Any advice on a good yet simple BC?

[divnamite]

I think you just need to decide which style to go with first, jacket or BP/W. Personally, since you are not going to do tech diving soon, maybe a jacket is more than enough to meet your need. I'm not suggesting BP/W is not good, I just not sure if you can justify the cost (again, sometimes, you can get a better deal on it than jacket). Also, you might consider the cost of ownership, if your local dive shop carries warranty for a particular brand, then that would make your life easier. There are a lot of good BCD makers out there, ScubaPro, Zeagle, Seaquest, they are all good. There are some people that recommand the ScubaL (Trip-L) BCDs, they are cheap but well made. As for general consensus, I don't think anyone would go against ScubaPro or Zeagle BCDs.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Mislav,

Here's one of the simplest (and cheapest) BCs I've run across, but I haven't dove it. It's actually very similar to the BP/W that has been recommended.

Here's an on-line company that carries it, but I don't know if they would ship to Croatia. They also have good prices on add-on pockets and d-rings if you should need them. I haven't used them, either, so can't make a recommendation.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[mislav]

I think you just need to decide which style to go with first, jacket or BP/W.

I'm more inclined towards BP/W but if I was to decide now, I'd had to go with a jacket. I simply don't know enough about the BP/W setups to justify the purchase at this point.

Good luck in your quest.

Thanks for the link, info and good wishes.

From what I understand so far, it seems that there are no bad BCD features to be avoided, only personal preferences. Might as well go for the cheapest one and see what I like or dislike about it?

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

If you want a cheap yet very durable BC, go for the Aqua Lung Wave.

 

[Walter]

I'm looking for advice to avoid making a rookie mistake and buying some junk BCD....................................So, I want something simple that won't keep me from making a progress in my diving skills due to a faulty design or low quality. That's where you guys come in.

Why didn't you say so in the beginning? I thought you wanted a specific recommendation.

Things to look for in a BC:

1. No padding - Padding requires additional weight, yet compresses at depth so it no longer cushions. Additionally, air in a BC lifts the BCs weight off your back rendering padding redundant. Padding also increases drag, making dives in current more difficult and increasing your air consumption.

2. No cummerbund - Cummerbunds increase drag.

3. Dump valve at the highest point of the BC. - Inflate the BC and hold it up as if you were wearing it at the surface. Is the dump valve at the highest point? If not, look for a different BC. If it is, turn it as if you were swimming in a prone position. Is there a dump valve at the highest point? A good BC will pass both tests. If the dump valve is not at the highest point, it will trap air, requiring contortions to dump all the air or additional lead. A nice extra is a right shoulder dump valve and dump valves at the bottom.

4. No fabric covering of the bladder. - These BCs are sometimes called "bladderless" or "single bladder BCs." The fabric covering creates drag in current.

If you get a BC with those features, you'll have a good BC regardless of its style. Style (vest, back inflate, horse collar or BP/wing) is much less important than a good design and attention to details.

I don't think anyone would go against ScubaPro or Zeagle BCDs.

You would be wrong. IMO, Scubapro now makes one and only one BC I can recommend - the Scubapro Classic Sport. There was a time I would happily recommend any Scubapro BC. That time is past. I have yet to see a Zeagle BC I would recommend.

 

[evil_xander]

I'm looking for a BC without many bells and whistles. No weight integration, I prefer to wear a weight belt. I need something simple yet functional. Even dare I say - oldschool? I'm no expert in this by far, so any help with the brand and type is truly appreciated.

And now for something completly different...

Mislave, pogledaj malo SeacSub Comptek BC, model od pretprosle sezone, jednostavan, bez gluposti i ono najbitnije, kod nas kosta 1.900,00 kn.

http://www.inet.hr/~astancin/SeacSub_CompTek.jpg

Ako te nesto vise zanima, javi.

 

[divnamite]

Walter, I definitely not saying everyone likes ScubaPro or Zeagle, but I think majority of the people that use them like them. That being say, which one do you recommend then? From the look of things, you don't like cummberbund, i would guess you don't like integrated weight system also? I don't like Zeagle for weird personal preference reasons, but from all the reviews, I don't think I'll reject Zeagle from consideration.

 

[Walter]

I'm not against weight integrated BCs. Use 'em if you like 'em, there's nothing wrong with them. I don't like them for myself, but weight integration does not present problems with actually diving, it's merely a PITA when out of the water.

Zeagles have tons of padding, they have cummerbunds, they have double bladders - all things that create drag. They are very poorly streamlined. They are also very bad about trapping air. IMO, they are very poorly designed BCs.

I do recommend the Scubapro Classic Sport.

 

[djanni]

I'm not against weight integrated BCs. Use 'em if you like 'em, there's nothing wrong with them. I don't like them for myself, but weight integration does not present problems with actually diving, it's merely a PITA when out of the water.

Zeagles have tons of padding, they have cummerbunds, they have double bladders - all things that create drag. They are very poorly streamlined. They are also very bad about trapping air. IMO, they are very poorly designed BCs.

I do recommend the Scubapro Classic Sport.

Walter: Zeagles have a few ounces of padding, which is very nice actually, and the Stiletto, Brigade, Escape, Zena and Scout don't use double bladder's and I don't think the Ranger does either. As far as the cummerbund is concerned... your regulater hose would create more drag than a cummerbund.

Do you know Viking Diving in Pensacola? Tim is also a YMCA Instructor/Tech diver who dearly loves his beautiful Poseidon BeSea50. I bet he would love to discuss the pros and cons of different types of BCD's with you.

 

[SangP]

I'm more inclined towards BP/W but if I was to decide now, I'd had to go with a jacket. I simply don't know enough about the BP/W setups to justify the purchase at this point.


Thanks for the link, info and good wishes.

From what I understand so far, it seems that there are no bad BCD features to be avoided, only personal preferences. Might as well go for the cheapest one and see what I like or dislike about it?

Mislav,

I can only speak from personal experience. First I'm tall and skinny which means most standard bc would fit me like a tent LOL!

I only used a regular bc for 2 times and decided that I gotta use a bp/w. Ended up with a Halcyon Eclipse. Not being totally content with the Halcyon I got a couple of other plates and wings to compare... OMS, Hammerhead & Oxycheq.

Anyway, I'm very happy to have started using a bp/w from the very begining but in hingsight I would rather have gotten a bp/w from Oxycheq (which almost comes assembled) or DSS instead of the Halcyon because of the price.

If you are looking for really cheap bcs that you can chuck away after you have gotten some experience, try the stuff from scubal.com, they have bc that are as cheap as USD $150++ Their sizing seems to be on the large side though and I'm not so sure about the quality but at those prices you get what you pay for.

SangP