BCD for a very petite woman

[geoff w]

My wife is small, but not quite as small as you are. Every BC she dived in would slide around on her. Until she got a DiveRite TransPlate harness and steel backplate. She won't dive with anything else any more, and otherwise isn't at all into dive gear. We recently went to Palau for warm water diving, and I figured she would be overweighted with her regular steel backplate, so picked up the stainless steel DiveRite XT Lite backplate and another TransPlate harness. Added the DiveRite travel weight pockets and her single tank adapter and everything was great. You can also get a backplate pad so there isn't just the steel backpate against your back (my wife likes this). This works great for purely recreational diving, and my wife enjoys diving a lot more now than she used to

 

[WhiteSands]

Halcyon Eclipse with mini backplate.
The regular sized backplate will not fit you well if you have a butt.

 

[halocline]

The best way to get the tank really stable on your back is with a rigid backplate. Think of it this way: the tank is a cylinder and your back is (sort of) flat, so it's a little like a tank rolling around on the floor. If you attach a rigid backplate to the same tank and put it back on the floor, it stays put because the plate couples the round cylinder to the flat floor. I don't think your size has much to do with it except it's likely the BCs you've been using are too big.

So at least consider a backplate/wing set up. I would check out deep sea supply; the kydex plate, tropical size wing, and webbing harness will pack down to a very small size and be much lighter than most jacket style BCs. And it's a blast to dive with, much more comfy and streamlined than the disastrous poodle jackets people get talked into.

 

[Iralub]

The best way to get the tank really stable on your back is with a rigid backplate. Think of it this way: the tank is a cylinder and your back is (sort of) flat, so it's a little like a tank rolling around on the floor. If you attach a rigid backplate to the same tank and put it back on the floor, it stays put because the plate couples the round cylinder to the flat floor. I don't think your size has much to do with it except it's likely the BCs you've been using are too big.

I think part of it was the BC actually moving around my body, but as you say, the tank rolling would also be there. Part of the issue may be that my back is not as flat as would be ideal - I have kyphosis and lodorsis that, while not particularly severe, may make the tank roll worse.

I think I'll need to try a backplate to see whether the posture causes problems with a rigid plate - am wondering whether it would sit flat to my back or whether the posture would muck it all up.

Thanks for all the tips.

 

[wgw04024]

I will recommend again, try on a zeagle zena for a small petite body.

 

[halocline]

I think I'll need to try a backplate to see whether the posture causes problems with a rigid plate - am wondering whether it would sit flat to my back or whether the posture would muck it all up.

Thanks for all the tips.

I'm not sure about your particular posture/back issues, but in general the somewhat-flat plate fits very comfortably in the water on peoples' backs. It basically spreads out the point of contact between the cylinder and your back over a large area. Don't forget that your posture and the weight loading are completely different in the water than on land, so it's almost useless to try to evaluate a BC without using it on a dive.

As far as the BC moving around on your body, that's also partially a product of the tank not being held efficiently in place; the mass of the tank in an unstable position on your back actually drags the soft BC around, especially when you move or change direction or position. That would be in addition to the jacket simply being too large.

Best of luck!

 

[Iralub]

So, after looking at the various bcs, today I ended up in what I think was the only Melbourne store that carried an xs zena. And the fit was amazing - I'd say it fit like a glove, but gloves never fit me that well! Tried it with a tank on and there was no shifting the bc around my body or up/down. The lumbar support was super comfy for my back and, with the exception of the (removable) expandable pocket, it was instant love.

To top if off, the store was having a massive sale, so it was $150 off and cheaper than I could get from overseas. I figured it was destiny.

Can't wait to try it underwater :bounce4: