What to ask / check when buying a BCD

[diving4ever]

First, I really appreciate everyone who posts here on SB. It’s a great resource and as a relatively inexperienced diver I get a lot of value out of it.

So here is my BCD dilemma: (it’s not really a dilemma at all). I've been renting gear for the past three years, but I've never found a rental BC that fit well on my short (very round) body. Plus there all jacket style which doesn't seem like the best option for my body type. In seeking to buy a BCD, I'm pretty open but I'm wondering [FONT=&amp]what I should ask when looking at different models or even a BP/W at my lds. I'm slightly overwhelmed by the options and factors involved. Plus it seems like a big purchase considering you never get to try it out. Does anyone know of an existing list of considerations when selecting a BC or is [FONT=&amp]there anything you wish you had checked on before purchasing yours? [/FONT]I searched for an existing thread or FAQ on this and didn't see one, but please feel free to direct me there if I missed it. One option is the new Jet Pack. [/FONT]

I tried on an Aeris Jet Pack at the dive show and it was customizable enough that I thought I could get a good fit. I know it’s a new product, but is anyone diving it regularly? If so, I'd love to hear yourfeed back. One concern I have is that I normally dive with 16lbs of lead (steel tank) or 24 lbs(aluminum tank) and the AJP may not have enough weight capacity.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or insight.

Melissa

 

[halocline]

It is a big purchase without ever having tried it. And unfortunately most recreational dive shops don't stock BP/W set ups or have a very limited selection. The best solution for you would be to find some local technical divers (or recreational divers that use BP/W systems) and ask to try one out. Alternatively you might be able to rent something from a technical oriented shop. Some friends of mine rented BP/W set ups on Bonaire once and never looked back.

OTOH, it's very unusual for someone to purchase a BP/W and not like it, and they tend to have excellent resale value as long as you get something popular and simple. Good choices would be deep sea supply, dive rite, oxycheq, or (if you want to spend more) halcyon. Get a steel plate, small wing, simple webbing harness, and you probably wouldn't take too much of a beating selling it in the unlikely event that you don;t enjoy diving with it.

 

[ams511]

Melissa, what are you overwhelmed with? Your main problem seems to be fit. A BP/W should be able to help you with that. If you are diving in San Fran then you will be looking at a wing with a 30-40 lb lift capacity. If you are diving with 15-24 lbs of lead then I would go with a steel backplate. You may want a small backplate depending on your height. As far as a harness goes you can go with a simple one or with a inexpensive QR one (Dive Rite sells one for about $40). Stay away from expensive harnesses like the transpack or iq pack and the like.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Shoot me a pm with your email and I will send you an article I wrote with pics that should answer all your concerns. Or go to my blog and read the text version. It's titled Tech Gear? No, just another option. The version with pics is.too big to send via pm.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TSandM]

Fit is everything in a BC, and for me, the second consideration is whether the thing is designed well enough to hold the tank stable. If the BC doesn't incorporate some kind of rigid support for the tank, the tank WILL slop around, and I hate that feeling.

Fit requires being snug, which means that, for short and round people, it can be difficult, because you need enough length of the waist to go around you, but to do that, you often get shoulder straps that are too long to cinch down securely. The big advantage of the backplate with the continuous harness is that, no matter WHAT shape you are, you can set it up to fit, and it doesn't have to be as tight, because the rigid plate holds the tank steady.

The disadvantage of the backplate system is that you have to figure out what to do with your weights. I use a weight belt; someone without a well-defined waist may need to use a weight harness like the DUI Weight & Trim, which is what my husband uses.

You asked if there was anything I wish I'd known before I bought my first BC? Yes -- I wish I'd known that backplate systems existed. I would have skipped one step in my diving evolution in that case

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I agree with Lynne.
Since you are here on SB says that you already have been exposed to more information than a person who just goes into a dive shop and says "Set me up".
Because you found SB you have heard about the BP/W and you will never be able to go back to not knowing about it.
You will constantly see threads regarding BP/W's and it will eat at you until you do something about it.
You could be one of the thousands of divers that never heard of one and could care less, but you're not, your here.
Do yourself a favor and at least look into one.
Like Lynne said, a BP/W will fit ANYONE regardless of height ,weight, perportions, etc.
And they are so simple and in the long run a much better value since all the parts are individually replaceable if and when you're lucky enough to get that many dives in to actually wear out a wing and or webbing. The plate is a hunk of metal and will never wear out.
Every single person I have ever seen who has switched was super happy and will never go back.
Wearing a weightbelt becomes a minor inconvenience when you weight the benefits of the configuration.

 

[diving4ever]

Thanks, this has been really helpful. Does anyone know where I could look at BP/W in the Bay Area? I just call my LDS in SF and they don't carry them. Any reccomendations on a good shop in San Francisco, Alameda, or Marin county that might carry them would be a big help. For now, I'm just calling around.

Fit requires being snug, which means that, for short and round people, it can be difficult, because you need enough length of the waist to go around you, but to do that, you often get shoulder straps that are too long to cinch down securely. The big advantage of the backplate with the continuous harness is that, no matter WHAT shape you are, you can set it up to fit, and it doesn't have to be as tight, because the rigid plate holds the tank steady.
The disadvantage of the backplate system is that you have to figure out what to do with your weights. I use a weight belt; someone without a well-defined waist may need to use a weight harness like the DUI Weight & Trim, which is what my husband uses.

I definitely can't wear a weight belt. I am tragically without waist or hips and the belt slides right down. but I've heard a WI harness might work. It would be good to check out options and see what the capacity is.

 

[Colliam7]

Does anyone know where I could look at BP/W in the Bay Area? I just call my LDS in SF and they don't carry them. Any reccomendations on a good shop in San Francisco, Alameda, or Marin county that might carry them would be a big help. For now, I'm just calling around.

The website for Harbor Dive Center (in Sausalito) says they sell backplates and wings (Apeks brand). Don't know anything about them, other than that. You might give them a call [(415) 331-0904] to see if they have gear to try on.

 

[ams511]

The website for Harbor Dive Center (in Sausalito) says they sell backplates and wings (Apeks brand). Don't know anything about them, other than that. You might give them a call [(415) 331-0904] to see if they have gear to try on.

Apeks plates and pockets are nice. I like the harness also but you need to remove a few extra D rings. The wing is a single bladder design and is wider than a DSS, Oxycheq, or Halcyon wing. I am not sure that I would recommend it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Dolphin dive center in Sacramento and a few shops in the south bay.
You might need to drive a ways but it's worth it.
You can get quick release weight pockets that slide onto your waist band webbing.