I wonder if a BP/W setup might help me to love diving?

[Blue Sparkle]

When you were "snorkeling' did you have a BC, thick wetsuit and heavy fins, computers, gauges, dangling hoses? I don't think you did. Is this more like you meant, without the scooter or with?

No, I was just wearing a skin and mask/snorkel/fins. This was in 85º shallow water.

Of course I don't expect diving to feel *that* unemcumbered, but I was shocked at how much the gear affected my experience in a negative way. Not the technical aspects of it: I was fine with the bouyancy adjusting and that sort of thing; it was just the discomfort and shifting and how everything was crammed up in under my armpits (which, ahem, is where my waist is )

You are not going to be able to dive in Minnesota without feeling encumbered, modern equipment and diving methods as taught rely on heavy, layers of equipment, or you can learn to do without.

I don't think I will be trying that. I live on the East Coast now, and my near-future diving is all projected to be warm water diving with a single tank (probably Florida, Bahamas, or NW Caribbean type of thing).

Or, you need to relax, study the market, purchase female specific equipment, that is form fitting, designed for the tropical and warm water diving you dream of and get stuff that fits.

That's my goal here.

I suspect you would be better off with a female specific conventional, lightweight BC.

Could you elaborate on that a bit? Why you are thinking a BC would work better than a BP/W. That would be very helpful info.

I did try on about a half dozen women's BC's (after diving in Florida and when I was on my way home), and although they did fit me better in terms of shoulder-to-waist dimensions (at least the shoulders were not up around my ears!), they still seemed *so* bulky and full of fabric and various gew-gaws. I mean, I realize that I do want some stuff, and places to attach things, but these were like snowsuits!

Thanks again for the input and examples/photos.

B.

 

[Nemrod]

This:

Zeagle Eden BCD reviews and discounts, Zeagle

but if you insist:

Pink OxyCheq Mach V Signature Series 30lb. Wing reviews and discounts, OxyCheq

with this:

OxyCheq Ultra Lite Back Plate reviews and discounts, OxyCheq

BP/wing divers are a very small but hugely vocal group. Probably 98% of all scuba divers do NOT use a plate. Well, good luck, hope it all works out for you. A big, bent metal plate (that was originally intended for doubles) tied on your back in the tropics, after you have figured out how to get it there, is not, IMO, ideal. YRMV. Adios.

N

 

[DaleC]

Nice job on that BC Nemrod

You'll find a way Blue. There are probably many women (such as Lynne) who have the same body type as you. You just have to find them and pick their brains. I also have heard nothing but good comments about Tobin and his customer service. Don't confine your search to modern off the shelf products either. I have a home built BP, a 1950's US Army rucksack/scuba conversion and a 1970's ABS bacpac. Something like that with a small wing might allow for a better fit too. I'll edit in a pic in a second:

On an Al 80

and a St 72 to show the difference in tank length (I guess it didn't really)

Some other sub forums to visit would be the womens forum (here) and the regional forum (here) for your area. Someone local may have some set ups you can test drive.

Good luck.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I am also a vocal BPW user but have found a nice alternative. The Zeagle Express Tech. Like a BPW, infinitely adjustable, back inflate, changeable wings, nothing encumbering the chest area, and at a retail of 280 or so. Damn near perfect for tropical stuff. I've had it in the pool a few times and will be taking it to Puerto Rico in Jan instead of my BPW set up. I still need to add cam band weight pockets to it for use with al tanks and a 5 mil suit but other than that all I added was 4 drings (2 shoulder and 1 each hip) and replaced the plastic buckle with a steel one from Pirahna Dive Gear. It is now the perfect travel/pool bc for me.

 

[rstofer]

It is very important that you size the wing for the minimum amount of lift you will need. You don't want an oversized wing.

To do that, you need to know what tank you usually use (probably an Al 80) and how much weight you usually carry. The type of wetsuit (thickness and style) matters since it is the primary driver for weight.

When I dove in warm water, I carried about 6# of weight and used an Al 80. 17# of lift is MORE than enough because the only CHANGE in buoyancy is about 6# of air. A T-shirt just doesn't lose much buoyancy.

In cold water my wetsuit loses, perhaps, 20# of buoyancy at depth and I also need to account for 8# of air. A 30# wing is JUST enough.

Work out your lift requirements with Tobin. Getting the right wing is critical to the success of the BP/W concept. The same wing will not serve all purposes.

That is one of the failings of the BC concept. The flotation is generally MUCH more than required.

Richard

 

[Blue Sparkle]

but if you insist:
(Oxycheq wing)

with this:
(Oxycheq backplate)

BP/wing divers are a very small but hugely vocal group. Probably 98% of all scuba divers do NOT use a plate. Well, good luck, hope it all works out for you. A big, bent metal plate (that was originally intended for doubles) tied on your back in the tropics, after you have figured out how to get it there, is not, IMO, ideal. YRMV. Adios.

Nemrod,

Did I put you off somehow? I'm not trying to "insist" that I use a BP/W. I'm trying to explore it as an option. I was hoping to hear a bit more about why you thought a BC would work better for me. I haven't yet purchased anything. I'm a detail person, and I like to know why I'm buying something, and then look into which version (of whatever it is) I think would be best for me and my situation.

After looking up a lot of older threads here, and visiting many manufacturers websites, I figured it would be good to hear from actual divers and get their experienced reasoning.

Thanks,
B.

PS: I probably should have mentioned that I'm not much of a flyer. Not saying I'll never fly, but packability for it is not a priority.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Jim,

Thanks for the mention of the Zeagle Express Tech. I had read another diver's review of it here and it does look nice.

The main concern that came to mind for me is that I didn't see where it came in a "short" women's size, and most people have a lot more space than I do between their shoulders and their hips.

I think that a crotch strap might help, but then, if possible, I (think) I'd rather get something that's the right length to begin with (and then still use a crotch strap - it's not that I have anything against using one).

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod,

Did I put you off somehow? I'm not trying to "insist" that I use a BP/W. I'm trying to explore it as an option. I was hoping to hear a bit more about why you thought a BC would work better for me. I haven't yet purchased anything. I'm a detail person, and I like to know why I'm buying something, and then look into which version (of whatever it is) I think would be best for me and my situation.

After looking up a lot of older threads here, and visiting many manufacturers websites, I figured it would be good to hear from actual divers and get their experienced reasoning.

Thanks,
B.

No, you did not "put me off" and sorry if it seemed that way. It is just my way, I am what I am . Truly, good luck with your adventure.

N

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Whew!

I think it was the "Adios" at the end that really got me

And I am interested your reasons for why a BC would be better for me, if you care to share them.

I get what you're saying about the BP being developed for stabilizing double tanks, and so maybe it's overkill (or just not optimum) for single tank warm-water diving. I'm just attracted to the idea of the fit, the modularity, the lack of "pre-decided by other people" frills, and -- especially -- the lack of bulk where I don't have any spare room on my torso. But I'm still very open to other options.

The modularity part is less about my near-future diving (which will probably all be pretty similar), and more about my being a new diver whose tastes will probably develop and change. Because of that I was thinking that with a more modular system I might be able to tweak and add/subtract without having to start from scratch. But I don't *know* that; I'm just surmising.

B.

PS: Is this the type of thing you had in mind? (See Pic)

It's a Zeagle Scout BCD in size small. About $220 new or $195 on sale, lightly used. It has 24# of lift. But if I decide I want something else (more lift, less bouyancy, etc.), I guess I would have to start over from scratch (?)

What does the extra waist strapping do for me? On the downside, I know that what will happen is that the lowest part of the (wide) strap will move upwards until it sits on my waist. So I think that the wider (taller) the strap is, the more everything rises up (hello armpits!). But what are the plusses of such a strap?

 

[Nemrod]

Whew!

I think it was the "Adios" at the end that really got me

And I am interested your reasons for why a BC would be better for me, if you care to share them.

I get what you're saying about the BP being developed for stabilizing double tanks, and so maybe it's overkill (or just not optimum) for single tank warm-water diving. I'm just attracted to the idea of the fit, the modularity, the lack of "pre-decided by other people" frills, and -- especially -- the lack of bulk where I don't have any spare room on my torso. But I'm still very open to other options.

The modularity part is less about my near-future diving (which will probably all be pretty similar), and more about my being a new diver whose tastes will probably develop and change. Because of that I was thinking that with a more modular system I might be able to tweak and add/subtract without having to start from scratch. But I don't *know* that; I'm just surmising.

B.

I gotta get going for the afternoon but, I read between the lines on your posts and probably made some assumptions, you said you were up north, mentioned the east coast and Minnesota and then said you loved to dive in warm, tropical places so I assumed you needed equipment that would be portable.

Definitely, if you have technical aspirations or see yourself becoming a serious sport diver then you are right to look the BP/wing offerings.

You are right, much of the equipment on the market now is over fluffed, poorly designed, bulky and fits poorly. Do you want weight integration, most BP/wing divers use a weight belt, whereas most BCs now have weight pockets built in.

Also, I am sorry, I will be flamed for it, wings do tilt you over on the surface and do not usually have the ability to float your head as high as a jacket BC. I often dive with a camera so my hands are full and I like knowing my wife is sitting pretty and high enough to breath without every wave washing over her as she paddles to keep from tilting face down without me rescuing her every other minute.

BCs that have "tropical", "rear inflate", "light weight" or "travel" etc in the description are often not as fluffy and over designed. Also, you might consider some of the more classic, non weight integrated BCs like the Scuba Pro Stabilizing Jacket, a perennial favorite of many divers for decades.

The truth is you will possibly wind up with more than one set of equipment, sorry, my wife has three BCs, I have--well--several. It is just hard to shoehorn yourself into a one size fits and does all.

Diving off that sailboat in the tropics, truth is, you don't need any BC, wing, nothing. People dived for decades without and still do, you can be just as free, streamlined and "fish like" as you were snorkeling.

N