BC materials

[KatherineLee]

Is there a big difference between a 1600 denier nylon/cordura vs 440 in BCs? And than the double bladder wings for ultimate toughness. Is it really necessary for recreational diving/a peace of mind or just marketing when making a purchase decision? Thanks.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Double bladder wings are not tougher. Just bigger and more expensive which does not always mean better. Most bc's are more than rugged enough for recreational diving with a little care and thought. If you start going into caves, wrecks, etc then I would say material can be a deciding factor but then again I personally would not take a recreational bc into either. Stuff like coral and rocks can be hard on a bc but you should not be hitting that stuff anyway! What specifically are you looking at in terms of a bc. Your mention of wings would indicate a BPW. If so just about every one out there is made to last. I personally prefer Deep Sea Supply and have two of them. But HOG, Oxycheq, Golem Gear, Dive Rite, and if you have lots o money Halcyon all make great products. OMS has been around a long time but they have a rep for poor service and their bungeed wings are a whole nother discussion.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

There probably is a difference in tensile strength and abrasion resistance when comparing the two materials (1600 vs. 440 Denier nylon). Will this translate into a "tougher" BCD? I don't know. I'm sure that a BCD made from either material will last a very long time, so long as the item is properly maintained and stored.

Double bladder wings are designed to serve as a redundant buoyancy control system. It is thought that if one bladder is punctured, the other bladder can then be used. Unfortunately, most bladders are punctured due to pinch-flats and it's possible that both bladders could be punctured by the same event. Arguably, a better way to set up a redundant buoyancy system is to dive with both a BCD and a drysuit. You'll have to decide for yourself which configuration makes more sense. IMHO, I think a single 22mm thick bladder is more than sufficient for a BCD bladder. If this is covered by an abrasion-resistant cordura-like material, that should be good enough. For standard open water recreational diving I don't think double bladder wings are necessary. In fact, some might argue that they are never a wise choice.

Hope this info helps...

 

[rstofer]

Then there is the OxyCheq Mach V Extreme wing:
YouTube - OxyCheq Mach V Extreme Wing

I think my DSS LCD-30 will be just fine. But still...

Richard

 

[scubafanatic]

well, the heavier fabric/cordura will wear better, but will add weight to the BC, which can be a factor with airline weight restrictions. Are you 'rough' on your gear (dive a lot, throw gear in back of truck, shore dive, drag/scrape gear) ? Do you want a longer lasting BC or can you afford to swap them out without $ really being an issue? Are you petite such that having the lightest gear that you have to handle is important to you ?