Best And Worst Bc For Women

[chillyinCanada]

KatieMac, when using a back inflate, the learning curve for righting yourself in the water is very quick. Don't let that be a reason to get a fulljacket bcd. Truly.

If you're feeling nervous on the surface, always look down. Immediately calm. when you're on the surface, leave your mask on and reg in your mouth. that way wave action shouldn't bother you while you wait for the boat.

 

[Imla]

I wouldn't worry about instability on the surface. Until you feel fine about (any) bcd in the surface, keep mask and reg on. However, the trick is just til lean back a bit. Sort of like sitting in a recliner... Very comfortable

 

[uncfnp]

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.

Kudos to you Katie for going after what you want and if a jacket BCD will help give you the confidence you need for now to pursue your dream then do it. Despite the way it seems on SB, the world is full of divers that prefer jacket BCD's. And a women's style, as others have suggested may well give you the fit you need.

As you said, things may change down the road and you can revisit your options then.

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?

Oddly enough I don't feel any forward tilt in my bpw.

 

[cool_hardware52]

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?

Katie,

The key to proper set up with a BP&W is proper weighting and correct adjustment of the harness, including the crotch strap. The diver that is properly weighted will need only a puff of gas in the wing. This gas will be behind the divers shoulders, not down at their waist. With a properly adjusted crotch strap only a small amount of gas is required to lift the BP&W *and* the diver.

Contrast that with an over weighted diver using a back inflate without a crotch strap. Being over weighted they need to fill the bc down to their hips. This is what causes the "face forward" effect. The lack of crotch strap on most "back inflates" adds to the problem, the BC rises but the diver does not, and this leads to the diver adding more gas to the bc, not a good feedback loop.

If you are considering a BP&W feel free to give me a call. I can walk you through the basics in about 10 minutes. 626-799-5078 M-F 9-5 ish California time.

In the interest of full disclosure I design, manufacture and sell BP&W's

Tobin

 

[cavedivingwoman]

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?

Yes, with a back plate and/or a back inflated BC, the wing (inflation) is behind you so it tends to tip you a bit forward. You can compensate for this but it will take some practice. I wouldn't say that it's unstable on the surface, just that it's designed to function underwater (as is all well-designed dive gear). The history of the BC is interesting - when scuba first became commercially available, there were no BCs. People dove with tanks secured to their backs with a harness. It became a big problem for early cave explorers, who had to stay off the clay bottom to avoid silting out -so they used empty bleach jugs inflated with air from their regs. The first BCs were "horse collars," which were used from the 60s to the late 70s. Sometime in there Scubapro developed a "stabilization jacket," known as a "stab jacket." All of these devices kept divers off the floor but some were more comfortable than others. Whatever you try, be sure that it fits. If you did your check out dives in a jacket BC, see how that feels to you on the surface. It's important to be comfortable there because that is where the accidents happen.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Uh, that's where accidents can happen but certainly don't have to happen if you remember to stay calm. Keep your mask on and reg in your mouth. If you find yourself tilting a bit forward, it won't matter that much while you sort it out because you've still got your mask on and your reg in. you can always look back down and see how peaceful it is down there to remind yourself, to be calm and then lean back a bit. It becomes so natural that you soon won't notice it at all. Get into a back inflate as soon as possible. The longer you spend in a full jacket style, when you switch AND you will switch, the more you may notice the sensation of being pushed forward instead of lifted by your armpits. Heehee

You said you've got a large circle of divers in your life, so it's going to be a "thing". Why not find out what your future buddies are using the way of bcd?

 

[teknitroxdiver]

My wife got certified in a rental jacket BC. After that I bought her a BP&W. She absolutely loves it, especially the streamlined lack of anything cluttering up the front. Also she finds the webbing harness quite comfortable as it fits the female anatomy very well. She (nor I) has never had a problem with the mythical "back inflate pushes your face in" problem.

It was cheap, too: $299 from DGX, and it's very good quality.

 

[BDSC]

MY wife dives a Scubapro ladyhawk and loves hers. Very high quality that will last you for many many years assuming you take care of your equipment. It's designed for women. Give them a look. It's a back inflate by the way.

 

[chillyinCanada]

That's what I dive and I'm pleased with it. I still think KatieMac should check out the Zena too.

 

[diversteve]

I'll just add my .02.

Being stable on the surface can seem important when you first start out but a properly trimmed, properly selected back-inflate works also. I use a 60/40 weighting - it floats me almost dead vertical at the surface. Yet I can easily roll forward or onto my back as needed. I'm also pretty tall so that may be a factor worth mentioning.

Logically your instructor probably stressed horizontal trim while diving and streamlining as important concepts. Having all the air on your back definitely helps your trim - streamlining with either is debatable. From my personal experience - I shoot video on almost every dive - having nothing in front is preferable for camera control.

You have slightly less stability in a jacket since the air bubble moves back to front based on your orientation. Some jacket designs even mention "channeling the air" or having other internal bladder sections - yet no back-inflate wing does. Where do you plan to spend more time diving - underwater or on the surface? Buy the optimum thing for you based on that.

Someone - maybe tbone104 often posts a good quote - "Buy your second BC first". I think that's very good advice.

All the ladies in my group (6) plus friends/acquaintances own all their gear. All of them have gone to a back-inflate design either initially or from a jacket. Only one switched back to her jacket for vanity - her jacket had more pink on it than her back-inflate and that's the most important thing to her since all her gear is. We certainly don't have a problem spotting her on dives - or from the boat either...lol.

In addition to Scubapro and Aqualung, Zeagle makes a line of modular womens models in both back-inflate and now also a jacket line. In the back-inflate line all are modular using their Perfect Fit System - i.e. you can select/swap x-small shoulders, shoulder straps etc. as needed.

Being small there's also soft backplate designs like the Aqualung Zuma - a lighter weight travel focused version. Weighs less, packs small and comes in an XXS ladies model - which largely seems to be pink trim. Relatively unencumbered front with plenty of lift and supplied/optional trim weight pockets depending on which version you choose. It also has a large fold-down pocket for stuff. And rolls up into a supplied drawstring bag for travel.