Completely Confused!! Please Help!

[AbyssalPlains]

He said that I'd hate it for the first couple dives, but that I will love it after that, and that if I buy a jacket style BC, I would regret it in the long run.

Of course I can't speak for anyone else, but if you want my personal opinion, look at my signature. I know plenty of divers who switched from jacket-style to Back plate and wing (similar to back inflate) and loved it, but never the other way around. IMHO, it is more likely to replace a jacket-style after some diving than replacing a back-inflate with a jacket-style. I don't agree with your LDS in that you will hate the back inflate the first couple of dives. When I switched, I loved my back-inflate and hated my jacket the minute I was underwater.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

..and make sure you'll have enough lift for those thick wetsuits (drysuits).

Any jacket-style or back-inflate BC with the exception of -maybe!- one of those light-weight travel ones will have plenty of lift unless you are thinking about diving doubles, which you aren't at this point.

 

[lmorin]

........... I don't agree with your LDS in that you will hate the back inflate the first couple of dives. When I switched, I loved my back-inflate and hated my jacket the minute I was underwater.

That's my feeling, too. I have a Seaquest Balance, loved the way it felt just in the shop and like it even better in the water. Never "hated" a jacket BC because that was all I knew before trying on the Balance. On the other hand, my wife likes her jacket and doesn't like the way the Balance feels.

 

[Barberman]

i have been diving the sherwood avid for 2 years and really like it. i have never dove with a back inflate bc, so i cant comment on that. also relating to the new sr1 reg, i was reading somewhere that they are having issues with some of the firt batch that was released. other than that i have heard nothing but good about it.

 

[meesier42]

used the back infates, used the jackets, used the bp/w, used hybrid cell (Black Diamond and Aeris Atmos).

my opinions- back inflates are ok, as are the bp/w, but didn't like them a whole lot, they are stable u/w and travel well, but the fact that I had to carry a trim weights was anoying.

jacket- although I am sure there are good ones out there, I never found it, but I was so turned off by the rentals that I used I didn't try that hard

hybrid cell- I sold my Zeagle Ranger to buy one of these. The Aeris Atmos XT (now LX). I really like it, its easy to take on/off, it balances very well, lots of buoyancy, no constriction, keeps you heads up on the surface... etc. only major issue is that it really only works for single tanks.

 

[Web Monkey]

Should I go with a back inflate? I was looking at Sherwood's Axis and Tortuga. Any recommendations between the two, and the Avid? Also, is an Apeks the way to go over a Maximus? I was also looking at the SR1. How would that compare to an Apeks20.

There is a lot of debate on this topic, however the only person who needs to be happy with your choice is you.

A BC is just a bag of air that has a strap to hold your tank. How it works is mostly dependent on how you use it.

If you're properly weighted, it will be a bag containing very little air, and whether or not it's back-inflate, jacket or a backplate & wing will matter very little on a normal recreational dive with a single 80 Cu Ft tank.

A good jacket style BC is position neutral and will not tend to roll you one way or the other in the water or on the surface. The down-side is that it will not tend to keep you horizontal either, so it's a little more sensitive to proper weighting and trim than a back-inflate.

A back inflate will tend to keep you horizontal in the water without quite as much tuning as the jacket, however it requires a little more care on the surface to keep you from tilting forward. Neither is a show-stopper. It's really a matter of preference.

I dive both a SP Classic for classes and warm water single tank dives and a BP&W when diving doubles. Our shop has taught over 35,000 divers over 40 years or so in jacket BCs with no problems related to the design of the BC, so if you go with one, you probably won't be sorry.

That said, if you go with a back inflate, you probably won't be sorry either. They're just a little different.

Now there are a couple of catches. Really big guys and "curvy" women do better with a BC that has little or nothing in front. This would include some back-inflate BCs and almost any Backplate & Wing with a simple ("hog") harness.

Good luck! Don't rush into anything. SCUBA equipment lasts a really long time, so make sure you pick something you like, and not just something the shop wants to sell.

As for regulators, I'd go for something appropriate for the worst (coldest & deepest) conditions you can think of yourself diving in, even in a few years. The only thing more expensive than buying a good regulator is buying a bad regulator and then a good one.

Terry

 

[MP928]

Hey Everyone

Thanks to everyone for all of your advice and input. Luckily, I just found a LDS that has a great "try it first" program. Tomorrow night, I am going to have the opportunity to try out a bunch of various gear. My opinion has changed in terms of regs with all your advice and the research that I've done. I'm going to try out:
1) AquaLung Titan LX Supreme, 2) Oceanic GT3, 3) Oceanic Delta 4, and maybe for fun, an AquaLung Legend. I think that all of these should be great for what I need, and hoping one stands out the most to make it an easier decision!

Also, going to try out an Oceanic Excursion (Back Inflate), a SeaQuest Pro QD (not the i3) or Sherwood Avid, and a Sherwood Tortuga.

I am hoping to really love one reg and BC over the others. I think all of them are good choices and should all serve me well for my first set. What do you all think??

Computers are a whole other topic! I'm just going to focus on regs and BC for now!

 

[shoturtle]

The four regs you mention are all very good regs. I pretty sure that you find one you like out of them.

That is good that you found a lds with a try it first program. That way you will see if you like a back inflate or not.

Hey Everyone

Thanks to everyone for all of your advice and input. Luckily, I just found a LDS that has a great "try it first" program. Tomorrow night, I am going to have the opportunity to try out a bunch of various gear. My opinion has changed in terms of regs with all your advice and the research that I've done. I'm going to try out:
1) AquaLung Titan LX Supreme, 2) Oceanic GT3, 3) Oceanic Delta 4, and maybe for fun, an AquaLung Legend. I think that all of these should be great for what I need, and hoping one stands out the most to make it an easier decision!

Also, going to try out an Oceanic Excursion (Back Inflate), a SeaQuest Pro QD (not the i3) or Sherwood Avid, and a Sherwood Tortuga.

I am hoping to really love one reg and BC over the others. I think all of them are good choices and should all serve me well for my first set. What do you all think??

Computers are a whole other topic! I'm just going to focus on regs and BC for now!

 

[MP928]

Hey Everyone

Thanks to everyone for all of your advice and input. Luckily, I just found a LDS that has a great "try it first" program. Tomorrow night, I am going to have the opportunity to try out a bunch of various gear. My opinion has changed in terms of regs with all your advice and the research that I've done. I'm going to try out:
1) AquaLung Titan LX Supreme, 2) Oceanic GT3, 3) Oceanic Delta 4, and maybe for fun, an AquaLung Legend. I think that all of these should be great for what I need, and hoping one stands out the most to make it an easier decision!

Also, going to try out an Oceanic Excursion (Back Inflate), a SeaQuest Pro QD (not the i3) or Sherwood Avid, and a Sherwood Tortuga.

I am hoping to really love one reg and BC over the others. I think all of them are good choices and should all serve me well for my first set. What do you all think??

Computers are a whole other topic! I'm just going to focus on regs and BC for now!