Buying a BCD " I wish I did this or that..."

[The_Ghost]

When buying your first BCD and after you got a few dives with it is there anything you wish you knew prior to buying it? Is there some feature/accessory you wish you got when ordered it in the first place?


After a lot of backpedaling and whatever else I can use as a reason I finally decided I am going to buy my first BCD this year.

I'm going to be diving in haigs quarry the 21st of Aug with a bp/w and a back inflate so I get to test the different styles.

The thing sure after reading all the posts from now till the cows come home, is there any feature I should consider more then others or something I should really considering spending the extra money on?

 

[Scott]

I'm going to be diving in haigs quarry the 21st of Aug with a bp/w and a back inflate so I get to test the different styles.

You can compare features through product descriptions except the most important feature, IMO, and that is comfort and fit while you dive. Trying a BC with a tank strapped to it on the show room floor is no indication of how it's going to dive.
You're doing the right thing. Dive it and then buy it.

 

[RJP]

I wish I had known what a BP/W was before I bought my first BCD.

Seriously.

Switched after 10 dives, and took a bath selling my BCD here on ScubaBoard.

 

[ligersandtions]

I wish I had known what a BP/W was before I bought my first BCD.

Seriously.

Switched after 10 dives, and took a bath selling my BCD here on ScubaBoard.

Sounds familiar....I did the same thing, but with both mine and my husband's. You take a big hit buying new and selling slightly used.

 

[John_B]

I wish I had known what a BP/W was before I bought my first BCD.

Seriously.

Switched after 10 dives, and took a bath selling my BCD here on ScubaBoard.

^^^ What he said (except I took a bath selling my BCD on eBay).

 

[Ramsy]

After I got certified, I bought a BCD based on Scuba magazine reviews. The BCD was fine when I first started diving it. However, as my diving skills progressed, I realized just how limiting the BCD was. For example, the BCD would constantly move when in the water - no matter how tight I cinched the straps, it was just never tight enough.

20 to 30 dives later, I bought a backplate and wing. The difference was night and day. Once I fitted my harness, the plate would not move. If I go inverted or do a roll, the plate stays put.

Also, the nice thing about a backplate and wing setup is that the system is modular. You can always switch parts out when your needs change. So, if you need more or less lift, just change the wing. Don't need a lot of ditchable weight, buy small weight pockets. The possibilities are endless. So, as you progress in your diving, you can change your gear to match your needs.

So, like others have said, if I knew then what I knew now, I would have simply skipped looking at any BCDs and bought the backplate/wing setup that I am currently using.

 

[DrunkenParrot]

I wish I had known what a BP/W was before I bought my first BCD.

Seriously.

Switched after 10 dives, and took a bath selling my BCD here on ScubaBoard.

I did the same damn thing. Lost my butt in my stupid jacket bc........

 

[The_Ghost]

Are the quick release tank straps a good investmetn or should I just stick with whatever is already attached to the bcd?

 

[Bogie]

I think it depends on how much diving you are going to do. Some people only dive a few times a year and with limited diving it is more challenging to get your diving skills fine tuned. A back inflate is important. My first BC was a Zeagle Ranger and it is great BC. Back inflate, very adjustable and you can customize. I have recently purchased the Halcyon Infinity BP/W and love it. The Zeagle was great for me to start and improve my skills and it is more comfortable on land but while diving the Halcyon is a huge improvement. The doughnut wing deflates in seconds. The Halcyon really puts you in the correct diving position for streamline diving and superior trim characteristics. It also eliminates all the clutter.

 

[TSandM]

I think there are some important things to know. One has already been mentioned, which is that how something feels while you are walking around the dive shop is not necessarily how it will feel in the water. One of the things a BC should do is hold the tank securely in place. To me, having two cambands is a very desirable feature, because if one comes loose, the other will retain the tank. And having some kind of plastic or other plate component to the BC will make the tank more stable. My husband's Balance has that, but the little jacket BC I used to use for working with students didn't.

You should know that pockets on a BC are often placed so that they are difficult to access while you are actually diving, making them less than useful. In addition, you should understand any weight system that a BC uses, because some work much better than others. Integrated weights are trying to accomplish two essentially opposed things: They are trying to keep something securely attached and at the same time make it easy to remove. Like octo holders, integrated weight systems rarely perform both functions equally well. Some lose the weights easily, and some make it fairly difficult to remove them.

In addition, if you dive in cold water at all, you will want, I think, to look for some easy way to move some weight up onto your back. Some BCs have trim weight pockets -- make sure they are high enough on your back to be different from the other weight pockets (some are down around the waist, only in the back, which doesn't help your balance).

And I'll jump on the bandwagon. I'm a backplate owner. I switched at about 25 dives, and took a bath selling my BC on Craig's List