Considering Back Inflate

[Lucy's Diver]

I think scubaboard people tend to overstate the advantages of a BI over a jacket, they tend to be a bit more tech-ie than the average diver. For warm water not much neoprene diving its just about a wash.

That being said, I dive a back inflate for my warm water diving (actually a dive rite trans pac with the smallest wing they have). For cold water stuff I pretty much always dive doubles so I have a BP/W set up.

I also have a jacket. If I were in a pool or doing something where I spent a lot of time on the surface I would use the jacket, it does float you better.

One big issue that I'm not sure has been raised - if you ever travel somewhere that only has steel tanks and its warm you will hate your jacket. If you need little or no lead the heavy tank will be above the air pocket in the jacket and will flip you over. On the other hand, a huge wing (aircell in a true BC) will certainly taco more readily than a jacket type air cell (this means it moves around to where its difficult to get the air bubble under the dump point). I think, however, that the taco issue is manageable with diver skill and proper wing choice.

 

[Steven Kingston]

One big advantage that hasn't been mentioned is that a back-plate and wing is much better in shore diving. The harness on a back-plate is like a good backpack, secure and stable. By comparison a jacket BC is very loose and unstable; climbing into the the water down a slope in a jacket BC feels like someone is trying to push and pull you over.

Surface trim can be fixed by locating the weights toward the divers back, not the front. This way the lift is directly above the ballast and the divers head is straight up.

Storage is not a problem for me. I carry two flashlights, a SMB and spool on every dive.

 

[dschonbrun]

We wear BC's for diving, not swimming on the surface. People need to focus on the priorities. If you do a lot of shore diving or trekking to get to dive sites, then the harness style becomes more of a concern. If someone is worried about floating a victim on their back... the BC type has litte to no impact if the rescuer is experienced. You lay on your back and grip the tank between your knees. The victim lays on their back and stays that way. It's quite easy. Back inflate and BP/W's both are better than Jackets for positioning divers with proper trim in the water.

 

[enigmata]

I'll add my 0.02 and say that a back-inflate does ride you a little lower in the water and can put you face-forward, but only if you lean forward too much. I use four pounds of weight in the rear trim pockets and staying upright at the surface isn't a big deal.

 

[MThomaMT]

I just bought and dove a Zeagle LaZer BI BC.....
Loved it! I like the integrated weights where I can put a couple weights in the back pockets. I didn't feel like I was falling forward at all. I had all my weight in my pockets and didn't feel bulky. I felt so good, I aced my Underwater Navigation class!

 

[MThomaMT]

Sorry, couple more things...
The Zeagle Lazer was ordered especially for me. My BC is actually two different sizes: small across the shoulders and medium for my torso. There's tons of padding and a lumbar support. Even with ALL my weight in the BC, I wasn't uncomfortable. So, if I were to recommend anything, even though I am a newby, I would recommend the Zeagle Lazer. ***** (five star rating)

 

[coralcruiser]

I have been diving with a BI since 1988 and can't even imagine diving a jacket style bc....

 

[imasinker]

My 2 cents.

My first and only BI was a zeagle Stiletto. I liked it because it has rear dump trim weight pockets. I like the feeling of freedom at the front without feeling squeezed as i did trying on the other styles of BC. it feels like wearing nothing at all yet room for lights and so forth. I dive cold water north here in drysuit with both Al 80 and Steel 130. The tanks never rolled or ever caused me any problems. My LDS can't keep them on the shelves. I had to wear 26 pounds of weight and didn't feel a thing. I have since gone to doubles and use B/P W setup. My wife is getting into diving and she really likes the Zeagle Zena. I wasn't fond of the zipper idea but after seeing it in use it is very durable. Another nice thing about these BC's are the way they are so easy to pack for travelling. It really comes down to what you feel comfortable in and using. Everyone has a preference or style they like. Your the one wearing it , no one else!

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

once you go back, you will never go........ er, never mind, you know what I mean..

That's the impression I get reading on here: everyone who's tried BI seems to like it better.

I was about to purchase a jacket style (the only type I've used before), but after reading all the comments, just purchased the Zeagle LTD Ranger. I've never used a BI before, but it doesn't sound like there's much learning curve and I trust you guys / girls