BC for a woman?

[akscuba]

Hi all,

I hope this thread isn't redundant, but I didn't see any others like it. I'm looking to purchace my first BC, and unfortunately, although it would be ideal for me to be able to try all of them before I buy, my local dive shops do not rent all of them.

I am undecided between a back infalation of jacket style BC, but will be able to try back inflate within a week, so I should be able to decide then.

What I'm hoping for is that you folks can give me some thoughts on models you have liked, esp if you are a small woman. I don't need a woman's BC necessarily, but it does need to be for cold water, and I like a lot of lift (therefore, not the deva) Since I don't know between back inflate or jacket, I would love your opinions on good models for small women in both styles.

Any thoughts would be really appreciated!

also, I want to buy a reg. aqualung has a great deal for this month where you can get an octo thrown in with the reg for the same price. Does anyone have any bad stories about aqualung which might stop me from taking this deal? thanks!

 

[DiveMaven]

I'm not sure what you mean by "a lot of lift", but if you do decide that you want to go back inflate, you'll definitely want to try a Zeagle Zena. The Zena has 34 pounds of lift which should easily be enough for cold water diving. It is also modular in design, so you should be able to get a custom fit. If you can't find Zeagle locally, give Larry at ScubaToys a shout, he'll get your measurements and build a Zena for you to ship for you to try on. He has by far the best prices and customer service that I've experienced.

There's quite a thread about how Aqualung treats it's dealers (not so well), but my husband dives with an Aqualung Legend and likes it a lot.

 

[CaseyS]

I have tried the jacket style and back inflation BCs. Because of my smaller size, I preferred the back inflation. There was so much material around my chest with the jacket style that I felt crowded around my arms, and I couldn't put my arms all the way to my side. I still preferred the Halcyon Eclipse over everything I used. It was easy to move around in and it helped me with my trim in the water. The 30 lb Eclipse is plenty of lift for me, I haven't had to fully inflate it on a dive yet. Hope this helps! If you need any suggestions for a good wetsuit, just send me a PM!

 

[JodiBB]

DM...how did I kknow you'd be here to jump in so quickly??

I also have the Zena...while I haven't used it yet (just got it this week), just putting it on, you can feel the difference in weight, support and comfort compared to other BC's! I agree with DM, you have to try one of these on and see if you won't be sold!

 

[James Leggett]

My wife is also an instructor. She has had a Scubapro Classic for years and loves it. She finds it comfortable and perfectly fitting, though not made exclusively for women.
If you have problems putting your arms to your sides, drop some lead - you won't need to inflate your bcd, and thus the end of your problem. Too many people are overweighted. I blame us instructors, we overweight during training so our students dont float away, and never seem to correct the problem!

 

[jmps]

I just went shopping with my daughter for a BC. After trying three or four BCs she ended up with the Sherwood Luna based on fit. It is a jacket and works great for her. She likes the feel on the surface.

I prefer BI and dive a SeaQuest Balance. For sure don't buy a BC until you try a BI. They are so much more comfortable and open IMHO. SeaQuest has a women's version much like the Balance. I know several women who dive the Zena and love it.

Enjoy the new BC.

 

[Zak OHara]

You should take a look at the Mares "Kaila" BCD. Specifically designed for women by women. We launched this BC in the Fall of last year. Here is a link from todays Dive Newswire re: some unsolicited consumer feedback about the BCD. http://www.divenewswire.com/NewsITems.aspx?newsID=8089 I've found it fits most women extremely well. Very Comfortable and lots of lift, 41lbs in large. Features and benefits relative to other womens products in the same category make this an incredible value as well. MSRP is $480.00.

http://www.mares.com/product_detail.php?id=91&region=USA is the direct link to the Kaila BC on the Mares website.

Happy shopping,

Zak

 

[laserdoc]

Go with a Zena. Besides it has that cool looking Zeagle name on it. You do want to look good don't ya

 

[DiveMaven]

DM...how did I kknow you'd be here to jump in so quickly??

I also have the Zena...while I haven't used it yet (just got it this week), just putting it on, you can feel the difference in weight, support and comfort compared to other BC's! I agree with DM, you have to try one of these on and see if you won't be sold!

I'm bucking to be ScubaBoard's official Zena spokeswoman!!

Isn't it great that there are so many choices now for women?? It seems like when I was looking for my BC that my choices were either a Diva or Zena. Unfortunately, I bought the Diva without trying the Zena first, and less than 10 dives later I was selling my Diva on ebay and buying a Zena from Larry at ScubaToys.

Although I really think the Zena is the best thing since sliced bread, ultimately I just want to encourage women to try on as many BCs as possible prior to deciding which one to buy.

JodiBB, I can't wait to hear how your first dive goes with your Zena. :blinking:

 

[SparticleBrane]

I have tried the jacket style and back inflation BCs. Because of my smaller size, I preferred the back inflation. There was so much material around my chest with the jacket style that I felt crowded around my arms, and I couldn't put my arms all the way to my side. I still preferred the Halcyon Eclipse over everything I used. It was easy to move around in and it helped me with my trim in the water. The 30 lb Eclipse is plenty of lift for me, I haven't had to fully inflate it on a dive yet. Hope this helps! If you need any suggestions for a good wetsuit, just send me a PM!

As it turns out, you've actually only tried out jacket-style and bp/w. You've never used a back-inflate BC. And I seriously hope you NEVER have to fully inflate it, unless perhaps you're bringing a boulder up with you.

That being said I also prefer my Eclipse. A bp/w setup is infinitely adjustable so it will fit almost any body size and shape.