Hi!! I have recently been certified and have been fortunate to do my first open water dives in Jamaica. I absolutely fell in love with diving!! I plan on diving often and am interested in purchasing my own gear. I have looked at Aqua Lung, Scubapro, and Zeagle brands. I know there are soo many more options. I am looking for assistance in buying a top of the line BC! Can anyone give me some advise on a good brand. I liked the Scubapro Classic Air2. Any thoughts?? Thanks
Hi! Best BC to buy??
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What do you define as top of the line? Brand, price, style, features? What is top of the line for some may be closer to the bottom for others if it does not meet their style of diving, fit their needs, or is outside their budget.
Are you going to be a strictly warm water diver who only dives when they travel?
Will you do any local diving in less than optimal conditions?
What are you interested in as far as types of diving?
Any interest in technical diving down the road?
Do you want to buy once or buy multiple times as your interests change?
There is one TYPE of BC that will adapt and meet all these needs. It'll handle warm water, cold water, be very travel friendly, modular so that you can replace components as they wear or your needs change, be able to give you a total custom fit, and be had at very reasonable cost. Heck you could put on together used for under 300 bucks if you know what you are looking for. And not much more than 400 for a new one.
That would be a back plate and wing from any number of manufacturers. I have an article on them for recreational, new divers, and students. All I need is an email to send it to.
Or you could look at names instead of features and buy based on that. Which may mean you spend twice what you need to.
Are you going to be a strictly warm water diver who only dives when they travel?
Will you do any local diving in less than optimal conditions?
What are you interested in as far as types of diving?
Any interest in technical diving down the road?
Do you want to buy once or buy multiple times as your interests change?
There is one TYPE of BC that will adapt and meet all these needs. It'll handle warm water, cold water, be very travel friendly, modular so that you can replace components as they wear or your needs change, be able to give you a total custom fit, and be had at very reasonable cost. Heck you could put on together used for under 300 bucks if you know what you are looking for. And not much more than 400 for a new one.
That would be a back plate and wing from any number of manufacturers. I have an article on them for recreational, new divers, and students. All I need is an email to send it to.
Or you could look at names instead of features and buy based on that. Which may mean you spend twice what you need to.
drrich2
Contributor
Be mindful there are different types.
1.) Jacket - what a lot of people think of when they think of a BCD.
2.) Rear inflate BCDs. Zeagle BCD's often use the ripcord system for integrated weight release; you may want to do a forum search and find out whether that's something you would or would not prefer; views vary.
3.) Back Plate/Wing, like Jim was telling you about.
Richard.
1.) Jacket - what a lot of people think of when they think of a BCD.
2.) Rear inflate BCDs. Zeagle BCD's often use the ripcord system for integrated weight release; you may want to do a forum search and find out whether that's something you would or would not prefer; views vary.
3.) Back Plate/Wing, like Jim was telling you about.
Richard.
Last edited by a moderator:
Dr. Lecter
Contributor
Just to be clear, and I may have missed a model, IIRC all Zeagle BCDs are back inflate - none are jacket.
Of the various BCDs the OP listed, the Zeagle is probably the best built, made by a manufacturer who offers excellent direct support (try calling AL or Scubapro and getting help direct from the factory I dare you), and has the best resale value for when you sell it to buy the BP&W you likely should have bought to begin with (I know from personal experience).
If the OP has a thing for octo-inflators, check out the Atomic SS1 - breathes better than the Air2 or Zeagle octo inflators IME, and I've used one below 200' (though I can't say my comparative experience with the others involved that depth). As a bonus, the SS1 screws directly onto the Zeagle inflator hose easy for storing regs separately and for rinsing out the BC bladder.
Sounds overly simplistic but for a new diver the "best BCD" is the one that fits you and you feel comfortable in. If you can, try out a variety of BCD's before you buy. Talk to fellow divers and look at their gear. At the very least, go to a dive shop and try them on. Then make your decision.
If you're expecting to be diving for a decade or so, there's no drama in buying a couple of BCD's over that time frame. I would look for a
back inflate BCD
eg. Aqualung ZUMA
Back inflate BCD's promote good trim underwater. They have a couple of pockets for stowing small items.
or a backplate/ wing, which also is great for trim and in made of components so if one part fails, you can simply replace the broken part as opposed to having to buy a whole new unit. In the long-term you will save money... but you have to be diving a lot to see realistic financial savings. BP/W do not normally have pockets, so you would need to find a solution (they exist in the form of add-on) pockets.
SIZE is extremely important. Think to get a smaller BCD rather than a larger one. Ideally they should fit snug on the body which really helps with balance.
BRANDS- any brand will work, but I would stick to some brands that you have in your area.
TRIM POCKETS are small weight pockets up near the shoulders. I will not consider a BCD without them.
INTEGRATED WEIGHTS are great if you're diving in cooler waters. In the tropics, a few pound on a weightbelt is no issue.
NO AIR2- they are a gimic IMO. I recommend to get a standard octopus.
back inflate BCD
eg. Aqualung ZUMA
Back inflate BCD's promote good trim underwater. They have a couple of pockets for stowing small items.
or a backplate/ wing, which also is great for trim and in made of components so if one part fails, you can simply replace the broken part as opposed to having to buy a whole new unit. In the long-term you will save money... but you have to be diving a lot to see realistic financial savings. BP/W do not normally have pockets, so you would need to find a solution (they exist in the form of add-on) pockets.
SIZE is extremely important. Think to get a smaller BCD rather than a larger one. Ideally they should fit snug on the body which really helps with balance.
BRANDS- any brand will work, but I would stick to some brands that you have in your area.
TRIM POCKETS are small weight pockets up near the shoulders. I will not consider a BCD without them.
INTEGRATED WEIGHTS are great if you're diving in cooler waters. In the tropics, a few pound on a weightbelt is no issue.
NO AIR2- they are a gimic IMO. I recommend to get a standard octopus.
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drrich2
Contributor
Thanks for the clarification. I didn't know whether Zeagles were rear inflate or not & should've put that line about Zeagle separately.
On another note, I use an Air2, and the main thing I noticed is that if we were diving together, and you went out of air, I'd need to donate you my primary regulator, and breathe off my Air2. Thing is, the hose that came with my Atomic B2 primary reg. is short enough and you and I are pretty much going to be 'nose to nose.' So if you go the Air2 route, you may want to get a longer hose on your primary reg.
Richard.
eelnoraa
Contributor
If money doesn't matter, I will buy halcyon Infiniti 30lb wing.
The Scubapro Classic with AIR 2 has been around for as very long time. It has proven itself. I personal have been diving it since the 70's.
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