What is the best and lightest BC for traveling? Cressi Travelite??

[ronscuba]

You're preaching to the choir. But you asked why some of us keep saying "it's not for everyone." I know several divers who want nothing to do with the kind of gear I dive in.

In the scuba Utopia I envision, everyone receives their OW training in a BP/W and stiff paddle fins, and they live in blissful ignorance of any other way.

In the scuba Utopia I envision, everyone dives safely, does not negatively impact other divers and we all live in blissful pleasure of the experiences and sites underwater.

In life and on a recreational dive boat you meet all kinds of people. Are they polite, do they dive safely, do they negatively impact my dive ? I really don't care what kind of gear they use. I've met a**holes in jacket BCD's and BPWs.

 

[dmaziuk]

In the scuba Utopia I envision, everyone receives their OW training in a BP/W and stiff paddle fins, and they live in blissful ignorance of any other way.

Yup. And they all clear their masks while hovering perfectly mid-way in 10 feet of water in ideal horizontal trim, and without breaking their necks, of course. Also find their buddy's backup 2nd in the "golden triangle" without breaking their trim/hover to, you know, actually find it and grab it.

 

[Charred]

Ron,

You make some good points but you are assuming that the OP wants and does not want certain things. If they just want an easy answer their local shop will provide that.

By coming here, they have taken a next step and are clearly interested in an intelligent gear choice. I don't think it is a bad thing for someone to see a breadth of responses. The reader still has the make the best decision for them.

I am personally beyond grateful I found this site and took advice from the many people on this site. They have saved me from mistakes, lost time and also wasted money.

The only thing I object to are the occasional derogatory terms used such as poodle jackets. That has no place in an intelligent discourse.

 

[Lorenzoid]

In the scuba Utopia I envision, everyone dives safely, does not negatively impact other divers and we all live in blissful pleasure of the experiences and sites underwater.

In life and on a recreational dive boat you meet all kinds of people. Are they polite, do they dive safely, do they negatively impact my dive ? I really don't care what kind of gear they use. I've met a**holes in jacket BCD's and BPWs.

So you have the two extremes. At one end of the spectrum, we have people evangelizing about certain gear and techniques, and at the other we have people (you?) taking the attitude that any training and any gear is just as good as any other at the recreational level. I think I fall in the middle. I think it's helpful to point out options to people when they ask on SB if I believe it might improve safety or just make diving more enjoyable, but if I detect something just may not be for them, I don't try to persuade them.

 

[ronscuba]

Ron,

You make some good points but you are assuming that the OP wants and does not want certain things. If they just want an easy answer their local shop will provide that.

By coming here, they have taken a next step and are clearly interested in an intelligent gear choice. I don't think it is a bad thing for someone to see a breadth of responses. The reader still has the make the best decision for them.

I am personally beyond grateful I found this site and took advice from the many people on this site. They have saved me from mistakes, lost time and also wasted money.

The only thing I object to are the occasional derogatory terms used such as poodle jackets. That has no place in an intelligent discourse.

Agreed.

I love this site, the information that is shared and the derogatory flame responses has definitely decreased.

Because of this site I use a BPW, octo on a neckalce. Also because of this site, I have split fins and freedive fins. AND OMG, I really like my split fins and freedive fins.

 

[ronscuba]

So you have the two extremes. At one end of the spectrum, we have people evangelizing about certain gear and techniques, and at the other we have people (you?) taking the attitude that any training and any gear is just as good as any other at the recreational level. I think I fall in the middle. I think it's helpful to point out options to people when they ask on SB if I believe it might improve safety or just make diving more enjoyable, but if I detect something just may not be for them, I don't try to persuade them.

It was not my intent to imply any training and any gear is just as good. Obviously some gear is better at certain things. I wanted to say, just because some gear is better does not mean the other gear is bad.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Hey, I need to drink coffee in the morning to help me wake up. What coffee do you recommend ? I can buy Maxwell house at the supermarket, Dunkin Donuts ground at their store, Starbucks whole bean and grind my own, 100% Pure Jamaican Blue Mountain Certified import whole bean and a burr grinder because blade grinders generate heat which takes away some of the coffee flavor. What should I buy ?

Ooh, ooh! Arabica from Costa Rica. But it's not for everyone

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

Yup. That's is what I said. Pretty much the same. Only about 10 oz difference. If you are so close to the airline weight limit that 10 oz will put you over the limit, then maybe you should be looking at more places than just the BCD to cut weight.

Airline weight is not a problem (for me), they let me check in 20+kg, the thing i don't like is carrying around close to 20kg, and as you say, 300g is not an issue, but 300g her and 300g there makes kg's in the end.

That said, I don not think that you should choice between BP/W-style or jacket style from weight, use what you feel comfortable with.

 

[tbone1004]

@ronscuba those requirements are for basic open water

have your family members tried diving with a crotch strap or are they being ignorant and refusing to try something because they think it might be uncomfortable? It's one thing to push gear on people that don't want advice. I don't do that, but if people come and ask about gear because they are looking to buy, I will do my best to ensure that they are well enough informed to make an educated purchase. That usually results in the purchase of a BP/W and is why the views on this board are skewed. Most divers are not educated in the gear that they are purchased because most dive shops aren't properly educated in the gear that they are selling. This board is where people come to become informed, and ask such, has a very different view on gear configuration than most of the industry.

i can dive with a milk jug for a bcd and have a perfectly happy dive and it is certainly "good enough". I can also quite easily take a tank and go monkey diving with it and also have a perfectly happy dive. Just me, a mask, and a tank.

When people ask about the best and lightest bcd for travelling, the Cressi Travelite falls far short of being the best. It may be the lightest *I doubt it, which was the sidemount recommendation from someone else btw*, but it is anything but the best.

Your coffee analogy is also not an ideal analogy because the cost and benefit of those things is not reflective of what we are discussing. The coffee analogy has a linear relationship between price/effort and quality whereas the bp/w's are not any more expensive *quite often less expensive* than the jacket bcd's, but are also more functional with a bit more setup involved, but less work overall.

 

[ronscuba]

The coffee analogy highlights that differences can mean a lot or a little to different people. Where you and I want and appreciate the differences/advantages of a BPW, other divers might not really care. Same goes for coffee, some buy supermarket coffee not for price, but because the taste differences are not a big deal to them.

My family members don't like crotch straps and therefore are not interested in BPW. Could be incorrect perception of comfort or appearances. I know appearance is a big concern for my wife. I don't push the issue because I don't think the advantages of a BPW will make a big difference to their safety or dive enjoyment. Me ? I am a little OCD, super critical and notice every little change in my setup.

My mask is black because I don't like the glare and reflections clear skirts create on the glass because they let light in. My wife uses a clear skirt with pink highlights. I asked her to try my mask and pay attention to the glare/reflections. After the dive, she said he did not care and wanted her clear skirt pink highlight mask back because it was cuter.