Fluffy (Fat) Divers what BCD

[Imla]

Hroark2112

Having had the Zeagle Tech, and dived in a Zeagle Ranger, I can tell you that if she is slightly on the curvacious side these will not fit her. This especially goes if she has hips to speak of.

I will echo Jim Lapenta. Order your bpw from someone who knows how to set it up. I bought mine from at shop that deals ONLY in bpws with experienced GUE instructors. I walked out of the shop with a system fitting to within an inch.

 

[thez_yo]

Being kind of on the short side too, bp/w seems to be working better for me than any back-inflate or jacket bc I ever dove. And even the women's Zeagles too unfortunately (man, I really wanted to love that Zeagle but it was not meant to be). The reason why is the shoulder strap adjustments would end up having to be pulled down all the way for me (the ones you pull tight in the front of your shoulders) because they appear to be designing for people who have incredibly long torsos, which just caused the back portion of the bc to ride higher towards my neck in the back (due to being pulled forward by cinching in the front to get it tight enough), pulling the tank up so I'd always ended up hitting my head on the back of my first stage even with the tank strapped in as low as it could go.

 

[chrpai]

Not to be insensitive, but at some point I'd suggest getting that "fluffy" under control. I've been guilty myself and I've been working on it. I was 265lb a year ago and now I'm 235lb. I need to get down to at least 200 and I hope to be there by next year.

The "DIR" folks generate a lot of controversy but one thing they talk about is how having a good level of physical fitness will improve your safety and equip you to better handle stressful situations.

That said, I echo the BP/W comments.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Has she tried a scubado ladyhawk back inflate? IMNSHO it is not just her fluffiness causing her pop up problems. My guess is she's actually overweighted and compensating for that with air in her bcd and then there's new diver nerves that keeps extra air in the lungs, blah blah blah.

Who did her custom suit for her? Lovely idea.

 

[ams511]

Besides the BP/W she may want to consider a less buoyant steel tank. Another item to take a look at is the DUI weight pockets with suspenders carrying so much weight is uncomfortable and cannot be that good for her back.

 

[IrnBear]

Not to be insensitive, but at some point I'd suggest getting that "fluffy" under control. I've been guilty myself and I've been working on it. I was 265lb a year ago and now I'm 235lb. I need to get down to at least 200 and I hope to be there by next year.

The "DIR" folks generate a lot of controversy but one thing they talk about is how having a good level of physical fitness will improve your safety and equip you to better handle stressful situations.

That said, I echo the BP/W comments.

There is always one in the Crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

---------- Post added June 26th, 2013 at 09:54 PM ----------

Who did her custom suit for her? Lovely idea.

Custom Wetsuit Thread
They had just finished and shipped a wetsuit for a big girl in Canada while we were there.
They do awesome work...

IrnBear

---------- Post added June 26th, 2013 at 09:56 PM ----------

I will need to research and figure out the best BP/W system for her.
We really appreciate all the info.

Thank you,

IrnBear

---------- Post added June 26th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ----------

No it is not the same as back inflate. No matter what any dealer will tell you. The BPW is a stainless steel plate, harness, wing, and cam bands. It can be purchased piece by piece or as a complete unit. I advise doing this with a dealer who knows how to set one up, many don't, and who not only sells them but uses them as well. I teach my OW students in one.

There are other options for adding weight besides bolt on plates which in truth are only available for certain mfg's unless you have a machine shop. A dealer who knows them can give you these options based on her needs. They include weight pouches on the cam bands or waist strap, and the use of steel tanks. There are some other integrated type systems that will work as well. Personally I prefer a weight belt, pouches on the cam bands, and using steel tanks. Whatever method she chooses she should under no circumstances have all the weight in one system.

When someone requires a good deal of weight they really need to get with an instructor that understands proper weighting and placement of those weights. Again a number of instructors, from the appearance of their OW students, have no clue as to how to do this.

I have seen your name elsewhere on the boards as being a guru of sorts for this stuff.
I notice in your sig that you sell the BP/W systems.
I have had good success with online purchasing of scuba equipment so far.
How are you at figuring out what the best fitment might be without the person being present?

She is doing well with 36lbs of weight. I BCD integrated and weight belted her.
Instructors don't seem to have a clue when it comes to the weights issue.

I'm considering trying her out with Weight Belt 20lbs, then whatever else is needed going 10lbs in front of BCD/BPW setup and whatever is needed beyond that in the rear.
I'm no expert, but a little commonsense and trial and error goes a long way.

Thank you,

IrnBear

 

[chrpai]

There is always one in the Crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yup, I'm fluffy. But I'm sure I'm not the only one.

---------- Post added June 27th, 2013 at 07:01 AM ----------

How are you at figuring out what the best fitment might be without the person being present?

The simple webbing harness of a BP/W is infinitely adjustable. You just slide some more webbing out or slide it back in and it's set just for you. See:

Adjusting the backplate/harness
BAUE How To Size a Backplate

 

[WB2GLP]

I'm considering trying her out with Weight Belt 20lbs, then whatever else is needed going 10lbs in front of BCD/BPW setup and whatever is needed beyond that in the rear.

You may also want to think about a weight harness rather than a weight belt.

 

[halocline]

I suggest that you contact Deep Sea supply. They make excellent BP/W systems that you can purchase as an integrated set up, complete with bolt-on steel weight plates. This is almost certainly the best solution for getting your girlfriend's ballast needs taken care of.

Don't pay attention to the suggestions for the ladyhawk, ranger, or any other soft BC. A big advantage of the BP/W in your situation (well, almost anyone's if you ask me) is that the rigid steel plate puts several pounds of ballast right where it's most effective, on your back sandwiched between the two sources of buoyancy; your lungs and the wing. You absolutely do not get this advantage with a soft BC.

 

[tracydr]

Hey All,
My Girlfriend is a new diver.
She is 5'2" and Fluffy.
No gear she can float for days on end.

We have taken care of the wetsuit issue with a custom made wetsuit.

CA ocean diving: She had to use 36lbs of weight just to get down and not pop back up around the 20ft mark.
She is a very comfortable breather underwater...
At 32lbs of weight she had issue getting down and could stay down at the 20ft mark.

She has been renting a jacket BCD.

I am wondering for all you big buoyant divers out there: What BCD do you use?

Thank you,

IrnBear

Really, not to beat a dead horse, but the best, most custom fit would be a short plate and a simple hogarthian harness. It's actually incredibly comfortable and as a small (5'1") woman, I can tell you that I fought the BC not holding the tank firmly on my back and causing me difficulty with side/side stability for years. When I finally gave in and spent the money for a new rig ( I knew I wanted to go with a Hogarthian set-up for years) I finally found a "sweet spot". I find the plain nylon harness and backplate without padding to be comfortable in everything from drysuit to Lycra skin. ( and the ability to fit it to all of these suits is also incredible)
Plus, its actually less expensive and easier to pack for trips! There are plenty of videos to help with putting the harness on. Trust me, if I can get the harness together, anybody can, I'm very challenged with that type of thing. I also found the book published by GUE called "Dressing For Success" to be very helpful.