Bcd for daughter

[reeftosee]

Wing jacket? Where did that come from?

Apologies, I meant to write wing style BCD... I corrected it.

 

[Scraps]

Chiming in on the ripcord issue:

I'm not a fan of the ripcord--or of any other quick release system, for that matter.

I don't like bright, prominent handles that give divers the idea that yanking on them might solve any problems they have while diving.

There's a reason the emergency weight drop is taught as a surface skill. Removing weights at depth diminishes the likelihood of ascending at a safe rate.

Unless you are grossly overweighted and your BCD fails, it's hard to imagine a scenario when ditching weight is the right answer to any diving problem that occurs at depth. And if you do find yourself grossly weighted with a failed BCD, as long as you have gas, you have time to think and drop only small increments until you can begin swimming toward the surface.

I put my OW students in Zeagle Scouts. No rip-cord or quick release system. Zippered pockets in front, trim pockets in back. I want them to think about how much weight they put in and where they put it before the dive and during the weight check. And I want them think even harder before taking out any weight. This simple, inexpensive, reliable system keeps the weights secure and doesn't encourage rash actions.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

4.) Some Zeagles (at least as of a few years ago when I was looking into it) used a rip cord system for securing and releasing integrated weights. Some people valued that; I didn't like the idea of needing to rethread them, but if you think they sound more secure than plastic clips, it's something to think about.

I call those the Chamber Express, especially as si many divers are overweighted. I had one years ago. So glad I never had to dump weights.

 

[Belzelbub]

I call those the Chamber Express, especially as si many divers are overweighted. I had one years ago. So glad I never had to dump weights.

Why? Just the ripcord is the Chamber Express? Or just quick release in general?

I originally learned with a weight belt. I don’t see how the ripcord is different aside from location of the release.

I have around 90 some dives with my ripcord, and have never needed to dump weights, nor have I had an accidental release.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Why? Just the ripcord is the Chamber Express? Or just quick release in general?

I originally learned with a weight belt. I don’t see how the ripcord is different aside from location of the release.

I have around 90 some dives with my ripcord, and have never needed to dump weights, nor have I had an accidental release.

Ripcord. as people will have a lot of weight stuffed in those and off they go.

Having weight distributed is a far better way as it is safer. For those with integrated weights, ditching one at a time is a better way to go. Though I believe in the balanced rig, where weights are ditched at the surface only.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There has and still is a hype about wing style BCD's and backplates. I know a fair number of recreational divers who only use wings and backplates because it looks cooler, like it's made for technical diving.
Personally, I prefer the classic ADV Jacket style BCD for normal recreational diving, specially when teaching or taking photos. For technical diving that involves a lot of gear it's a bit different.
The main idea behind wing style BCD's is to provide you with lots of buoyancy, which is necessary when doing mixed gas dives or deep cave penetration dives that involve multiple cylinders. The other benefit of a wing type BCD is your (trim) position in the water. Due to the design of the BCD, your upper body will always tend to go in a horizontal position. However, this is not always a good thing. Examples are when you spend a fair amount of time at the surface or when you take photos and you try to shoot upwards. Of course, when teaching students, this is also not always the ideal position. With a classic ADV Jacket style BCD you can be in any position - horizontal, vertical, upside down,... You need to ask yourself what kind of dives you are planning to do. If you can try different designs this would be best to help you make the decision. If you want to take your BCD on holiday, do not get a heavy backplate!

In regards to brands, as Jim Larpenter said - all major equipment manufacturers make decent gear, other wise you wouldn't be in the market. However, there are definitely differences in quality between different manufacturers. And note that the price does not necessarily mean much about the quality. Most "rental series" BCD's for example are very heavy duty and robust as they are designed to be used everyday. They are also in the lower price range of every manufacturer.

When it comes down to weight integrated or not - nowadays it is actually difficult to find a classicJacket style BCD that is not weight integrated. It's not my preference but as drrich2 says, you don't have to use it. Just make sure it's a decent clip-in mechanism that is failsafe. I have seen many hundreds of weight pockets sliding out over the years, either because the clip-in mechanisms were not fully engaged (diver error), or the mechanism failed (typical with velcro systems when they get older).

BPWs do not push you face forward on the surface if you know what you are doing and are properly weighted. What pushes divers forward in any style of back inflate is being overweighted, improper position of the weights, and over inflating the wing. Many BPW users don't use them because they look cool. They use them because compared to some jackets with unnecessary padding and useless pockets and too many d rings, it's like diving an F16 compared to a C5 Galaxy. The latter gets the job done but it's big and bulky.
The other advantage to a BPW is once it's set up, it fits the same. Every time. No pulling and tugging on straps, trying to make use of d rings and pockets where a mfg. thinks they should be, and often having to fit yourself to it with compromises as opposed to it being a custom fit.
Then you have the advantage of it being modular so if the harness gets worn, you replace 15 bucks worth of webbing. Or put a new bladder in a wing that got punctured. Not buy a new BC. Which is another reason some dive shops don't like them. Less profit.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

BPWs do not push you face forward on the surface if you know what you are doing and are properly weighted. What pushes divers forward in any style of back inflate is being overweighted, improper position of the weights, and over inflating the wing.

When is this myth going to die?

 

[Belzelbub]

Ripcord. as people will have a lot of weight stuffed in those and off they go.

How is this unique to the ripcord?

I dive this system. Generally I use 2lbs in each ripcord pocket and 1lb in each trim pocket.

Poor training or poor practices are not the fault of this system, and not unique to it either.

Having weight distributed is a far better way as it is safer. For those with integrated weights, ditching one at a time is a better way to go. Though I believe in the balanced rig, where weights are ditched at the surface only.

Agreed. And weights can easily be removed one at a time with this system.

 

[kelemvor]

My daughter started with a Zeagle Zena. It's a great BCD, and cut correctly for women. Later she moved on to a backplate and wing (aka bpw). BPW really is ideal for pretty much anyone, but some people are more comfortable with a "standard" jacket bcd, the zena is quite good.

Edit: The ripcord system sucks as bad as people think it does. Zeagle should ditch this failure of a weight release system, or at least offer standard pouches as an optional upgrade.

I dive this system. Generally I use 2lbs in each ripcord pocket and 1lb in each trim pocket.

Poor training or poor practices are not the fault of this system, and not unique to it either.

Your weight release system should compliment how you want to dive, not dictate how you do it. As someone who has used both standard ditchable pouches and the zeagle system, I would say hands down the zeagle system is inferior. Zeagle's system may be superior to a weight belt, but inferior to more modern systems.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

How is this unique to the ripcord?

I dive this system. Generally I use 2lbs in each ripcord pocket and 1lb in each trim pocket.

Poor training or poor practices are not the fault of this system, and not unique to it either.

Agreed. And weights can easily be removed one at a time with this system.

Most people (from my statistically meaningless observations) stuff all their weights as ditchable. At least with integrated weights, people can ditch half their weights. It is likely to be a ride, just not as bad as the Chamber Express. I don't see trim pockets commonly used. Most divers have seahorse trim/finning.