Help me understand the different BCD types.

[MichaelMc]

For trim, another exercise is to hold a few pounds, likely 2-4 pounds of your needed lead, in your hand, and move it up and down your body to see what location gives you a neutral weight distribution. By neutral weight distribution I mean one where gravity is no longer trying to rotate you to head or feet down. This means you will be able to stay in a horizontal orientation without kicking, or stay in any other orientation you need to.

Once you find a position of your hands and lead that lets you not rotate, you need to find where to put that lead on your rig, or also shift ofter lead to achieve the same effect. This exercise ignores the fact that normally your arms would likely be out in front of you, but it is a more immediate way of seeing where you need your lead than needing to have all your lead in the pockets before seeing if some positioning seems to work.

It also gives you a bit of practice in staying still in a prefered orientation without kicking, by giving a bit of a crutch in being able to reposition the weight in your hand. Ultimately, shifting your likely negative fins and heels forward or back will let you stay horizontal, but learning that is much simpler if you have close to a neutral weight distribution.

The basic idea, though without tanks on, time 4:04:

+1 on recommending a BP/W and covering your skin underwater in the tropics.

 

[Streydog]

Thank you for all the responses, I'm learning quite a bit. I've been thinking about making my own BP/W for awhile now, and reading through the thread I might try and do my own. I do have a couple of more questions.

Do people really just wear the metal against their backs? I guess it wouldn't matter if one always wears a suit, but when I've gone in the Caribbean I only wore a swim suit with no shirt.

How much does the entire thing weigh, about since I know there can be some differences. People are talking about travel weight and dropping 2 pounds, but does that make a huge difference in the weight of the BP/W? I think a good amount of my diving will be on travel.

How does one know where to put weight to keep trim? When we did the OW classes, when I wasn't doing anything I would try and keep my place in the water. I was able to kind of do it a couple of times, I know I will need a lot more practice, but being able to think about what I should do before I get in the water to practice will help.

I dive often in a long sleeve T-shirt and a bare AL plate. I don't even notice it. Out of the water the weight is on your shoulders, in the water I notice it at all.

Mine weighs about 5.5lbs with an AL plate, really close to what my BC was but much more compact

 

[lowwall]

I've done a lot of dives with a backplate and just shorts or shorts and a t-shirt. It feels fine. Remember that it weighs almost nothing once you are in the water.

Total weight with a steel plate is less than my old Zeagle BCD. I'll post the actual weights once I get back from my vacation in a few days if it's still relevant.

 

[Saboteur]

I would get the Scamp.

I have the Scoundrel, it is discontinued.

 

[divad]

I have the Scoundrel, it is discontinued.

Sad.....that was one boss setup.

 

[ofg-1]

There are basically three types of BC's. Expensive, REALLY expensive, and HOLY CRAP, ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Most people, after selling their plasma to pay for them, can get used to any of them with practice. Find one that fits you correctly, and don't worry about it.

 

[Ayisha]

...Note that STAs add more weight. If most of your diving is warm water, you may not need the extra weight of a STA, or possibly, you may welcome the extra weight.

For me, I would not need the extra weight of a STA for warm water,

The weight of an STA (Single Tank Adapter) itself is negligible. It can remain empty to just do it's job of keeping a single tank stable.

The weight can be inserted into the STA or not. For example, my small AL Halcyon bp weighs 1.8 lbs. The 6 lb weight for the STA never got used once I switched to HP steel tanks, even here in cold water. I only wear 4 lbs lead in cold water, so the STA is always empty and weighs next to nothing by itself.

 

[Ayisha]

...Do people really just wear the metal against their backs? I guess it wouldn't matter if one always wears a suit, but when I've gone in the Caribbean I only wore a swim suit with no shirt.

How much does the entire thing weigh, about since I know there can be some differences...

People do dive with just a swimsuit and a bp/w no problem in terms of comfort. As mentioned though, you might appreciate exposure protection from jellyfish stings, etc.

Having said that, the only "extra" I have kept to this day from my Halcyon Infinity is the thin backpad. I'm sure I don't need it, but I'm sure it's not causing me any issues either.

Regarding weight, I can only speak for my Halcyon bp, which in the small Aluminum is 1.8 lbs, and the standard Aluminum is 2 lbs. The standard steel bp is 6 lbs.
There are even lighter carbon fiber bp's, initially designed for traveling.

Most brands probably have similar weights of their bp's.

I had bought mine from a shop, and they had put it together and fitted it to me. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to take apart, put together, and adjust it yourself.

 

[Diver0071969]

With the BPW can you dive a single tank set up on a doubles configuration....what are the downsides to that if any?

 

[BlueTrin]

With the BPW can you dive a single tank set up on a doubles configuration....what are the downsides to that if any?

If you use a double wing on a single cylinder it will be too large and wrap too far around the tank.

If you use a single wing on a twin-set, it will be too small and not wrap correctly around the cylinders.

(at least that’s what I have always been told)

here a pic of my single wing on the top of my double wing: they are both 40lb lift. Don’t worry about the toilet paper ... babies were having fun in the room