Looking for ideal BCD for small female, back inflate

[АлександрД]

Good health to you! Hope you be able to return healthy diving life.

In the beginning I used very nice BCD Wing-style, but integrated. Oceanic Islander 2. It was very very comfortable. Unfortunatelly this model is EOL.

May be you be able to find it somewere in old stocks.

Now exists Biolite - make a look to that.
It has same pockets for dropable weights (no internal bags, you can drop just ledweight)
Unfortunatelly it has not normal pockets for loot.

 

[a492levy]

This one looked good to me too!

 

[a492levy]

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.

Thanks will be in touch, I will be there mid April for a few days, not diving, too many parent and in-law plans. Soon though

 

[a492levy]

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.

Hi - I am heading to Delray Oct 11 - 14th - hoping to dive BHB at that Fri or Sat. Have not dove it in years. Any interest? ALSO - I pulled the trigger on a Dive Rite travel pac, not sure I will have it in time for this trip ( I ordered thru the aquarium at a large discount - could not resist). I'll also be down in the coming months again. Look forward to getting in the water in FL again soon. Let me know if you are around ! Andrea

 

[BurBunny]

Hi - I am heading to Delray Oct 11 - 14th - hoping to dive BHB at that Fri or Sat. Have not dove it in years. Any interest? ALSO - I pulled the trigger on a Dive Rite travel pac, not sure I will have it in time for this trip ( I ordered thru the aquarium at a large discount - could not resist). I'll also be down in the coming months again. Look forward to getting in the water in FL again soon. Let me know if you are around ! Andrea

Hi Andrea! Glad to hear you're heading down! There's a possibility I could join you on Saturday. However, the head of my company is in Europe that week, which makes me on call at all times. Regardless, would love to meet you! -Amber

 

[Schwob]

Not wanting to highjack this thread, but several here chimed in and recommended or are using a Dive Rite transpac BCD. My wife falls in that XS size and weight class, recently got a used transpac, but has not tried diving in it yet... Any advise on how to add a cargo pocket (which kind), possibly two to that setup (in the XS-ish adjusted size) in addition to the weight pockets ? Is there enough room / space?
@al248005
@Dogbowl
@drbill
?

 

[Dogbowl]

Not wanting to highjack this thread, but several here chimed in and recommended or are using a Dive Rite transpac BCD. My wife falls in that XS size and weight class, recently got a used transpac, but has not tried diving in it yet... Any advise on how to add a cargo pocket (which kind), possibly two to that setup (in the XS-ish adjusted size) in addition to the weight pockets ? Is there enough room / space?
@al248005
@Dogbowl
@drbill
?

@Schwob, if your wife's waist is small, there will not be enough room for both waist weight pockets and storage pockets on the Transpac. On my last liveaboard trip with the Transpac, my husband and I both swapped out one of the Transpac included waist weight pockets for a Halcyon weighted bellows pocket. This bellows pocket has a zippered compartment on the inside that accepts a weight upto 5 lbs., so it is really a 2-in-1 weight and storage pocket. The one big downside to this bellows pocket is that it is REALLY expensive. However, I think the 2-in-1 function was worth it for us.

Here are some links to it:

Weighted Bellows™ Pocket - Halcyon Dive Systems

Halcyon Weighted Bellow Pocket

@Marie13 also has this pocket as she posted on it here: Tweaking Halcyon weighted bellows pocket

 

[Schwob]

@Schwob, if your wife's waist is small, there will not be enough room for both waist weight pockets and storage pockets on the Transpac. On my last liveaboard trip with the Transpac, my husband and I both swapped out one of the Transpac included waist weight pockets for a Halcyon weighted bellows pocket. This bellows pocket has a zippered compartment on the inside that accepts a weight upto 5 lbs., so it is really a 2-in-1 weight and storage pocket. The one big downside to this bellows pocket is that it is REALLY expensive. However, I think the 2-in-1 function was worth it for us.

Here are some links to it:

Weighted Bellows™ Pocket - Halcyon Dive Systems

Halcyon Weighted Bellow Pocket

@Marie13 also has this pocket as she posted on it here: Tweaking Halcyon weighted bellows pocket

Thanks. Thought it's tight...

I'll have a look at that pocket, but no promises.... so far I completely shunned the blue H pricing category...

Would you consider (your opinion) weight in there still releasable... or might it require emptying the pocket to some extent first?

 

[Stoo]

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....

Mrs Stoo is about the same size as you, and wears a drysuit at home. After some trial and error she/we concluded that one BC might not be suitable for both. She has a TUSA BCD, without integrated weighs for down south. (She plops about 6 pounds in the two pockets and is good to go. Up here, she uses a small wing with a stainless plate. I agree though, flying with a stainless plate wouldn't be a grand idea.

 

[Dogbowl]

Thanks. Thought it's tight...

I'll have a look at that pocket, but no promises.... so far I completely shunned the blue H pricing category...

Would you consider (your opinion) weight in there still releasable... or might it require emptying the pocket to some extent first?

I wouldn't consider the weight to be releasable.

And yes, I was rather shocked at the price of that pocket and I had to buy 2. I'm now impressed with it though. It makes so much sense to relieve clutter on the waistbelt. And since I use a long hose setup, the pocket is stiff enough for me to route the long hose under it, since I don't have a canister light.

Just as an aside...I might be switching to the Halcyon eclipse bp/w soon. I am having second thoughts about all that padding on the Transpac. It doesn't pack very well for travel and I think it requires extra weight to sink.