Buying a new BCD

[tbone1004]

travelpac would be better than any of the zeagle alternatives. Made in USA too which may or may not be of interest. The integrated weight pockets aren't included, but that's the nice with the BP/W, it is 10lbs more negative in the water than any stab jacket, back inflate, or transpac based system so you can eliminate quite a bit of your lead right there.

 

[jd950]

If he needs more weight than that it should be on a belt anyway. I tell my students to never put more than ten pounds in integrated bc weight pockets total. Does not matter what they are rated for.

Okay, since no one else will, I'll bite...What happens if you put more than 10 pounds in a BC weight pocket even when it is rated for more than that?

 

[tbone1004]

nothing happens to the pocket itself, but it is much easier to ditch a belt as a whole than it is to ditch multiple weight pockets. Whole lot easier to pull one piece of webbing and let it all go at the surface, especially in a rescue situation where you need to get positive quickly.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Actually what I see happening is people loading all their weight into the integrated pockets. Then they are taught in an emergency to pull both and let em go. If this is done at depth you have now become a Polaris missile on a rapid uncontrolled ascent to the surface. When you put all your lead into one system You lessen your ability to do a controlled ascent should one of those pockets fall out. Many are rated for ten pounds in each pocket. Dive cold water and you may need 28lbs of weight. so ten in each pocket, 4 in each trim pocket if it has them, and lose even one and you've lost a third of your ballast. But if you put ten of that on a belt, five in BC integrated pocket, and use the trim pockets losing one results in you getting slightly buoyant but still able to control your ascent. Also practice ditching only one pocket at a time. Only on the surface would it be ok to dump both.
I've also seen too many of these things fail from more than one mfg when they are loaded to capacity. Not to mention that they make the BC too damn heavy and awkward to move around.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I put most of my lead (25 lbs and decreasing with more experience) in trim and tank pouches. Only 5 or 6 pounds in each ditchable. I would have great difficulty keeping a controlled ascent if a pocket failed with more lead in them. If both failed without distributing the weight around, I would be one of the few who have seen Earth from space!

 

[Paul Chen]

Great advice guys because i am also looking into mares hybrid pure and ist dolphin aluminum backplate with wing.

I saw a review on amazon.com for hyrbid pure that a diver had a pocket failure because the weights slipped out.

However, lds owner who is also a diving instructor that uses hyrbid pure and they recommended it.

 

[jlovold]

Great advice guys because i am also looking into mares hybrid pure and ist dolphin aluminum backplate with wing.

I saw a review on amazon.com for hyrbid pure that a diver had a pocket failure because the weights slipped out.

However, lds owner who is also a diving instructor that uses hyrbid pure and they recommended it.

Well, he earns his money by selling it.

A proper backplate and wing solution is the way to go.

This is my favorite single-tank rig:

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

The only issue may be that it is a bit marginal in lift for new divers (but perfect for me)

 

[doctormike]

I am planning on found regular dives , I believe it is called recreational diving. And also I don't understand anything about bp&w bcd's, I prefer fully built bcds

I don't understand this post. By "fully built BCDs", I assume you mean BCDs that aren't BP&Ws...

So while you don't understand anything about BP&Ws, you still don't prefer them?