BCD recommendations please

[decompression]

Are you just using it locally or just for travel? Or both?
It's challenging to find a BCD that works here (Alberta) and for travel.

Just locally- scuba pro lady hawk
Travel- aqualung zuma

Or both....
Backplate and wing. Shocking, I know.
Locally, you can use the backplate and a weighted single tank adapter to get the lead off the hips.
Travel, packs small and again you won't need much lead at all.
It can easily be configured with everything you've asked for. One wing at around 25 lbs of lift should be fine. Later you could get a smaller one if you'd like.
My wife uses a pink Halcyon plate/harness with a UTD wing. Loves it.
The U.S. Online shops certainly have gear cheaper although our dollar is low and with taxes, duty, shipping and brokerage fees it's pretty much equal.

My shop sells online from Edmonton, scubagearcanada, please have a look and if you have any questions please ask.


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[Reidkon]

This one looks good, but what is the issue with the weights? According to scubadiving.com the system is unwieldy. They also mentioned that air tends to get trapped and it is hard to dump all of it.

TUSA Selene Wing - USD$220, new.

Tusa Selene Wing

This is the website for my LDS. My g/f and I have done all are training through them and they provided this same back inflate BC for her to use during said training. She liked it so much I bought her her own for Christmas. Another woman in our OW class also commented to me on how much she liked it and was thinking of buying one for herself as well because of the excellent price. It really is a nice BC and you can't beat the price!

The model is one that (my understanding) went out of production. But, the guys at my local shop thought they were really nice, so they commissioned a run of them from TUSA with the shop's logo on it. You can see it on the cummberbund and on the tank strap.

 

[OMANDIVER]

I strongly recommend the Zeagle Stiletto for recreational diving. Meets all your requirements. I love mine having previously had a Cressi which was also good. Zeagle is a quality item. It has an excellent integrated weight system and trims out very nicely. I use a BP/W set up for twins but always go back to the Zeagle for single tank.

 

[enduser]

Agreed the Stiletto is a great BC. I also just all around like Zeagle products. I am diving a DSS BPW as well now but more for the OCD minimalist in me, based off of the requirements you listed above I would suggest either the Zena or the Stiletto.

I agree on the expandable pocket that comes with the zeagle products it feels to small when closed and way too long when open. But you could get a different zeagle pocket or some xs scuba pockets in it's place.

 

[tbone1004]

https://www.divegearexpress.com/bcs/pkg_metal.shtml

$300, another $150 or so for back pad, weight pockets, and a belt pocket and good to go. They also make neoprene pocket shorts that are quite nice and quite inexpensive.
https://www.divegearexpress.com/exposure/shorts.shtml#2087


That Tusa Selene looks positively terrifying fwiw and I wouldn't go anywhere near it

 

[stuartv]

This one looks good, but what is the issue with the weights? According to scubadiving.com the system is unwieldy. They also mentioned that air tends to get trapped and it is hard to dump all of it.

I don't know about an issue with the weights. I haven't dove the BC and my g/f just got certified and has ONLY dove that BC. But, after I bought hers, I went through it completely, including pulling out the weight pockets to make sure there wasn't anything in them (like inspection tags or whatever). They seemed fine to me. Removed and installed in a straightforward fashion. And my g/f seemed to be fine with them when doing the weight remove/replace drill during OW training.

Makes me wonder if whatever scubadiving.com says is just nitpicking. I mean, for a diver that's anywhere past the neophyte stage, how often are they really going to have to mess with the weight system (during a dive)?

I also note that it has trim weight pockets on the back, which seems nice - to not have to buy add-on pockets to be able to put some weight on the back.

As for dumping air, again I don't know. But, from the picture (I'm not home to look at it in person), it has dump valves at every corner, so how hard can it really be? The wing is a horseshoe, not a donut, so that's the only issue I really see. And I have a BP/W with a horseshoe wing and it only has 1 dump at the bottom and 1 at the top, so even harder to fully dump, I imagine, and I don't have any problem with it.

I don't know. Realistically, I've only done 6 dives since OW cert, so I'm sure I'm not the best one to address these questions, and if somebody who knows a lot more than me comes along and sheds better light on your questions, I'll be glad to read what they have to say!

---------- Post added December 29th, 2014 at 05:31 PM ----------

That Tusa Selene looks positively terrifying fwiw and I wouldn't go anywhere near it

And there you go. Someone whose opinion I already respect, too! tbone, what is it about the Selene that looks terrifying?

 

[Bigd2722]

Zeagle express tech with zip touch pockets meets all your requirements

 

[tbone1004]

I don't understand the placement of the weight pockets on the back of the wing.

Looks too cluttered.

I don't like pull dumps that are in tabs on the other side of the wing, it makes controlled release of the air during ascents quite difficult.

Only one proper cam band, that is very low on the rig, so if you're holding the tank where most recreational divers do, then the cam band that low is fine, but to get it up high enough where you can safely reach the valve makes the tank move around quite a bit.

Cinch tabs on the middle of the wing can cause it to trap air and are just not necessary. Made worse by the fact that there is no crossover on the bottom of the wing so you either have to dump from both sides of the wing, or you have to go head up and roll left shoulder down to hit the top dump, but then run the risk of the air not moving freely due to the straps even if they're out all the way.

no crotch strap or apparent way to install one easily, this is hands down the most important strap on a rig for it to function and fit properly and comfortable, otherwise you have to tighten the shoulders and waist strap so much to keep the rig from flopping around it rides too high and is uncomfortable.

for $220 I can almost see buying it because of how cheap it is and you didn't know how she was going to like scuba, but when you can get the DGX package for $300 with a proper BP/W that actually holds resale value, I would go elsewhere

 

[stuartv]

Thanks, tbone, for continuing my education.

 

[tbone1004]

no worries mate, takes lots of experience to be able to look at a rig that is different and try to understand the pros and cons of each feature they have put on there. It isn't saying that it is a bad BC, or it won't work, or it isn't safe, but there are a lot of things to look at when evaluating a rig.