I am looking at a new BCD. I am not sure which one to get. I have try on 2 Aqua Lungs on. They were both very comfortable. They best that I have felt. I was looking at the Dimension I3 or the Axiom I3. I am a Rescue diver. I dive about every other weekend. I just was seeing what everyone thought of one of these two BCD's.
Jacket or back inflator
- Thread starter LarryMill
- Start date
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I think a growing majority of divers favor - for good reason - a back-inflate BCD. I have a jacket and multiple back-inflates. And, while I prefer the latter, I can nonetheless dive a jacket and maintain good buoyancy and trim control.
I personally do not care for the I3 units. From my perspective the technology needlessly increases the complexity of the equipment, and is completely UNNECESSARY for a competent diver.
One additional point - when you say, 'They were both very comfortable.', is that based on a 'dry' fitting (in the shop) or use of the units underwater? The 'on land' comfort of all too many BCDs is based on padding that is both unnecessary AND adds to the weight burden for the vast majority of divers. I would much rather have a unit that is neutral or even slightly negatively buoyant, so I DON'T have to add so much / any weight.
Again, those are my views. YRMV.
I personally do not care for the I3 units. From my perspective the technology needlessly increases the complexity of the equipment, and is completely UNNECESSARY for a competent diver.
One additional point - when you say, 'They were both very comfortable.', is that based on a 'dry' fitting (in the shop) or use of the units underwater? The 'on land' comfort of all too many BCDs is based on padding that is both unnecessary AND adds to the weight burden for the vast majority of divers. I would much rather have a unit that is neutral or even slightly negatively buoyant, so I DON'T have to add so much / any weight.
Again, those are my views. YRMV.
CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
Back plate and wing is what I dive with. Ever since I tried it I was amazed at how little lead I needed and how easy it was to achieve neutral buoyancy.
+1 on this. It is hard to describe how good they feel underwater (they might not feel as comfortable on the surface due to lack of padding & "hug" that a jacket type gives). They are potentially more reliant on getting the initial set up right though.
Used jacket on my OW course and a couple of divers afterwards, then bought a BP&W and never looked back.
I would second the thoughts of @Colliam7 re the I3 system - needless complication and could make servicing more difficult.
halocline
Contributor
You're talking about trying them on in a dive shop, wearing street clothes, without a tank attached? If so, you should understand that your evaluation of comfort has no relevance to how they will perform underwater.
If you can, try to borrow or rent a BP/W for a dive, even a dip in the pool will work. I suspect your idea of what is more comfortable might change.
bergersau
Contributor
I'm not a fan of the I3 system for two reasons.
- It's different from most other inflator/deflators - I've had to transfer a Low pressure inflator hose from one of my wings on to a buddies BCD when he had a corrugated hose failure. The standard sized hoses allowed us to save his weekend of diving as he had no time to buy a new hose that weekend. A problem with an I3 may be harder to solve without correct spares (which are less common).
- It's different from most other inflator/deflators - I've had instances where to avoid an inexperienced diver panicking on the surface I needed to reach out and inflate their BCD to give them more positive buoyancy and restore their confidence. I KNOW through extensive repetition both how to locate and how to use a standard design inflator. I'd be probably be fumbling for the controls on an I3 even assuming a proper buddy check had shown me where it is.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
If you get a chance, try several of these units underwater before buying. I know that's hard to do being not every unit is rentable and not every shop carries everything, but if you have friends that are about the same size as you see if you can arrange to use as much different stuff as possible including a BP/W unit. Go through all the drills, shake it around underwater, see how floppy or not floppy it fits, sit still in the water and see what position your body ends up in. Reach for the pockets and use them, see how easy or difficult they are to get to and use.
Many on this board will recommend BP/W, me included. However it is important for you to try one and contrast it's performance to all the other units so you can truelly understand why we recommend them.
Many on this board will recommend BP/W, me included. However it is important for you to try one and contrast it's performance to all the other units so you can truelly understand why we recommend them.
I would second what @halocline suggests about taking them for a dive - BCD's are supposed to be used in the water so making sure they work for you there is more important than how it fits on dry land.
Another vote for BP/W. Same question, same answer!
bkilleen
Registered
Back inflate is definitely the way to go IMHO. Whether BP/W or not is really up to you; everyone has their own preferences. I've dove BP/W, back-inflate, and jacket-style, and definitely prefer the BP/W, but I've kept my Scubapro Knighthawk as a backup.
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