BCD for woman with short torso and ample...

[HappyHonu]

bosom, as they would say back in the old days.

I dove a little bit back in 2006 and I am getting back into it because my husband finally agreed to get certified. He did and he loves diving and all the gear! Since he is a gear-hound, he is buying me a BCD (and just about everything else) for my two month trip to Maui starting in October. (I am thinking about moving there to study turtles next year.)

Does anyone have a recommendation? Here is some information that might help you...

-I am a 38DD with a short torso.
-I am overweight but hope to lose 20 pounds in the next three months.
-So far, unisex/mens' BCDs are uncomfortable and don't perform well for me. THey shift too much even when my breasts are being squeezed.
-I plan on doing a lot of tropical diving. I want to wear as little wetsuit as possible (I hate squeezing into them and I tend to overheat) so comfort of the straps is important. No chafing!
-I hope that it will be adjustable enough to work with a dry suit so I don't have to buy an additional BCD for diving in Puget Sound.
-I want integrated weights, a BCD-integrated secondary instead of an octopus, and a sternum strap that is either at least an inch below my collarbone or adjustable.
-If the bulk of the weight is carried by the hip straps (preferred), I would like them to be padded a bit because I have a connective tissue disease that makes my pelvis hurt.
-If the bulk of the weight is carried by the shoulder straps (not preferred) because the same condition affects my shoulder blades and upper back, they need to be padded a bit too.
-I would like to be as streamlined as possible, so I don't feel bulky and so I can get closer to reefs and wildlife without fear of hurting them.
-I intend to do some international diving (Africa, French Polynesia, Australia, Central America, maybe Thailand) so having gear made by companies that distribute interntionally would be helpful. I have a notion, though, that I'm not a good enough diver yet to use a travel BC.

Finally, I believe in buying mid-range priced gear when starting a new sport. If you go low-end, it doesn't work well and you end up not liking the sport; if you go high-end, you don't know enough about the sport to understand, use, and appreciate the fancy stuff. You also don't know what fancy stuff you would want.

Does anyone want to take a stab at it?

Thanks!

 

[spectrum]

HappyHonu

Your path sounds like my wife's so here goes....

She started with a DIVA LX and soft weight belt for mainly new England diving. Being short torso and needing a rig of some size there was a constant conflict between jacket and belt for waist space. Step one was using my DUI Weight and Trim harness to let the weight shift down a little. That improved things a lot and she stayed that way for another year or 2.

2 years ago she (finally) took my advice and tried borrowing back plate & wing rigs from some friends to try. As she will say" even with a poor fit they instantly worked better than that !!! Diva. She went on to get a singles rig (Back Plate & Wing) from Deep Sea Supply and has never looked back. She dives 3mm to dry with cold water garments and it adjust seamlessly across the range.

Such a rig lands in the middle of the BC price range. Just refrain from adding ditch-able weights, fuzzy dice and cup holders. Suppliers like DSS will sell a matched st of components, ready to dive and even counsel you on sizes, like wing size and plate length. You can also begin researching and build one to your liking from generic components.

Pete

 

[spectrum]

I missed this on my first pass...
-I want integrated weights, a BCD-integrated secondary instead of an octopus, and a sternum strap that is either at least an inch below my collarbone or adjustable

Will a weight harness meet your needs? My wife uses hers, even for limited warm water needs. It gets the weight off of your hips while not making your rig a heavy monster. It also keeps the weight on you if you need to get out of your rig on the bottom.

The inflater / alternate second stage can be fitted to any rig. IMO it's a poor trade off. Any streamlining realized will be trivial.

There are harnesses that will accept or come with a sternum strap. Many decide they don't need or want on once they are in a well fit harness.

Pete

 

[fnfalman]

Dive Rite Transpac XS/S.

SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - TransPac Harness

Or if you prefer a hard backplate then the Dive Rite Transplate harness coupled with a short aluminum backplate.

SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - TransPlate Harness
SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - Short Aluminum Backplate

Dive Rite also has the Rite Source which is an inline octo, which if you were to buy as part of the BC then it's like a $100 option.

SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - Rite Source Octo

 

[LoonDiver]

I am a short-waisted woman with an "ample bosom" also. I don't have a lot of experience, but have tried several "unisex" BCD's and was very unhappy with the fit and comfort. I ended up buying and love my Zeagle Lazer, which is designed just for women. If you can find a local dealer who stocks it, try it out!
See: Zeagle LaZer Women's BC

 

[diver 85]

I'll try-------my wife is as you described(I guess I can say--40's in the D range ) & likes her Seaquest Libra BC....

 

[lulubelle]

I have the same problem, but I am tall, so I did ultimately find a home in a unisex BC. I'm a big fan of the Zeagles, probably because they were the only ones that worked at all. I ended up in a M Stiletto with a S shoulder. One of the reasons I chose that one was that the position of the straps did not squish the girls, I could put in different size component parts to ensure a good fit, and the chest strap was adjustable.

I found both the Lazer and the Zena too short waisted for me, so perhaps they would be good ones to try on. And remember that you can always order a smaller this or larger that once you are in the right size vest.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I would suggest a Zeagle express tech or a b/p wing rig. If you use a one piece harness or the standard harness on the express tech you will not need a chest strap. In fact there will be nothing on your chest at all, the shoulder straps go around the shoulders so the chest is wide open. you can get add on weight pockets for either system.

 

[LoonDiver]

I have the same problem, but I am tall, so I did ultimately find a home in a unisex BC. I'm a big fan of the Zeagles, probably because they were the only ones that worked at all. I ended up in a M Stiletto with a S shoulder. One of the reasons I chose that one was that the position of the straps did not squish the girls, I could put in different size component parts to ensure a good fit, and the chest strap was adjustable.

I found both the Lazer and the Zena too short waisted for me, so perhaps they would be good ones to try on. And remember that you can always order a smaller this or larger that once you are in the right size vest.

Yep, one of the best things about Zeagles -- they are infinitely adjustable and customizable.

 

[ronbeau]

bosom, as they would say back in the old days.

I dove a little bit back in 2006 and I am getting back into it because my husband finally agreed to get certified. He did and he loves diving and all the gear! Since he is a gear-hound, he is buying me a BCD (and just about everything else) for my two month trip to Maui starting in October. (I am thinking about moving there to study turtles next year.)

Does anyone have a recommendation? Here is some information that might help you...

-I am a 38DD with a short torso.
-I am overweight but hope to lose 20 pounds in the next three months.
-So far, unisex/mens' BCDs are uncomfortable and don't perform well for me. They shift too much even when my breasts are being squeezed.
-I plan on doing a lot of tropical diving. I want to wear as little wetsuit as possible (I hate squeezing into them and I tend to overheat) so comfort of the straps is important. No chafing!
-I hope that it will be adjustable enough to work with a dry suit so I don't have to buy an additional BCD for diving in Puget Sound.
-I want integrated weights, a BCD-integrated secondary instead of an octopus, and a sternum strap that is either at least an inch below my collarbone or adjustable.
-If the bulk of the weight is carried by the hip straps (preferred), I would like them to be padded a bit because I have a connective tissue disease that makes my pelvis hurt.
-If the bulk of the weight is carried by the shoulder straps (not preferred) because the same condition affects my shoulder blades and upper back, they need to be padded a bit too.
-I would like to be as streamlined as possible, so I don't feel bulky and so I can get closer to reefs and wildlife without fear of hurting them.
-I intend to do some international diving (Africa, French Polynesia, Australia, Central America, maybe Thailand) so having gear made by companies that distribute internationally would be helpful. I have a notion, though, that I'm not a good enough diver yet to use a travel BC.

Finally, I believe in buying mid-range priced gear when starting a new sport. If you go low-end, it doesn't work well and you end up not liking the sport; if you go high-end, you don't know enough about the sport to understand, use, and appreciate the fancy stuff. You also don't know what fancy stuff you would want.

Does anyone want to take a stab at it?

Thanks!

In addition to what other members already mentioned you could try the ScubaPro LadyHawk.

The BC is designed for women and both my wife and daughter found it very comfortable.

The other thing to consider for an integrated safe second is the Atomic SS1. All three of us use it. It breaths well and also easily unscrews from the corrugated BC hose.

This makes it easier to pack and it also make rinsing the inside of the BC bladder a simple task after every dive day. I simply unscrew the SS1 put water from a hose down the corrugated hose, slosh it around and then dump it out.

ScubaPro also has their Air 2 but I did not like it as much as the Atomic SS1.
The SS1 comes with there adapters allowing it to adapt to just about any BC.