Equipment Questions from New Divers

[davidbaraff]

I dive mostly Monterey and I use a Zeagle Stiletto as my BC. I love it. I also travel with it (like once a year) for a hawaii dive trip, and i take it with me. It works just fine in Monterey with my 7mm one-piece suit. In Monterey, I use 26 lbs of weight, no weight belt, and it is just fine.

(Actually, I use 26 lbs with aluminimum tanks. i just switched to steel tanks and am now using only 18 lbs of weight. My point is that in either case, all the weight goes in the BC, and none on a weight belt. i've not had any problems whatsover in terms of losing weights etc. The Zeagle Stiletto is very safe and secure in this respect; for emergencies, it has a "ripcord" release to dump the weighs. never come close to even thinking about using it though.)

So as a local, that's what I use, and I like it in tropical waters as well. I researched it a lot before I bought it, and have been completely happy with it. It also turns out to be exactly the same BC one of my dive instructors uses, and I figure he knows a heck of alot more than I do.

 

[Ze_Abron]

I had the same worried about Mares BCD's, but then I just visited my LDS to have a look at them. I can't understand HOW they can fall out, it is a very sturdy piece of kit.

So I bought my Dragon, and the wife bought her Kaila. They are SOOO confortable. We have dove them here in Monterey and in Cozumel too. No issues, just perfect.

We bought Mares reg's too!

 

[Anti-Hero]

Buy a BP/W and put all sorts of fancy buckles, releases, snaps, padding, and all the other assorted gizmos traditional jacket BCD's have on them.

... Then when you realize just how much you don't want/need that stuff you can take it off. Best of both worlds!

 

[Peter_C]

I'd recommend a ScubaPro Knighthawk, a superb back-inflate with integrated weights. Very versatile and is quite comfortable.

I made it 25 dives in my brand new Knighthawk before selling it at a loss and switching to a far superior BP/W. I use a Freedom Plate for single tank diving.

"The best way to save money on a wetsuit purchase, is to buy a drysuit". Most hardcore divers in the area use a drysuit.

 

[saf1]

I think whoever said it above said it best. Buying your second set of gear is always cheaper

Maybe see if a local dive shop carries traditional type bc and a bp/w for rent and try one of each to get a feel. As others already mentioned try to see what your overall goal or objectives for diving are because that will also help you decide on what type of gear. For example tech diving or advance require a typically minimum config vs that of say recreational diving who may only go once a month or a couple times a year.

Also think about if you are going to travel and bring your gear.

I dive a zeagle ranger and it suits me fine. I would recommend the crotch strap if you go that route. I also know if I get a bit more serious about diving then I would probably end up with a dry suit and use a bp/w for better streamline. But since I'm not at that level yet I'm ok and my dive buddies know my gear in case something should happen.

 

[Anti-Hero]

BP/W is not just for "serious" divers. A BP/W can be configured to function just like a back inflate jacket BCD. You can add all the fastex clips, quick releases, padding, adjustments, D-rings, etc. just like a jacket BCD.

Then *if* you decide you don't want it, you can take it off and only be out the cost of the additions, not the whole system.

 

[rstofer]

Here's where I come out: I don't care if it is a jacket BC, a back-inflate BC or a BP/W, I will NEVER use integrated weights.

Two reasons: First, it makes the rig too heavy and, second, there is reason to believe that many people have dropped their weight pockets and this can lead to disaster.

In my view, integrated weights make sense only in warm water where the total weight might be 6 to 10#. If you lose the weight, you still won't launch. As stated earlier, the market for scuba gear is warm water resort diving. Everything is based on that idea. Very little of the highly marketed gear makes any sense in cold water.

So, having the weight issue solved with a DUI Weight & Trim Classic harness means we can select from the 3 BC styles without considering weights. Jacket style BCs are thought to compress the diver and are not highly regarded on SB. But I liked my SeaQuest ADVi; it's retired, but I liked it.

I don't see any advantage to a back-inflate BC over a BP/W and the BP/W is a lot more flexible in configuration and expansion. Aluminum plate for warm water, stainless steel plate for cold water, inexpensive one-piece harness, and a choice of wings (or not). I use a 30# wing for cold water and that would be too much for warm water. But not so much oversized that I might just use it anyway. You can use the same plate for singles or doubles but I would guess that most divers just buy 2 rigs. It's too much effort to have to thread the tank bands or mess with a Single Tank Adapter (where required).

Bottom line: call Tobin at Deep Sea Supply and get it over with. Or check out the website at www.deepseasupply.com Highly recommended gear.

Richard

 

[kathydee]

I am most likely going to give mine up for a BP/W, though the first issue I see with going the BP/W direction is that I'll have no pockets (I dive wet).

You can always pick up a pair of X-shorts which are easy to slip on with any wetsuit so it is not necessary to glue pockets on all suits https://www.dive-xtras.com/cart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=38

Michael,

Welcome to the NorCal forum! Lots of us dive every weekend so let us know when you're headed to the ocean next. As you can tell, everyone likes to talk gear, so it's easy to see a lot of options in person.

Like other posters, I'm a big proponent of a backplate and wing, especially for local cold water diving:
1. Improved weight distribution. The 6#s from SS plate moves weight off the waist and improves trim in the water.
2. Streamlined. Cold water diving already requires thick exposure protection, I don't want a thick BC too. A bp/wing has little bulk and actually has less buoyancy as well.
3. Flexibility/growth. A bp/wing system grows with you. This system is good for warm water diving, cold water diving, deep dives, cave dives, wreck dives, etc. Replace a wing, and you're customized for the environment.

I've always liked Deep Sea Supply (DSS), especially the single-tank set-up.

Well said Don !

I made it 25 dives in my brand new Knighthawk before selling it at a loss and switching to a far superior BP/W.

I dove the womens knighthawk equivalent, the Ladyhawk, for 40 dives (most in warm water) before swapping to the BP/W. After one dive in the new rig, the Ladyhawk was up for sale at a 50% loss, enough said .

 

[saf1]

BP/W is not just for "serious" divers. A BP/W can be configured to function just like a back inflate jacket BCD. You can add all the fastex clips, quick releases, padding, adjustments, D-rings, etc. just like a jacket BCD.

Then *if* you decide you don't want it, you can take it off and only be out the cost of the additions, not the whole system.

I think you took my "serious" comment out of context.

Someone like me who gets in the water maybe once or twice every three months is going to have a different set of needs / requirements than say someone who dives every weekend. An example would be that I'm perfectly fine for one to three dives in my 7 mil wet suit and 3 mil chest warmer yet it may get uncomfortable for others who are in the water longer or more frequently. Not to mention if I do both warm and cold water.

Same applies on types and durations of the dives.

One thing we all share though is that we need to be safe and competent in the gear that we are using. One thing I made sure was that the gear I did end up purchasing was able to work in the dive environment that I was going to spend more time in. Since it is Monterey it had to be able to work within our water temp.

I think that is what Hinalo was trying to get at and said it better. Research, read, and if at all possible try the stuff out before you buy so you make a good investment. I had a friend return a dive rite bp/w setup after her first dive because she didn't like how she felt on the surface. For her it was a comfort thing on the surface believe it or not. Note: I'm not saying anything is wrong with dive rite but for her it didn't work out. Luckily for her the shop gave her full credit upon return.

 

[Adobo]

I'm late to the party but I did want to add...

The extensibility for BP/Ws that is most relevant for the new diver probably is less about tech diving or doubles or whatever. The more practical things that you can do with a BP system in a recreational diving context has more to do with being to add the following gear:
- 7' hose with bungeed back up. It might not be clear to you now why this configuration is preferred by quite a few divers but if it does become something you desire, implementing on a BP/Wing system is far easier than on a "traditional" BC.
- Canister light. Again, initially it might not seem clear why someone would want to drop this much coin on a flashlight but once you "see the light", you'll be thankful you went with a BP/W.
- Scooter (yeah baby). Scooters have to be one of the last things on your mind. But if and when you get to that point, again, you will be thankful for a BP/W system.

I personally only do recreational dives and yet I find the first two items to be crucial to my diving. The third item is pretty much icing on the cake. You could probably implement these things with a "traditional" BC but you everything is going to seem like FUBAR.