kulot
Registered
Hi, I just got certified and I'm looking to buy my own gear. I'm trying to decide whether to get the Dacor Elite or the Mares Ariel. Have any of you had any experience with either or both? Thanks. 
BC Question
- Thread starter kulot
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Hmmm can't say i do. I own a Scubapro Ladyhawk and I love it. It's a back inflate and it's the best thing ever out there in my opinion. It's really comfortable. some people don't like it cause it has only 1 pocket...that i don't care about as much since i'm not going to be putting alot of stuff in pockets. It's also weight intergrated.
Welcome to the board.
You have ask the great debate question on this board. You will get as many opinions as you get responces. The best advise is to rent and or borrow several differnet brands and more importantly styles and see which YOU like the best. There are 2 basic styles in use today, the jacket style and the back inflate. Most likely you learned in a jacket style. Many,if not most of the experienced divers on this board prefer a back inflate, myself included. These come in 2 basic types, the standard back inflate and the BP/wing. The standard back inflate is similar to the jacket style with adjustable shoulder straps and quick releaces. The main difference is that all of the inflation is in the rear of the BC and does not queeze you when the BC is fully inflated. The BP/wing is a metal plate that has a bladder attached and uses a continuous length of strap with no quick releaces. All have their advantages and disadvantages, which works best for you is up to you.
You have ask the great debate question on this board. You will get as many opinions as you get responces. The best advise is to rent and or borrow several differnet brands and more importantly styles and see which YOU like the best. There are 2 basic styles in use today, the jacket style and the back inflate. Most likely you learned in a jacket style. Many,if not most of the experienced divers on this board prefer a back inflate, myself included. These come in 2 basic types, the standard back inflate and the BP/wing. The standard back inflate is similar to the jacket style with adjustable shoulder straps and quick releaces. The main difference is that all of the inflation is in the rear of the BC and does not queeze you when the BC is fully inflated. The BP/wing is a metal plate that has a bladder attached and uses a continuous length of strap with no quick releaces. All have their advantages and disadvantages, which works best for you is up to you.
OP
kulot
Registered
Thanks for the input. It's all so confusing since everyone swears by what they've got. I've tried a jacket style BC in a resort on my discover scuba dive and I used a back inflated for my certification course. I can definitely say I like the back inflated much, much better. But even then there are so many choices. I hope the dive shops here will let me take some into the pool to try out.
Herman is right on when he says there are many choices in BCs. Please don't confine yourself to "women specific" equipment, though; go for the one that gives you the fit & features you want.
For example, the Ladyhawke is a well-known "female" back-inflate BC, but a Dive Rite can be customized even more. Also, there are hybrids, like the Aeris XT (mostly back with some side inflation).
Bonne chance,
For example, the Ladyhawke is a well-known "female" back-inflate BC, but a Dive Rite can be customized even more. Also, there are hybrids, like the Aeris XT (mostly back with some side inflation).
Bonne chance,
scubapro50
Contributor
I just purchased a new (used) BC off ebay last week. Wanted a Zeagle Ranger but didn't find one in my price range ... found a Seaquest with air source oct for $60 that's in great condition ... retails for about $500 new .... before you purchase any new equipment please read thread www.scubaboard.com/t70450-.html about certain scuba makers that are not honoring their written warranties
CUunderH2O
Contributor
I'll reiterate what others have said: try out the gear before you buy it. I was lucky that my LDS let me try out many different brands of BCs/regs before I made my purchases, and I'm glad I did. I also looked for opinions from others because there was such a huge variety to choose from, but ultimately, I chose what suited me best by experiencing it for myself. FWIW, I dive a Zeagle Ranger BC.
Parrothead_Diver
Contributor
My wife uses the Zeagle Zena and absolutely loves it.
She tried about 20 different BCD's, including mens, before she tried the Zena. Being a little on the, how shall I say this, "Curvy" side the Zena fit her best because it has adjustments at both the waist and hips, and is "modular" so that it can be custom fitted to each individual.
i.e. she ended up getting a medium sized BCD with a small front panel and small shoulder harness.
It fits her like a glove, and she says that it doesn't ride up on her like most other BCD's she has tried.
But like everybody has said, get what fits & works for you best.
She tried about 20 different BCD's, including mens, before she tried the Zena. Being a little on the, how shall I say this, "Curvy" side the Zena fit her best because it has adjustments at both the waist and hips, and is "modular" so that it can be custom fitted to each individual.
i.e. she ended up getting a medium sized BCD with a small front panel and small shoulder harness.
It fits her like a glove, and she says that it doesn't ride up on her like most other BCD's she has tried.
But like everybody has said, get what fits & works for you best.
Hi kulot,
Congratulations on your recent certification! When I finally purchased my own gear, I decided to go with the Dacor Elite. The gear I used for my certification was also a jacket style BC, but it was a unisex design (aka designed for men). There is a difference in the BC's geared towards women. With the Elite, I found that it fit my frame a lot better. Of the different ones I tried, I liked it the best. Also, I liked how the buttons for the inflator were positioned and sized. It also helped that it was cheaper than the others.
With the different rentals I've tried, they were always a bit too big (I'm just over 5'), and they didn't have enough adjustments to customize the fit to my body. I was always stuggling if I had to bend over and pick something up. Now, I can move around and bend over to get stuff. I do a lot of shore diving, so that's really important for me.
Like the others have already said, try a bunch of BC's to see what works for you. I think I went with a jacket style because I'm new to scuba, and it gives me a bit of a comfort zone. One thing is for sure, though - once you have your own gear, you will dive a lot more. Also, I think if you strick to the major and known names (eg. Sherwood, Genesis, Dacor, Mares, Zeagle, Scubapro, just to name a few), you can't go wrong. The stuff is going to work. It's like regulators, if they didn't work, they wouldn't be around, because the makers can't afford to have people dying while diving with their gear.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
Congratulations on your recent certification! When I finally purchased my own gear, I decided to go with the Dacor Elite. The gear I used for my certification was also a jacket style BC, but it was a unisex design (aka designed for men). There is a difference in the BC's geared towards women. With the Elite, I found that it fit my frame a lot better. Of the different ones I tried, I liked it the best. Also, I liked how the buttons for the inflator were positioned and sized. It also helped that it was cheaper than the others.
With the different rentals I've tried, they were always a bit too big (I'm just over 5'), and they didn't have enough adjustments to customize the fit to my body. I was always stuggling if I had to bend over and pick something up. Now, I can move around and bend over to get stuff. I do a lot of shore diving, so that's really important for me.
Like the others have already said, try a bunch of BC's to see what works for you. I think I went with a jacket style because I'm new to scuba, and it gives me a bit of a comfort zone. One thing is for sure, though - once you have your own gear, you will dive a lot more. Also, I think if you strick to the major and known names (eg. Sherwood, Genesis, Dacor, Mares, Zeagle, Scubapro, just to name a few), you can't go wrong. The stuff is going to work. It's like regulators, if they didn't work, they wouldn't be around, because the makers can't afford to have people dying while diving with their gear.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
Congrats on your certification!
Definitely try a bunch of BCs, what works well for others may not work well for you. Think of the type of diving you do and what features you'll need. I feel that I purchased my first BC before I really knew what I wanted (though I had done tons of research on all the BCs available). For example, I no longer like weight integration.
If possible, try as many styles and types of BCs in the water as possible. In water experience can be vastly different than on land fittings.
Ultimately, remember that you're diving the gear, so it's your own personal opinion that's the most important.
okay, for Mares/Dacor content, please really play around with the weight pockets. I didn't like the plastic nature of it, and had seen a broken one at a LDS. But I'm a sample of 1.
Definitely try a bunch of BCs, what works well for others may not work well for you. Think of the type of diving you do and what features you'll need. I feel that I purchased my first BC before I really knew what I wanted (though I had done tons of research on all the BCs available). For example, I no longer like weight integration.
If possible, try as many styles and types of BCs in the water as possible. In water experience can be vastly different than on land fittings.
Ultimately, remember that you're diving the gear, so it's your own personal opinion that's the most important.
okay, for Mares/Dacor content, please really play around with the weight pockets. I didn't like the plastic nature of it, and had seen a broken one at a LDS. But I'm a sample of 1.
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