Hello Scubaboard - British cold water diver here, new to the sport but loving it!

[Momanlad]

Hello there!

New to diving, done about 20 UK dives, mostly inland quarries (Stoney Cove) with temps down to 6 degrees C . Open water qualified but looking to do the AOW on holiday next month. Objective for me is to get a deep and wreck speciality course with PADI and take advantage of the wrecks around the UK and perhaps the Normandy beaches!! That's probably a way off until I have the experience/confidence!!

First question though - I am 6ft, 12.5 stone and have purchased a medium Scubapro Knighthawk BCD as part of a package. The package includes Scubapro Nova Scotia 6.5mm semi dry (which I love) and Scubapro S600 MK17 regs. Only problem I am having is the cylinder seems to sit very low on my back no matter how I adjust it. I have a lot of space between the neck line on the BCD and, errrr, my neck!! Dive buddy always thinks my tank is low.

Anywho - this causes the low pressure inflator hose to be too short and therefore pulls the BCD inflator up (if that makes sense). I intend to buy a longer BC hose but my question, if you haven't fallen asleep, is why is this happening? Is the BCD too big? All the size charts tell me it should be too small!! I think it fits perfectly when I have it on. I just don't know whether it is supposed to be like that. It's fine in the water by the way, well in fact I love the back inflate!!

Any my suggestions gratefully received!!

 

[Redshift]

Welcome to Scubaboard!

Quarries can be fun and serve their purpose, but try to get out to the sea!

As for the cylinder position, how can it always be so low? If you secure the cam band lower, it should stay higher on your back...

 

[lowviz]

Hello there!

Welcome!

I am 6ft, 12.5 stone and have purchased a medium Scubapro Knighthawk BCD as part of a package.

I'm good with stone, the 6ft threw me a bit.

Only problem I am having is the cylinder seems to sit very low on my back no matter how I adjust it. I have a lot of space between the neck line on the BCD and, errrr, my neck!! Dive buddy always thinks my tank is low.

I'm thinking that it is too small. I have the same BCD, used to dive it a lot. Good news is that I can also dive the kid's Knighthawk. Feels the same underwater, but the tank strap is too low. So I just hike the cylinder up stupidly high (on the surface) and it all works fine underwater. Good news is that the SP strap system really holds onto the cylinder AFTER IT IS WET AND STRETCHED. So put the cylinder where it belongs, cinch the strap, get wet, and then really have a go at retightening the strap. Don't buy anything just yet...

All the size charts tell me it should be too small!! I think it fits perfectly when I have it on. I just don't know whether it is supposed to be like that. It's fine in the water by the way, well in fact I love the back inflate!!

Think of it as a "very forgiving" too small.

Don't start liking back inflate, it's a training drug for BP/W.

-Cheers