Hi Everyone,
I asked about gear a month ago, but haven't pulled the trigger. I'm probably going to purchase a reg and some other gear at my dive shop Saturday during their Valentine's day sale. Either a Scubapro Mk11 or a Atomic Z2, a Large Tall wetsuit (if they have any that fit and are under $300), and a basic dive computer watch or a used one off this website if I can find any deals. I just need no-deco limits, nitrox mode, and depth. Nothing fancy.
But I want your help with the BCD. I either need a Zeagle custom fit BCD, or a BPW. I'm 6'5" and 200 pounds, so NO off the shelf BCDs fit me. I'm essentially a Medium waist and XL height. I guess I'm leaning towards the BPW for a few reasons. I can find used, I can post on this forum without being talked down to (just kidding, kind of
), and when the bladder wears out, I can replace instead of replacing the entire thing.
But I do have some questions.
1. Is one size fit all? I can't seem to find sizes for this type of BCD. Do you just configure the harness to fit your body type?
2. Is the metal back-plate uncomfortable? It looks horribly uncomfortable.... But everyone swears by them, so they can't be that bad...
3. Do I just need a harness, backplate, and bladder? Is there tons of little screws or other parts I need to worry about?
4. Would you trust buying a $300 setup from online? Should I look new? What would I expect to pay if I buy new? And any suggestions?
5. Can you help me understand the lift capacity? You know my weight. But I generally wear a 7mm wetsuit. How much lift capacity should I be looking for? There's a nice 23# bladder I see on the classifieds. Would that be enough lift?
Lastly, do any of you have any BPWs for sale? Direct message me so we don't clog up the post. Also, I'm interested in basic dive computers.
Thanks for the info everyone! I look forward to getting out there with my own stuff!