BC for a 12 year old

[krjohnson]

My youngest son received his certification this past summer (12 dives). He has all of his own equipment except for a BC and wetsuit. The wetsuit is simple and I probably will not get much more than two dive seasons out of it. The BC is another question, as this is a major expense I am looking into a BC that might grow with him over the next 6 years.

Right now he is 5’ 1” and about 90lbs but if he follows his brother he should be 5’ 10” 160 lbs by the time he turns 18.

I dive with the Scubapro Classic BC and my son was trained on one, but this is not an adjustable BC and he will probably out grow it within a couple of years.

As I am a new diver ( 50 dives) I am a little apprehensive of equipment that is different than mine as all of his diving would be with me, mostly in quarries with some fresh water and in the future salt water.

My question is, are their any BC’s that would grow with him over the next 6 years and what kind of training issues could I expect to run into while diving with him?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[Mafiaman]

I bought my Nephew (11 years old) a Oceanic Isla on close out great price, I told him it was not a ladys BC but a small person BC, He's 4'8" about 80#. he has about 50 dives.

 

[TSandM]

Oh, I hate to be the first person to suggest it, but one of the great things about backplate and wing setups is that the simple, one-piece harness is infinitely adjustable, either between people at a given time, or for one person over time. Your son's probably slightly small for a medium plate right now, but probably not so small as to make it really uncomfortable, and it won't be long before it will fit him perfectly.

 

[Mafiaman]

And what make and model of this DIY BC do you recomend for a 12 year old TSandM?

 

[scarefaceDM]

Ah the never ending question..BC for kids soon to be teenagers

I went throught this with a few of my friends Kids...

I put my buddies 12 year old in a Back plate and wing. Now before you get all huffy. this is the reason for it.

It is adjustable and grows with the kid as he progresses in his diving. The only thing that would eventually need to be changed is the harness. and if ever he gets into serious diving and wants to doulles ( if ever ) he can just change the bladder.

This is what I did for my biddies kid..12 year old..now 13.
Halcyon Eclypse MC system. http://www.halcyon.net/mc/eclipse.shtml

Found a deal. A local dive shop was having a year end clearance...got 50% off retail. So a DEAL indeed.

He is set up for life basically. 30 lbs wing, 6 lbs SS back plate, STA of 6 lbs, ACB weight pockets( ditchable ). It has been fitted to him when he was 12 and now he grew again so it has been slightly adjusted. Itis the best system I found that is a one time buy and grows with the diver.

Give it some consideration when your shopping.

Safe dives

Stephen

 

[Doc Intrepid]

My youngest son received his certification this past summer (12 dives). He has all of his own equipment except for a BC and wetsuit. The wetsuit is simple and I probably will not get much more than two dive seasons out of it. The BC is another question, as this is a major expense I am looking into a BC that might grow with him over the next 6 years.

Right now he is 5’ 1” and about 90lbs but if he follows his brother he should be 5’ 10” 160 lbs by the time he turns 18.

I dive with the Scubapro Classic BC and my son was trained on one, but this is not an adjustable BC and he will probably out grow it within a couple of years.

As I am a new diver ( 50 dives) I am a little apprehensive of equipment that is different than mine as all of his diving would be with me, mostly in quarries with some fresh water and in the future salt water.

My question is, are their any BC’s that would grow with him over the next 6 years and what kind of training issues could I expect to run into while diving with him?

Thanks,

Keith

Much depends on you.

If you are actually suggesting that you want to invest in one single piece of gear that will fit a child through the process of gaining 70 lbs (which is nearly doubling what he weighs now) and 9" over the next six years, I know of no currently produced BC that is that flexible.

If you would prefer your son begin in a BC design similar to yours, then Mafiaman's advice is likely spot on: nearly any X-Small or XX-Small woman's BC will physically fit an individual of the stature you describe. Moreover, as Mafiaman describes its a BC for a "small person"...he can live with that.

But if you truly are seeking a BC that will last over the next 6 years with that much growth (and consider that the wetsuit won't go that far, nor a backpack, nor many other bits of gear for other sports such as skiing, boarding, or whatever) then a backplate and its harness is about the most infinitely adjustable option out there. There simply aren't that many other options available to you...you'll need to sell the earlier BC and replace it as your son grows.

What you ultimately decide to go with is going to be a function of what you're willing to invest in terms of dollars and time involved with selling X and replacing it with Y over the next six years.

(And yes, I raised two boys through this process...I'm familiar with the dilemmas...)

Best,

Doc

 

[Sam Miller III]

I have a "like new" Sea Tec Inflatable systems BC that is XS size and I would be willing to sell it at a reasonable price. It was used once or twice by daughter #4 who didn't care for diving and never used again. It has been stored inflated in the back of my dive locker.

If interested contact me,

SDM

 

[wunat]

Oh, I hate to be the first person to suggest it, but one of the great things about backplate and wing setups is that the simple, one-piece harness is infinitely adjustable, either between people at a given time, or for one person over time. Your son's probably slightly small for a medium plate right now, but probably not so small as to make it really uncomfortable, and it won't be long before it will fit him perfectly.

I would recommend this too.

 

[rakkis]

A Zeagle Concept II is a great, adjustable BCD for kids. Shoulder strap length can be extended about 6 inches or so. Cummerbund can adjust about 15 pants sizes. Weight integrated, back inflated. Modular components.

The built quality is phenomenal and the customer service and warranty are without equal.

www.zeagle.com for a local dealer.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Zeagle BC's are modular and I've noticed parts (shoulder harnesses, cumberbunds, etc) on eBay pretty cheap.

A BP/W is another solid choice, however being 5'1" he'll probably need a smaller plate to start (DSS and FredT have small plates). You'll be able to get away with the smaller plate until he is around 5'7". Plates and webbing are relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.

I comtemplated this a little over a year ago with my 13 now 14yo. I wouldn't go with a non-modular BC. Fortunately for me from a $ standpoint, I didn't go out and buy a BC and rented for awhile, turns out he doesn't like cold water shore diving; which is about 95% of the diving I do. He's grown almost 8 inches in the last 14 months and puts on weight, loses weight, puts in on, etc. etc. But if I were to do it, I would go the BP/W route because I wouldn't have needed to buy anything else, except perhaps some webbing which is cheap.

~Garrett