you forward but I think you'd rarely have the need (if at all) to fill it to capacity on the surface in which case you float the same as a jacket type anyway.

Good luck with your choice but try out a back inflate before you buy if possible. I doubt you'd go back to the jacket style afterwards.

mark

 

[LUBOLD8431]

A back inflation BC will give you the best control and trim underwater over any type of BC. I would never suggest a jacket style BC to anyone. I personally hate them, and I think they are the spawn of Satan. I learned to dive about ten years ago with a Zeagle Ranger (Back Inflation BC) and never even used a jacket style BC until about five years ago. Now, I used to teach at a shop that used jacket style BC's for class. This made it real tough for me, because, when the students asked me what kind of BC they should get, I told them about a back inflation. Of course, they said, (just like you), Hmmm... Ive never used one of those before. Well, this situation is very easy to remedy: try one in the pool. One pool session later, they wanted a back inflation, and never wanted to dive a jacket again.
Try one out and see for yourself...

 

[aerodiver]

I have been looking and found the Mares Ariel with the dragonfly system. Its supposed to be kind of a hybrid between the two. Has anyone heard or have had any good or bad experiences with this BC?

 

[ColdH20diving]

I used jacket BC's during my openwater class, I didn't like it. I ended up going with a backplate and wing combo. You hear a lot of talk about backplate and wing configurations. I resisted making the move but finally gave it a go, it was wonderful. Give one a try before you buy the "run of the mill" BC's.

 

[LioKai]

Aloha Aerodiver!
In reference to a hybrid BCD, two of our crew members use the 'Seaquest Diva QD'.

My wife is one of the two crew members mentioned above, and this is her second 'Diva QD'. The first one was retired after about 1300 dives (4 years). It still works fine but the colors are worn out from excessive use and abuse, making the appearence of the BCD unacceptable for a professional. Her current 'Diva QD' is pushing 400 dives already (15 months) and it still looks perfect.

I love my wife dearly, but she is a bull in a china shop with her gear. She can break some of the most indistructable equiptment, but her BCD takes the punishment. She is about your size too (5'2" 115lbs, all muscle from carrying tanks). She swears by the 'Diva QD' BCD. She never mentions low back problems or shoulder problems.

I use a BP/W, but if I ever find a jacket hybrid that fits me like the 'Diva QD' fits my wife I just might give it a try. Good luck in your search.
Matthew J D'Avella

 

[DiveTyme]

My wife also dives also dives a Diva QD and loves it. On the other hand, a female instructor friend dives a Zeagle Escape (Back inflation) and says it it the best BC she has found. Myself, I dive back inflation most of the time and use a small jacket BC for travel (it folds small). Everyone has there opinon. I enjoy both.

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

My wife has really enjoyed switching from jacket style to back-inflated BC's. We both have our original low-bucks warm-water only BC's (hers an Ocean Edge Tek-Vest and mine a Seaquest Explorer), but we changed to Dive Rite TransPac II's. We have weight integration now among other things in our harness style BC's, and the modularity is appealing to both of us (we're both engineers too, and I'm a bit of a gadget guy . . . my syndrome probably sounds familiar to someone else out there . . . :54: ).

Anyway, you may want to test-fit a modular style harness or two, especially if you plan on either doing some cold water as well as warm water diving, so you can change air cells easily, or if you think your diving might enter the realm of multiple tanks some day. There's several brands (Dive Rite, OMS, and Scubapro to name three quickly).

My wife is about your same height and weight, and uses a XS TransPac II harness with the older Junior Wings (current equivalent is the Trek wing), but we both have several "wings" depending on what we plan to do on a particuylar vacation / dive trip.

Often, dive shops will have a fairly diverse stock of rental equipment, so you may want to negotiate a 'test drive" with several models in their pool or something, after you've narrowed down which ones seem best to you above water.