Equipment purchases - comments on BCD please

[c_m_wood]

Hi all. Ive been diving for around 3 years and have recently decided to purchase my own gear as I intend to take it up far more regularly. All of my diving thus far has been abroad but I'm joining a club here (UK) so the gear preferably needs to b light weight and able to cope with warm and colder waters.

So far I have bought:
Mares V16 proton metal (DIN)
Mares proton octopus
Old model but new datamax pro air integrated computer
Suunto SK7 wrist compass
Mares volo fins

I shopped around and bought all of these brand new for way under half their retail value.

There aren't a huge number of dive shops around here but I have managed to try on a few BCDs of which I preferred the Buddy commando (i think), Posieden techlift and Mares Vector Chrome.

The buddy is a bit to expensive for my budget and I didnt really like the weight and lack of pockets on the techlift so am left with the mares vector chrome which I have found for 191 GBP + £20 for the MRS weight system.

I would appreciate any comments about this BCD and setup as it is the first dive equipment I have bought. There seems to be a huge choice of BCDs out there and Im looking for the best deal. I like the light weight, quantity of D rings, traditional BC inflator and 3D pockets of the Vector Chrome. Are there any bad points of it? Im restricted to buying one that I can try on first as i refuse to buy a BCD without trying it on first but maybe I could stretch to a Vector 1000 if its a similar fit to the Chrome. Is it worth the extra?

I appreciate I have asked an awful lot of questions here but I would like to make an informed choice and would appreciate help from more experienced divers.

(Diving would be recreational - possibly some wrecks).

Many thanks.
Chris

 

[BIGSAGE136]

Dare I suggest a BP/W? Can't beat the setup cost...

 

[MSilvia]

Dare I suggest a BP/W? Can't beat the setup cost...

...and you can rest assured it WILL fit you.

 

[c_m_wood]

Dare I suggest a BP/W? Can't beat the setup cost...

Thanks for the suggestion. To be honest I'm not really sure what they are like to dive with. I'm open minded and I think the Poseidon Techlift is a mixture of BCD/ wing and I did like the idea of the more streamlined horizontal position. Any suggestions as to which ones? I have reservations about the BP/W system only as ive never used them and I guess I'd prefer to buy something that I am comfortable and familiar with and maybe progress to that in the future.

Thanks again for your suggestion.
Chris.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

Thanks for the suggestion. To be honest I'm not really sure what they are like to dive with.Chris.

Answer...A Dream!....They are really very simple.

 

[terrasmak]

Bp and wing , its the most versitile system on the market. Rest assured you will have the best thing available if you get one.
Add ons (pockets , D-rings etc etc) you can add and remove them as needed . no toher BP will give you the options will will have with a bp

 

[Seraphimx]

If its the price try the Oceanic Backinflated stuff. Try used.
I tried a OMS BP/wing set (my friend's) and its great. I used it 4 times and I loved it.
So I tried looking for some set but I found a Oceanic Chute 2 Bc on Ebay. Wich I bought 200 USD with shipping. And its great. It has a hardpack wich acts a bit like the BP and a nice big wing. Its the same as a BP/Wing setup, but more Rec style.

It has a #45 wing, 4 weight pockets and 8 D-rings. Its perfect for my needs.

If you want new BP set is the price of a new BCD
a complete Dive-Rite setup at www.divesports.com
is 600$ a good rec BC is 500$. For the diff, id go BP.

 

[Davetul]

I just bought a Mares Dragon BCD, when my old faithful USDivers Calypso backplate broke after a particularly nasty shore dive (swells 3' on the way out, 6' on the way in onto a coral shelf. Tank first...).

But anyhow...I've only dove with it a couple times, but it's the most comfortable BC I've used to date. Only bad thing is small pockets. I paid 380 USD for it (listed at 595+), and I'm impressed with it so far. Only time will tell though...

Dave

 

[c_m_wood]

Thanks for all the replies. I am still looking but am coming around to the idea of a bpw. Need to buy inside of a month so i'll be scouring the shops for prices.

Thanks again.
Chris

 

[Seraphimx]

I dont know if its like that where you live but here in canada a whole OMS set is worth about 1200$ and on internet i can get it at 700$. So I would go to the internet and make a quick shipping but if you have nice LDS with low prices.