weight integrated?...or not?

[frango65]

So I'm just getting back into diving again after a 7 year hiatus...and I need an new BC. It seems that the weight integrated ones are all the rage at the shops these days. My old BC was a jacket style (Sherwood Sillouette) which suited me well. While the weight belt was never my favourite piece of equipment, I never had a problem with it either.
My question is, is it really worth shelling out the extra $$ for a weight integrated BC? Or is the difference in buoyancy (assuming I never had problems with buoyancy control before) not enough to want to change?
Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can give me.

 

[diver 85]

In your case ---No........Why fix something that ain't broken..........After almost a thousand dives and over 22 years in diving, I went to a partial wt. intergrated BC last summer, the Zeagle Scout.... I put 6 in that BC and the rest on a belt.....I'm like you, never had a problem with a belt and changed BC's only when my original Dacor finally gave out (after over 20 years old)

 

[Damselfish]

I wouldn't say the point of WI is to improve buoyancy control anyway, in fact it may give you less flexibility in where you place weight so you have to be trickier to get your trim right. It's because some people find weightbelts uncomfortable. Or they have no hips and have trouble with the belt sliding. Or they like the convenience of having one less thing to track and put on. There are other possible solutions to these things too, but for some people it works.

If you're diving cold water you may need more weight than you can put in a WI BC. If that's a problem you could also wear a weight belt - you lose some advantage but at least it wouldn't be as heavy. And having weight distributed between you and your BC can have it's points. Or, you might just decide there's no point in having WI if you're going to wear a welghtbelt anyway.

WI BCs tend to be impaired in the pocket department. And any that use velcro to actually hold the pockets in are a bad idea, I'm not sure anyone makes those anymore but if you bought something used that's something to watch out for.

I only dive warm water now, and went to a WI BC a few years ago. I like it, it's more comfortable and I don't have to mess with a weight belt. But I only use 6-8 pounds anyway.

 

[frango65]

thanks for your help - seems to me, if it ain't broke, I won't fix it! The extra $$ can now go to some new toys
cheers
frango

 

[herman]

I personally will not have a BC without intergrated weights. IMO, they dive much better. Here is the thing- BCs, esp jacket BC's, will tend to ride up on you unless you have a crotch strap. This is because you have the air in the BC pulling up while your weight belt is pulling down with you in the middle. With weight intergration the BC and weight system are one unit so you are not pulled between the 2. Before making your decision, do yourself a favor and try several different BC, both WI and not and while your at it, check out a back inflates as well. Everyone has their preferences but for me a back inflate with weight intergration is the way to go.

 

[WolfEl]

I like the WI Zeagle Ranger (back inflates) BCD that I have. I especially like it in the tropics, where I can usually have no belt. It also works good in cold water diving as well. I don't like to have all the weight I need, on a belt or harness.

 

[spectrum]

My question is, is it really worth shelling out the extra $$ for a weight integrated BC? Or is the difference in buoyancy (assuming I never had problems with buoyancy control before) not enough to want to change?
Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can give me.

Aside from weight placed on the upper body for trim you are much better off having your weight on your person (a belt) as opposed to in your BC. First of all if you ever need to get out of your rig at depth (entanglement, leak check, crap happens) not being personally buoyant will make things a lot easier to deal with. Secondly your BC will get wicked heavy if you pack it with weight and boat crews and others will have a hard time hanging it. If were talking about 10 pounds or less of weight all of this becomes much less significant. Herman makes a good point about the relative buoyancies and jackets creeping up. A lot of that can be avoided by activating your depth compensating cummerbund. Be sure that you tension it when donning the BC. That will allow the elastic to maintain control at depth.

Pete