BC question

[Brian Sharpe]

When I did my confined water portion of my OW the students were all wearing jacket style BCs while the instructor wore his Zeagle Ranger (back inflate). Being somewhat rotund I hated the jacket style BC and bought my own back inflate BC before I did the open water dives. I never once felt like I was being pushed face first into the water.

I have since switched to a BP/W (which is an option you may want to consider - and less $$ than many BCs) which I've found distributes the weight on your body better (effectively you're moving weight from your belt to your back).

Take your time and try a few different models before committing to the purchase, if possible try out a BP/W. It's much better to buy the right gear the first time 'round (I may have a slightly used Zeagle Stiletto for sale soon!)

 

[Jerzi]

Thanks for all the great replies guys, really appreciated.

ScubaRich: haha, thanks for the tip. They are all really great instructors, but it kinda threw me for a curve ball when someone who has been diving for so long wouldn't use the most comfortable and reliable equipment. I'm guessing they were just using the jacket BCs for such a long period of time they are more comfortable in them.

Cam: Awesome post, thanks. I haven't purchased anything yet for my set except for Dive Boots and a pair of zoom fins. I had a mask and snorkel that was bought down in key west for a snorkeling trip, ran into a 5 foot cuda off a snorkeling boat just stalking to see what was going on I guess. I think my buddy throwing up at the back of the boat must of brought a lot of fish in. I also came about 3 foot from a bull shark I believe snorkeling at smathers beach down there, he was just chilling out on the bottom looking right at me not moving an inch. Kind of shocked me since I didn't think I would bump into a shark. My eyes just real big and I was like uhh that's a shark. He didn't move an inch just sat there and I just swam away...really wishing I had a camera at the moment.

I'm all about getting the right gear, that fits me best and what is most comfortable, not someone saying this is the one that will work the best for you and your skill level.

I've been narowing down my search and want to check out the:

Aeris Elite and Epic x3 Hoseless computers still with a backup guage setup in case something fails.

Aeris Air link inflater Octo

Mares Pegasus bcd

Still working on the list for a reg, first stage, wetsuit etc.

Kevin: Yes, I felt the pitch at first and understood what they were talking about. It was easily corrected within a few seconds.

 

[paddler3d]

Like everyone else said, if you over inflate a back inflate BC, they tend to put you face forward, but as Walter pointed out it is really a non issue.

I'm going to throw in my $.02 here. I HATE the octo inflater combos. What I hate about them is you are donating your primary reg to the stressed diver and that primary is on a real short hose. They are short to the point where you can barely see, let me rephrase that, you can barely make eye contact with your buddy.

I know that they eliminate a hose on your rig. They it removes one less dangly from your rig.

I prefer the traditional octo over the octo inflater.

I wish a long hose primary with the backup bungeed on a short hose around your neck become the standard.

Check out other systems if you haven't yet.

As for the backup guage, get one, but put it in your save a dive kit. You're getting the AI intergrated computer so you have one less dangly. If the AI aspect of you computer craps out on a dive, end the dive. You're computer will be beeping at you something awful anyway. Put the back up guage on for your second dive. As you get more dives, you'll develop the knowledge and intuition that the computer is telling you about your gas.

Put more information in your profile about where you live and people can help make suggestions about regs.

Buy right the first time so you only buy once.

Good luck.

 

[SolarStorm]

I just completed my OWD (for the 2nd time, did it the 2nd time with my daughter for the review) This time I had it in mind that I might buy our own gear. During the class I asked to try different BC's. I had always used a jacket style before. I did the first couple of pool sessions with a back inflate. Struggled a bit at first because it was different. Yes it was easier to get my face in the water, but it didnt "dump me on my face". Tried the jacket again, look to getting back to old reliable. That was enough for me. I was sold on the back inflate. And that is what I bought. My daughter hated the back inflate. She gave it a good try, but in the end, said she liked the jacket. I would worry about an instructor that is dead set against one equipment style or another without a technical reason.

 

[RonFrank]

I did not have to read far to find the expected BP/W suggestion, exactly one post!

Back Inflate BC systems are great. However the reality is that most experienced divers don't put much air in the BC, which is what makes diving a Jacket style less of an issue.

I use a Zeagle Stiletto (Back Inflate) for my warm water diving. I use a BP/W for my cold water diving for one reason, and that is because it has a heavy steel BP and STA which takes about 12lbs off my weight belt.

I am a big advocate of Back inflate BC's, but honestly my back inflate Zeagle dives very similar to my BP/W. The BP/W is a good system, but I kinda like having no weight belt, and pockets on the BC.

 

[ScubaRich]

Like everyone else said, if you over inflate a back inflate BC, they tend to put you face forward, but as Walter pointed out it is really a non issue.

I'm going to throw in my $.02 here. I HATE the octo inflater combos. What I hate about them is you are donating your primary reg to the stressed diver and that primary is on a real short hose. They are short to the point where you can barely see, let me rephrase that, you can barely make eye contact with your buddy.

I know that they eliminate a hose on your rig. They it removes one less dangly from your rig.

I prefer the traditional octo over the octo inflater.

I wish a long hose primary with the backup bungeed on a short hose around your neck become the standard.

Check out other systems if you haven't yet.

As for the backup guage, get one, but put it in your save a dive kit. You're getting the AI intergrated computer so you have one less dangly. If the AI aspect of you computer craps out on a dive, end the dive. You're computer will be beeping at you something awful anyway. Put the back up guage on for your second dive. As you get more dives, you'll develop the knowledge and intuition that the computer is telling you about your gas.

Put more information in your profile about where you live and people can help make suggestions about regs.

Buy right the first time so you only buy once.

Good luck.

I agree 100%, Octo / inflators are junk.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I did not have to read far to find the expected BP/W suggestion, exactly one post!

Back Inflate BC systems are great. However the reality is that most experienced divers don't put much air in the BC, which is what makes diving a Jacket style less of an issue.

I use a Zeagle Stiletto (Back Inflate) for my warm water diving. I use a BP/W for my cold water diving for one reason, and that is because it has a heavy steel BP and STA which takes about 12lbs off my weight belt.

I am a big advocate of Back inflate BC's, but honestly my back inflate Zeagle dives very similar to my BP/W. The BP/W is a good system, but I kinda like having no weight belt, and pockets on the BC.

I have them all. I dont see the bp/w to be the miracle either.

 

[Jerzi]

Ok, let me make it clear that the instructor wasn't dead set against the back inflate, they just told me why they didn't use them. I just figured that it must push you over pretty hard if they weren't using them. I would of liked if they offered the option of either, but I guess it's much easier to train someone with the setup you're most comfortable with and have used.


I was thinking that without a hose for the octo it would give less things for a panicked diver out of air to grab onto or try and rip away from me even on accident.

Maybe I'm weird ,but I like to think about every situation that could occur while diving so I'm prepared for it, if it ever does happen.

I've been in the water most of my life swimming, snorkeling etc. even would hop back into the tub with my pajamas on because I wasn't done playing in the water yet. I've seen panicked people in the water and they are very unpredictable. I guess you need to find a dive buddy you're comfortable with because some of these people I've seen training in the OW classes become very panicky even when they take off their mask underwater and rush to put it back on like they are going to die if they don't get it back on in a split second with the clear.

I'll see if they have one I could try out on the open water this weekend at A springs and devils den after I pass my test tonight.

 

[idocsteve]

Jacket style BC's are bulky and uncomfortable as compared to rear inflate BCs. You just can't beat the feeling of freedom and flexibility, and I have found buoyancy and trim to be much more easily achieved with this set up.

It concerns me that instructors will allow their own personal preferences to bias their teaching. What if most students blindly followed their instructors recommendations and never experienced anything new?

Regarding the BCD/Octopus combination. I like my gear streamlined and minimal. I've got only two hoses, having eliminated the octo and the guage cluster by using an air integrated wrist computer.

Sure in an air sharing emergency it's going to be "inconvenient" but heck most emergencies ARE. The primary reg isn't THAT short...plus the odds of being in that situation are slim to none and I'd prefer to enjoy my dives by streamlining my gear as much as possible. Then again I'm a solo diver for the most part (when diving in the NE Atlantic) so my odds of being in an air sharing situation are slight, and when I do dive as a buddy pair in tropical destinations I'll usually carry a spare air which would definitely help.

 

[paddler3d]

I was thinking that without a hose for the octo it would give less things for a panicked diver out of air to grab onto or try and rip away from me even on accident.

The reality is they are going to grab the thing in your mouth, if they haven't shot to the surface yet. After all the thing in your mouth is working. That is why, if you were taught using the octo/inflator method, donate your primary.

The traditional octo is typically worn in the triangle section of your body. It is typically bright yellow. Both you an a OOG diver can see it. If an OOG diver grabs the octo, that is better for you than if they grab the one out of your mouth. If they signal OOG, you would donate your octo and continue to breath of the one in your mouth. The negative side of this is there is no guarantee that the octo is going to function. That is the reality. An OOG diver may not have the presence of mind to deal with that and they're going to take your primary.

The long hose technique is you have your primary reg, which is the same quality, if not the same model as your secondary reg (we're talking about the 2nd stage here), on a long (5-7') hose. In general terms the long hose come under your right arm, across your chest, around the back of your head and to your mouth. You're secondary is on a short hose and you wear it dangling under your chin. The OOG diver is given you're primary, which is working because you were breathing on it, and you simply put the secondary in your mouth and breath. If it is the same quality, and even model, as your primary, and knowing that you will have to use it in a OOG situation, it is likely going to function becuase you likely have maintained it better.

So now the OOG diver is breathing off of the long hose primary. You can now actually face each other comfortably, swim comfortably, ascend, descend, do what ever you need, comfortably.

I'm going to reiterate. I really don't like the octo/inflater combo. They aren't comfortable and you're already in a stressed situation.