BCD problem -- no bad jokes, no sniggling, please....

[raviepoo]

Divemistress,

If you end up buying a Dive Rite Transpac be sure to get a size small. The next size up, M/L is too big for a woman, even a, busty, medium tall woman like me. I let a shop owner convince me that the M/L fit and I regret it now. The chest strap hits right at boob level. I have made mods to get around this problem, but considering what I paid for the BC I should not have to do that. I will probably end up swapping out parts of the BC to make it fit better.

Another model you might consider is the back inflated Seaquest Libra. I used one until I started diving in the Northeat Atlantac and needed a BC with more lift. I remember the first time I tried it on in the shop. My heart beat faster. My palms started to sweat. I got this strange, quivery feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something inside me screamed, "This is it! I must posess this!!!"

It's a busty girls dream. The chest strap is mounted high enough to avoid squishing el boobolas. The weight pockets are inobtrusive. Both straps have plastic rings that you can clip things off to. There is a metal D ring on the bottom of one side of the cumberbund. The other side has the female end of a plastic clip system, but it would be easy to replace it with a D ring. The only complaint I had about mine was the fact that it had only one pocket.

It's a great BC for warm water diving. It takes up minimal room in your luggage. I would still be diving it and loving it if I was not doing cold water diving in addition to my warm water trips.

 

[Dee]

chickdiver once bubbled...
Dee, if the harness was digging into your armpits, it was too tight. you should be able to insert 2 fingers between the straps and your body, this is approx 1-2" of "give". A properly fitted harness does not require either the rings or the chest strap.

Mine was fitted properly. But no matter how well it's fitted, on land the stiff straps do cut into tender skin. In the water, it wasn't as much of a problem but it still chafed. My BP 'mentors' kept telling me that same thing and double checking the fit. I do not dive in a wetsuit, they all do. When I requested they dive in the skin, they promptly understood why I preferred the DR Deluxe harness and quit giving me grief over it.

And it didn't, and doesn't now, require the chest strap. I just like the way it feels. I was just letting DM know that there is more than one webbing configuration for a BP/wing out there. There is none better than the other, it's whatever works for you.

 

[chickdiver]

Pardon me, did I step on some toes?? We are, each entitled to our own opinion. Mine happens to be that the DR "harness" (and I use that term loosely) is a POS, and I would discourage someone from buying it. I tried to be nice about it, but since you seem to feel a need to defend your choice, so will I.

 

[raviepoo]

Dee isn't calling you names or beating up on you. She's just stating her own experience with the gear. People really do have different experiences and different levels of success with the same gear. Just because it works for you it might not work for Dee.

My LDS uses a (nameless because I don't want to piss ayone off by defaming their gear) BC that I think is a POS for all of it's open water classes. In my DM class I asked the instructor about it and he pointed out several logical reasons why a new diver might want to use one of these BCs.

It's just gear. One guy might dive with a BP/wings setup. Someone else might be perfectly happy with a jacket style BC with pink and purple trim. There's no contest here. We're supposed to be having fun.

chickdiver once bubbled...
Pardon me, did I step on some toes?? We are, each entitled to our own opinion. Mine happens to be that the DR "harness" (and I use that term loosely) is a POS, and I would discourage someone from buying it. I tried to be nice about it, but since you seem to feel a need to defend your choice, so will I.

 

[divemistress]

and thanks, everyone, for the great advice. i now have about a dozen leads to investigate.....something tells me i may not have this new BC by my next dive vacation.

 

[Walter]

I'll answer that in a PM. No need for it in a post.

 

[Dee]

chickdiver once bubbled...
Pardon me, did I step on some toes?? We are, each entitled to our own opinion. Mine happens to be that the DR "harness" (and I use that term loosely) is a POS, and I would discourage someone from buying it. I tried to be nice about it, but since you seem to feel a need to defend your choice, so will I.

No, you didn't step on my toes at all. How are yours?

As you yourself stated, I am entitled to my own opinion and I stated it. Your response isn't a surprize, in fact it was expected. I hope your opinion that Dive Rite's products are a POS is because you dislike their design rather than an opinion of the quality of their priduct.

We'll not agree, and I never expected to. And I'm sorry DM and others with a legitimate question got hit with DIR fallout, it was not my intention.

 

[Dee]

raviepoo once bubbled...
It's just gear. One guy might dive with a BP/wings setup. Someone else might be perfectly happy with a jacket style BC with pink and purple trim. There's no contest here. We're supposed to be having fun.

Thanks, Raviepoo. Fortunately, I think most everyone agrees with you!

 

[chickdiver]

when did this become "DIR fallout"? I never sadi that my opinion on DR had anything to do with DIR. I happen to think that they are poorly designed for a number of reasons. I'm happy you like yours, however not everyone does.

 

[Dee]

chickdiver once bubbled...
when did this become "DIR fallout"? I never sadi that my opinion on DR had anything to do with DIR. I happen to think that they are poorly designed for a number of reasons. I'm happy you like yours, however not everyone does.

You're right, you didn't mention DIR, I did...And I apologize. I was assuming.

Calling something a POS just seems kind of strong when it's a design flaw you object to. Guess our terminology isn't all we'll disagree on.