Looking for ideal BCD for small female, back inflate

[drbill]

I second those who are suggesting a soft harness and wing like the Transpac. I switched to the older ScubaPro X-Tek harness and never looked back. I use a 32# wing here in the States and a 20# wing when traveling to the tropics. It packs well when I travel. You can add weight pockets to it (although I don't). However mine does not have pockets.

 

[NZAnna]

What is it, exactly, about your current BCD that you don't like?

R..

The pocket integration system is very unstable....buying new gear is all on hold at the moment now anyway.....experienced immersion pulmonary edema (if you haven't heard of it, you should look it up - it affects otherwise healthy divers and can be fatal) and i'm now unsure of my return to diving :-(

 

[scubadada]

@NZAnna

Sorry to hear about your episode of IPE. You've likely seen the very good DAN articles Immersion Pulmonary Edema | The Heart & Diving - DAN Health & Diving and Alert Diver | Immersion Pulmonary Edema Some people are able to return to diving.

 

[a492levy]

For a minute I thought I'd written here, I have the aqualung libra ( I'm same size petite as OP) back inflate, loved it but a weight pocket just broke ( there was also an earlier recall on them but they were checked out.) Kind of disappointed to now have to try and replace that. Maybe invest in scuba pro? My last bc was oceanic had for many years not back inflate. Also diving mostly warm, traveling etc.

 

[Guitarcrazy]

I know you may not need it anymore, but my wife (5'4", 120#) uses the TUSA Selene Wing and she loves it. I can't remember if it is a Small or XSmall, but it works well for her. Here is a new one for sale on Ebay: Brand NEW in the Bag TUSA SELENE WING WOMENS BCD, Small | eBay

 

[StefinSB]

Deep Sea Supply in Pasadena/CAmakes a stainless backplate in “small”. Fits my wife, who is 5’3 perfectly. Add the appropriate wing (I would guess 26 or 30 pounds), a pocket if you like, and you are golden. One of my dive buddies bought a zena and hates it.

 

[Scubis]

Thanks, but as I do a bit of scuba travel I perfer to have an all-round BCD and travelling with a back plate doesn't appeal to me. I prefer the jacket style integrated weight/back inflate to getting a wing/BP and then having to add pockets and weights to this....so I can at least rule this out. They seem to be more expensive too....

What I am finding is that a lot of our stores have old stock, and so many of the BCDs aren't available here.
I have recently found the Aqualung Balance/Libra Buoyancy Compensator at a reasonable price as it is no longer made. Does anyone have and info on this one?

Some Aqualung styles dont go very small, and then some do but with very little lift...just trying to narrow down my search!

I have found a shop with Zeagle. But limited sizing....no new styles

Zeagle zena is a great BCD for women. Same reliability as the legendary Zeagel Ranger. My gf has a zena, we use it for coldwater 7mm as well as pur Caribbean trips. Also from a guy's perspective, women look great in Zenas. The looks are actually the next reason after reliability that i pushed my gf into this bcd. No regrets. The only downside is that she doesn't use it in her drysuit. Too many adjustments to deal with as you inflate deflate the drysuit and the front panal can get in the way of your drysuit inflator.

 

[BurBunny]

I'm just under 5' and understand your sizing difficulties. Even a BCD which offers shoulder adjustments doesn't always help with the short waist and proportions. I got a DSS wing and a "travel" backplate (a bit shorter and lighter at 8lb) and have never looked back. It's like diving naked. The stability I have in the water, particularly as a photographer, is so much superior to anything else I've ever tried, and for that alone is worth hauling the plate when I travel. I have 1 weight pocket on each tank strap, and one on each side of the waist strap and I'm good to go. Everything else hangs from D rings (safety sausage, light, etc.) Perfect balance.

I tested a BP/Wing first before I bought, as I was concerned about stability at the surface, ability to be belly-up underwater to catch the manta or sealion swimming over me (one can dream), etc. I feel more safe in the wing than I ever did in a "petite" BCD. Surprised the heck out of me. I can skim much closer to the sand, reef, whatever I want as my buoyancy is better controlled.

YMMV, but do seriously consider it. That said, if I hadn't tried the BP/Wing, the Transpac was the next in line. I felt the Zena was a bit too confining, actually.

 

[a492levy]

I'm just under 5' and understand your sizing difficulties. Even a BCD which offers shoulder adjustments doesn't always help with the short waist and proportions. I got a DSS wing and a "travel" backplate (a bit shorter and lighter at 8lb) and have never looked back. It's like diving naked. The stability I have in the water, particularly as a photographer, is so much superior to anything else I've ever tried, and for that alone is worth hauling the plate when I travel. I have 1 weight pocket on each tank strap, and one on each side of the waist strap and I'm good to go. Everything else hangs from D rings (safety sausage, light, etc.) Perfect balance.

I tested a BP/Wing first before I bought, as I was concerned about stability at the surface, ability to be belly-up underwater to catch the manta or sealion swimming over me (one can dream), etc. I feel more safe in the wing than I ever did in a "petite" BCD. Surprised the heck out of me. I can skim much closer to the sand, reef, whatever I want as my buoyancy is better controlled.

YMMV, but do seriously consider it. That said, if I hadn't tried the BP/Wing, the Transpac was the next in line. I felt the Zena was a bit too confining, actually.

Thank you this really has me intrigued !!I am going to try and demo one at some point, I see you are in Delray, just bought a second home there. For long weekends and vacations. Do you dive Blue Heron Bridge? btw now that I have posted this and expressed some of the venting issues I had with the Libra - I am being told the lift on it is too much for warm water and etc. I knew it would be a rabbit hole lol...

 

[BurBunny]

Thank you this really has me intrigued !!I am going to try and demo one at some point, I see you are in Delray, just bought a second home there. For long weekends and vacations. Do you dive Blue Heron Bridge? btw now that I have posted this and expressed some of the venting issues I had with the Libra - I am being told the lift on it is too much for warm water and etc. I knew it would be a rabbit hole lol...

Just moved back to Florida in November, and haven't been up to BHB yet. Have been so busy just took my reg in for servicing in Jupiter yesterday - haven't even been wet since I got back! Heading to Thailand in early April, but after I get return, won't be long before I hit that mecca of macro.

Let me know when you head this way. I'd be happy to show you my rig, and we might be able to figure out you trying it in the water. Our sizing is different, but we can adjust the webbing a bit and you can get a feel. That's one of the best things about a BP/W - the fit is truly custom, and the lift can be switched as easily as passing the tank straps out through one wing and through another with different capacity. Thicker wet suit? Just adjust the webbing a tad and off you go. Mix and match to what you need, not what the manufacturer thinks are good averages.