What kind of bcd ?

[diver 85]

In your case, I'd stay with the jacket BC, you already bought it , right??..ie "I found a new very low cost bcd from seaquest pro qd old model. I got the large size.".....

They'll both work just fine....

 

[Token]

I wouldn't worry about using a back inflate system...it's easy to adjust to them, all you need is a bit of practice.

You did a smart thing in actually trying on the BCD and giving it a good 'wear test'. I bought a 5 Oceans, size large over the internet...I can get it on okay, and it's useable, but I should have gotten an XL. Last weekend I found a Zeagle Ranger on sale at my LDS...size Large and it's a perfect fit.:confused6:

 

[Shark Bait!]

If you have a Zeagle dealer, have them show you the Zeagle Express Tech.

 

[boulderjohn]

I regularly dive all kinds of BCDs.

I do most of my diving in a back plate and wing, I still own a back inflate with hundreds of dives on it that I often use for single tank diving, and I use jackets when I am teaching OW students in the pool. If you are just going to do general OW diving, you can use any of these and be perfectly content.

There seems to be a belief among a large portion of the Scuba Board community that all dives eventually migrate to the BP/W and come to hate jackets, but that is a myth. Statistically, BP/Ws account for less than 1% of annual sales in the U.S., and jackets well over 95%. I know a number of highly skilled divers with thousands of dives in their histories who are perfectly content with jacket style BCDs.

If I were to give you a recommendation, it would be for a back inflate or a BP/W. The concern about being pushed on your face is overrated. I barely notice any difference among the three choices when I am on the surface. I believe that both the back inflate and the BP/W will make it a bit easier for you to get into good trim under water, but you should be able to do that with any BCD, to be honest.

 

[mboyd03]

If you learn with a back inflate you will not have any trouble. If you are correctly weighted you will be fine they are very comfortable. The only drawback to me is that they do not have allot of pocket space, usually only has a pocket.

 

[Stormingheaven]

The whole idea that a back inflate BCD will hold you face down on the surface is over rated. Like any BCD proper weighting and trim is the key. I dive with both a Scuba Pro Knighthawk and an Oceanic Chute III both of which are back inflate. I love both of these but mostly dive the Knighthawk. Any good BCD that fits you well will serve you well. As you dive more often you may find that you like one better than another and will also find that you end up with a large collection of dive gear. Just like any other sport or hobby you tend to accumulate goodies. New divers want to run out and buy their own gear as soon as they get certified, lord knows I did. There is nothing wrong with that, just make sure you buy quality gear. If you do that you are not likely to go wrong.

 

[BuoyantC]

I'll ad my 2cents. As a big guy myself, the jacket BCs such as the the SeaQuest are HUGE and bulky, especially when you want to pack one for a trip. That was similar with what I learned to dive. I then tried a Zeagle Ranger and couldn't believe the improvement. True it will push you over when overfilled, but when dialed in, you can also lay comfortably on your back for long periods. Something you can't do with a jacket style.

Now years and about 1200 dives later, I still dive my Zeagle. I do have a bp/wing also that I love, but just like you find yourself putting on that comfy old t-shirt, I still grab my Zeagle. My wife just replaced her worn out Zeagle Escape with a new Stiletto, and if my Ranger wears out before I do, I just may get one myself.

 

[divewithjay]

I spend alot of time on the surface in the pool and ocean with students so I tend to like the jacket style bcd's better. However, I just got a 5 Oceans which is back inflate and with a little weight in the tank trim pockets and not over-filling it I'd have to say the face forward thing is overstated as well. Feels like it'snot even there.

 

[Meggie66]

Hi

Thanks to the OP for starting a really useful thread!

A lot of people have spoken of the underwater advantages of a bp/w. Can I ask what the advantages are? Just curious. Also, does a bp/w improve your air consumption?

All the best everyone.

 

[Hepcat62]

A lot of people have spoken of the underwater advantages of a bp/w. Can I ask what the advantages are? Just curious. Also, does a bp/w improve your air consumption?

Efficiency, comfort, and relaxation all improve your air consumption. Any gear that helps to improve those aspects of your diving will help to improve your air consumption. To many people on this board, the BP/W is a piece of gear that helps improve them.

To me, there's a fairly wide assortment of benefits associated with the BP/W style setup underwater, but there are a few main ones that are the primary differentiators (for me) when compared to a "conventional" BC.

1) Decreased restrictiveness/more freedom. Even compared to a well-designed conventional BC of the rear-inflation type (e.g. the Scubapro Knighthawk), your chest area will be significantly less crowded and you may find that you have more freedom of movement in the shoulder area. This has a lot to do with the minimalistic harness and the fact that your BC ends up custom sized for you.

2) Better options for weight distribution. This is especially important in cold(ish)-water ocean diving, where we're carrying a lot of weight. Having a stainless-steel backplate with a weighted single-tank adapter allows you to place ~12lbs directly-over and distributed along your lungs. This can make a big difference in how easily you can achieve and maintain horizontal trim. Additionally, because you can more easily choose how to arrange things on and off your harness you are likely to have more options for weight placement than you would with a "conventional" BC, especially one with a medium/large integrated weight system.

3) Stability. Using a STA, I find that my tank is much more securely positioned than on a "conventional" BC (I've never tried the STA-less wings). Additionally, the lack of bulk around the torso and the custom-fit harness really helps the feeling that the gear is a part of you, and that your movements are being translated directly to the wing.

I made the switch at the end of last year, and it's been nothing but positive. I've had a few people try my gear in the pool (including two today - one newer diver and one instructor), and everybody ends up coming away from it wanting one.