tdallen
Contributor
I'm looking to buy my first BCD. Most of my diving so far has been in warm water travel destinations so I'd like something that is relatively streamlined and packable. I'm aware there's a whole category of Travel BCDs, but they seem to be very lightweight, no structure, no padding type of setups (and potentially don't have integrated weights). That's not what I'm looking for... I'd like something with some structure to help distribute weight and just enough padding/support to make it comfortable, plus integrated weights and maybe a couple of small pockets. It would also be nice if I could wear it locally (if infrequently) with a 7mm wetsuit.
I love the fit of the Aqualung Dimension but it seems quite big, not very packable (and it has lots of plastic). The Aqualung Zuma seemed like a very light, unstructured "Travel BCD". I like the look of the Zeagle Stiletto. I also like the look of the ScubaPro Hydros, though it's hard to justify the expense... I don't have a lot of experience with back inflate setups but they seem to be more packable and the basic concept makes sense. Any other suggestions for something to look at in this category?
Oh, and I'm aware that many people here are advocates for BP/W setups. It's not something I'm interested in at this point, though.
I love the fit of the Aqualung Dimension but it seems quite big, not very packable (and it has lots of plastic). The Aqualung Zuma seemed like a very light, unstructured "Travel BCD". I like the look of the Zeagle Stiletto. I also like the look of the ScubaPro Hydros, though it's hard to justify the expense... I don't have a lot of experience with back inflate setups but they seem to be more packable and the basic concept makes sense. Any other suggestions for something to look at in this category?
Oh, and I'm aware that many people here are advocates for BP/W setups. It's not something I'm interested in at this point, though.