Best And Worst Bc For Women

[uncfnp]

Katie. It would help us make better suggestions if you would tell us the type/location that you plan to dive, primarily warm water travel destinations or local cold water dives.

By your profile page I am guessing travel warm water, at least for a while.

 

[Skulmoski]

My daughter loves her Dive Right BP/W.

GJS

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I just bought an Aqualung Pearl for my wife. It was a demo at our local dive shop and she tried it on. I really didn't have much to say after that. It has essentially a sports bra built into it, the neck opening Is larger, and it is much shorter than the Sherwood Avid BCD she normally uses. The biggest difference is in the bra area, instead of forcing "the girls" between the shoulder straps, it really fits more like a bra.

I can't offer any insight into the fit, but she knew she wanted it a few seconds after putting it on. Functionally, it has larger pockets than most, plastic D rings (I think that's a negative) but all in all seems to be a great recreational BCD. They are available with the I3 power inflators, but hers just has the standard inflator. We're off to Cozumel Friday and will post how she liked it unless we can find a pool sooner.

Good luck with your search, safe travels,
Jay

 

[cavedivingwoman]

Katie, you probably should rent different BCs and see how they feel to you. Equipment has improved markedly over the years. Trends come and go. Personally I learned to dive wearing a horse collar, which was miserable. Then I spent many years diving open water in a "jacket" BC that was designed for a man. Women had to make do with small sizes. But when I took my cave training, my instructor immediately said, "that thing is too big for you." I tried a Dive Rite Transpac with a single tank that afternoon and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It's very stable, like a well adjusted backpack - your tank is close to your back and doesn't flop around. These BCs were designed for technical and cave diving but they've become mainstream over the last 15 or so years. The Transpac is very streamlined and can be adjusted easily. One advantage (also of the back plate set up) is that the shoulder straps sit outside your breasts and are comfortable. I've never tried a BC with a bra!
Another consideration is where you wear your weight - integrated into the BC or around your waist, or divided up? I suspect that most modern BCs have weight pockets; also you can distribute the weight so your trim is better in the water. If you need to ditch weight, you can ditch just part of it rather than dump it all and risk a too-rapid ascent.
Personally I dive with a backplate and wing in cold open water (Monterey, CA area); if I'm traveling I might take my transpac. For cave diving I use the same backplate with a bigger wing (BC) when I dive back mounted. Recently I've been learning to sidemount (for caves). I don't think it's all it's cracked up to be and is somewhat of a fad (some people seem to believe that it's 'techie' or' 'cool)'. I certainly wouldn't try it in our rough California waters. It's a learning curve, and I think it's somewhat of a fad. You don't need two tanks for beginning diving. Most accidents happen on the surface, and managing two separate tanks in the ocean could get dicey.
Another consideration - if you'll be doing any surface swimming, a jacket BC will put you upright to slightly face down. With a back mounted system, I swim on my back if I must surface swim
If you'll be diving mostly in the tropics, consider the weight and ease of packing.
You might have a look at Jill Heinerth's new book on women and diving. It's on her web site intotheplanet.com. She discusses equipment considerations.
'Hope this helps. You will get a lot of different opinions from different people but it boils down to what works for you. Good luck!
Barbara/San Francisco

 

[KatieMac]

On a different note - Katie I see that you are a photographer. Not sure if you are intending to get into photography underwater?

Yes I really do some day. But first I would just like to get comfortable with diving . These are great things to consider so thank you

 

[KatieMac]

My 2 cents - your mileage may vary. You'll need to get more experience and accustomed to diving in general. I don't feel it has anything to do with gender, more so experience and preference.

I tend to agree with your thought process, getting more experience with different BCs first. The problem that I have and that my sister had when she started was finding rental equipment that fit. My family won't be choosing dive locations based on who's got a BC that fits me.

 

[KatieMac]

Ok a tiny bit more detail would help. Last year I would not go in the water. Being underwater didn't bother me, being on the surface did. My skills sessions were in the bay, not a pool. I hated being on the surface. My first four dives, I wanted off the surface quickly - either down or out. Stability on the surface is VERY important to me. I may get past this someday but with only four dives it's too early to tell.

Dives - tropical mostly, multi-level, not interested in deeper dives and wrecks at the moment.
Photography someday when I'm way more comfortable. But probably not massive equipment for pro use. I have that for on the land.
Adventurous? Not really, overcoming my fear of being on the surface was a big deal.
I'm 5'2" have long legs and short torso. So even an XS men's BC Is too big. Trial and error at different dive shops with the rentals seems out of reach.
So far I don't seem to need trim weights.

I don't know what a bp/w is.

And I don't have a problem buying one now and another down the road as my needs change as long as they are reasonably priced.

 

[Imla]

Hi Katie. Welcome to diving!!
I have basically tried them all. Jacket, Backinflate, traveller, womens and BP/W.
My experience... If you have any kind of waist... Ie, pear-shaped or hourglass shape, I recommend a backplate and wing. The reasons are:
Jackets: Hate them. If you are slightly broader around you a** then your waist, it will ride up under your arms and feel weird on the surface. They also hug and feel restricting when it comes to breathing. A lot of fabric will cause positive buoyancy and hence the need for extra lead which makes everything more heavy and cumbersome on land.
Back inflate: Nothing to squeeze your waist/lungs, but same problem with riding up in the surface. Easier to trim out, but still a good amount of fabric that cause positive buoyancy.
Socalled "female" bcds. Se reasons above depending on the category. In addition they require you to fit them perfectly not to feel restricting.

Backplate and wing:
Simple construction. Modular, so if diving changes, so will your bcd. Crotchstrap may look uncomfortable, but really is not. (And there are options: 1" or 2" webbing. Soft or stiffer.) The strap will keep the bcd where it is supposed to be. Every time. Every dive. All the way through the dive. In a BPW with a continuous webbing you set the "size" one time, and it fits perfectly right for every dive. No pulling straps to tighten. The way it is constructed keeps all straps and stuff away from the b**b area. It is clean in the front. There is very little extra fabric, and hence the bcd is negative from the getgo. There are a lot of options to place lead. Some get them bolted to the plate. Some have pockets on the webbing.
This is a no-brainer. I am a girl with a barn-door a**. (Pardon my language) A reasonably small waist and a bit of boobage. The only thing I can get that fit is a BPW. (It will also fit weight change)



Edit: I saw your newest post. In my opinion you are a perfect candidate for at BPW with a small plate. If you search for posts made by TSandM, you can read her view on things (sadly she has passed) From what I can see, both you and her are petite women.

 

[Scuba Christine]

Hi Katie,
I'm another happy Zeagle Zena user. I'd recommend trying one on at a shop that has their full line because they are very customizable and you can swap out the front harness piece to get a precise fit. I was sold on it the moment I tried it on and felt how different it felt from all the other women's BCs. There is an older thread in this forum on fitting your Zena, be sure to check that out if you get one.

That said, there are many good reasons to start out in a back plate and wing. I'm looking at adding one to my gear in the near future.

I also second the recommendation on reading Jill's excellent book Women Underwater. Women Underwater The Comprehensive Guide for Women in Scuba Diving: Jill Heinerth, Renee Power: 9781940944012: Amazon.com: Books
My copy is already marked up and making the rounds in my club.

Edit: Just saw Imal's post above. Make that many, many good reasons for going with a backplate and wing BP/W. If you don't, I think the Zena is a great choice.

 

[KatieMac]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Would a bp/w not do the same thing as a back inflate i.e. give you less stability on the surface because all the air is in the back?