Petite female bcd..From Back inflate to ?

[aquacat8]

Why do you think you couldn't ditch the weight belt if it was under the harness? You'd just have to release two buckles instead of one.

Good point!

 

[uncfnp]

@aquacat8 (or anyone interested)

 

[uncfnp]

Here is a picture of mine. rigged with one piece harness and weight pockets. 18 lb VDH wing. Hard to see but the shape of the plate is slightly different...

 

[tbone1004]

You are so right! If I get a backplate I would like to set it up like this. Unfortunately as I am 5’3” there is not room for two things around my waist. A rubber Freediving belt is what I want to try there, and I’m trying to figure out how to rig a BC harness without a waist stap, but maybe with a crotch stap... has anyone done this?

to follow up on what @ams511 said.

How do we store stuff, and what do we use.

Weights-we don't usually use any lead with steel plates and tanks. If I need to, I use a weight belt. Two ways to put them on. One is to put it on first *preferred*, and then put the rig on over it. Ditching it is hard, but you should never have to ditch it. Ditchable weights are ridiculous and should only ever be ditched at the surface in the event of a total BC failure *which should never happen*. If that happens, take the rig all the way off so you can manipulate it to hold air and you can hug it in front of you which is a lot more comfortable, but again this is like a lost at sea type circumstance, not the norm. If you are that concerned, you put the full rig on, bend over and put the weight belt on afterwards *what I do if I have to demo weight belt removal skills*.

Lights-at 5'3" you can still put lights on your shoulder straps. With the new backup lights being as short as they are, you aren't trying to put a big 3-c cell light on there.

Pockets-I personally only carry one pocket with me. I do not have pockets on my drysuit because I dive sidemount. On my backplates, I use a vertical bellows pocket on my left hip to hold some cave/tech specific stuff. Wetnotes, safety spool, pocket mask when on CCR, extra backup light, spare double enders, Nautilus lifeline and my dsmb *tiny one from DSS* if in the ocean, etc. I use a butt pouch in sidemount for the same items. Single pocket, has a loop of line in it so everything is clipped off, no need for multiple storage pockets because you just don't need that much stuff.
Big dsmb's can just clip off to the rear crotch strap d-ring. I clip that or a lift bag to my left hip d-ring before hopping in so I can sit, then move it to the rear crotch strap d-ring once in the water
For recreational dives, you don't need wetnotes, a wrist slate or nav slate is more than sufficient. Don't need a pocket mask, certainly don't need backup lights, etc. If you have a pocket on there, great, but I don't have one on my Freedom plate which is single tank only and don't intend on putting one on there.
If you don't like that because of real estate on your waist, glue a pocket on your wetsuit if you use a single suit most of the time.

 

[aquacat8]

Very cool pics and info! Thank you!

 

[a492levy]

I would check out the Diverite Transpac. It's like a hybrid BP/W because it doesn't have a hard plate like a traditional BP/W. It has a BP sort of but it's like a very stiff vinyl. I bought it to travel with because it folds up very nicely and is lightweight. There is very minimal drag associated with it and you can also get it with weight pockets. I use it with a drysuit in cold water and in a 3mm in the summer. The other nice thing is you can change the wing out to the size that you need just like a traditional BP/W. I have never had any problems with venting air from it like you mentioned which I have had too with the traditional BC.

I just spoke / dove w/ a fellow dive volunteer who has a dive rite transpac and really likes it. Now considering this one again/ we may get a great discount thru the aquarium where we dive regularly. I looked at the product list and confused what I would purchase bc all components are separate, right? Harness, cam strap, crotch strap, weight pockets, air cell? Then they list transpac "packages" with travel or voyager wings, I am thinking with the type of diving I do the travel is enough (XT vs EXP?).Prob the EXP is fine.

 

[al248005]

I just spoke / dove w/ a fellow dive volunteer who has a dive rite transpac and really likes it. Now considering this one again/ we may get a great discount thru the aquarium where we dive regularly. I looked at the product list and confused what I would purchase bc all components are separate, right? Harness, cam strap, crotch strap, weight pockets, air cell? Then they list transpac "packages" with travel or voyager wings, I am thinking with the type of diving I do the travel is enough (XT vs EXP?).Prob the EXP is fine.

I purchased mine through a package. The EXP is more than fine. I have the Voyager wing but have used the travel also number us times. Can't go wrong with either.

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

Don't mean to threadjack here but I have two petite ladies that I dive with personally. Both around 5' 2", weight I'm not sure of nor stupid enough to ask....that really like the #18 Argonaut wing. I have them on order and expect to have them back in the store in about 3 weeks. A petite size backplate I can't help you with but it looks like you have some good advice already on those.

 

[uncfnp]

Don't mean to threadjack here but I have two petite ladies that I dive with personally. Both around 5' 2", weight I'm not sure of nor stupid enough to ask....that really like the #18 Argonaut wing. I have them on order and expect to have them back in the store in about 3 weeks. A petite size backplate I can't help you with but it looks like you have some good advice already on those.

Another 5’2 female that loves the Argonaut VDH wing. It’s pictured with my plate in post #43 above.