Just got O/W cert, what BC should I get?

[bevansmw]

I just completed my open-water PADI dive cert and was looking at buying some equipment now. From browsing a little and reading some it looks like Zeagle is a good brand to go with but I'm a little curious about what type I should get. I've been considering buyine one used from the forum to save some money on it and was looking at the Zeagle Ranger or the Zeagle Scout or possible a BP/W. I'm not sure all of the basic components I would need for a BP/W but thought that may be a good idea to start with so that way later I can upgrade my BC more easily. What would be the minimum I would need for a BP/W to get me going? I'm diving in Hawaii so water is warm and my height is 6'2" at about 190 pounds and I wear a full length wetsuit or I could also go with a shorty wetsuit. About how much lift will I need? Would the scout provide sufficient lift or would I outgrow it quickly? I don't want to buy one only to need to get another one later. Thanks for any help

 

[DiveMaven]

What type of diving are you interested in doing? If you're going to dive in Hawaiian waters recreationally, that's a far different animal than going with doubles and tech diving. When I dive Hawaii with a 7mm full suit and a single AL80 tank, the 24 pounds of lift on my Zena is plenty (and I weight just a bit less than you).

Keep in mind that few people are still diving their first BC after a few years of diving. It is very common to switch out your gear as you go along and learn. Heck, my husband and I have been diving for 5 years and neither of us dive any of the original gear we got after certification (my original regs are now backup regs though).

Also whatever you choose in a BC, make sure you've tried it first. Although the BP/W is promoted very strongly on this board, it isn't for everyone like many say it is. Yes, I speak from experience after having been fitted into one and finding it incredibly uncomfortable. I much prefer my "harness and wing" Zeagle Zena.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
You will get a lot of different opinions. Maybe not as many BP suggestions as normal since you started on a Zeagle page. I use to own a Ranger and now dive a Scout. I found the Ranger more BC than I needed. It is fairly big, heavy, took up a lot of room in my suitcase and has way more lift than 99% of us need. The Scout has become my primary BC if I am using one. Mine has 35 lb of lift which is more than enough for me even when diving dry. Presently I have an even smaller lift bladder on it- around 15#s. Lift will not likely be a problem as long as you don't go with double steels.

BPs...well I am another of the not a fan crowd. Tried one and was not impressed, most of the hype you will soon get is what I like to call a political truth, it's true but if you dig deeper there is a lot more to the story. I am not going to get into a BP/wing debate- been there -done that too many times but I will give you a simple example. BP semi-truth: "You can replace a component when it wears out." This is absolutly true....however I have yet to actually find someone who has actually worn out a BC. Careless and ripped it, badly faded, tired of it, wanted a new one - found plenty of those but never a truly worn out one. What good is being able to replace something that wears out when it never actually wears out. If you intend to dive doubles or do some serious tech diving they are by far the best way to go but for general rec diving, they do not really have an advantage over most other BCs. If you do choose one, you will at a minimum need a back plate, harness- including buckles and D-rings, a wing, sta (single tank adapter) and a weight belt.

 

[bevansmw]

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards getting the scout since I'm just planning on doing some rec diving for fun, nothing really technical except maybe shooting some photos with an underwater camera

I'll have to find somewhere local that sells it to try it on, I was only concerned it wouldn't have enough lift but I don't plan on diving with doubles so from the sounds of it I should be ok.

 

[chrisgp007]

Congrates on passin ur OW , yeah i got my zeagle scout after finishin my course and it been wonderful ever since , very basic in the needs to just do regular divin and takin photos. will never regret buyin it tho

 

[herman]

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards getting the scout since I'm just planning on doing some rec diving for fun, nothing really technical except maybe shooting some photos with an underwater camera

I'll have to find somewhere local that sells it to try it on, I was only concerned it wouldn't have enough lift but I don't plan on diving with doubles so from the sounds of it I should be ok.

Don't confuse required lift with the weight of your gear. You only need enough lift to keep you and your gear floating at the surface or for offsetting the loss of bouyancy of your exposure protection at depth, which ever is greater. While a tank, reg, BC combo may weight 50-55 lbs it's negative bouyancy is only 4 to 6 lbs- assuming an AL-80 tank, remember (or maybe you were never taught) an AL -80 tank is only 2 or 3 lbs negative when full and actually about 2 lbs positive when empty. An empty 80 will float! Even if you add another 15 lbs to the BC's intergrated weights, that is still only 20-25 lbs of negative bouyancy- a 35 lb bladder would still do the job. Steel tanks will change the math some- they are more negative but you get the picture.

 

[The Kraken]

The "Scout" is nice, but if you get a chance, give a good look at the "Brigade".

the K

 

[bevansmw]

I saw the brigade and was considering it from scubatoys.com.. I was also wondering about the octo, I saw the octo-z and some of its features does it breathe as well as a good second stage reg for a backup? I may end up getting a package from scubatoys and was curious if I should go with a good octo or the octo-z? I was also checking out the zeagle regs as they seem to have good reviews and pricing seems pretty good. It's definately good to see an american company that is producing quality products Thanks for all of the responses.

 

[DiveMaven]

The Octo-Z is a regulator turned on it's side, and not a tuned down cheapo imitation. It has been taken to depth and reports are that it's a good breather regardless of how deep you take it.

One thing is sure, besides Zeagle being an American company, you absolutely cannot beat the responsiveness and customer service that they provide. ScottZeagle is a wonderful presence on this (and another) board, and is very atuned to what people want. Not only does he listen to us, but he puts it into action, with the perfect example of creating a lumbar pad and add-on pocket for the Zena when many of us ladies asked for it.

Then when you add ScubaToys to the mix, you simply have one of the best customer service teams on the planet IMO. If you're dealing with ScubaToys, give them a call and ask them to ship you a couple of different Zeagles to try on. Then all you'll have to do is ship the one you don't want back. That would give you the opportunity to try both the Brigade and the Scout.

 

[Nick_R]

All your choices are good ones, I dive a Ranger LTD, so does my wife, plenty of lift, but not travel friendly at all. The Brigade will pack just a bit better than the Ranger, but has the smaller escape bladder on it, the vest is the same as a ranger. The Scout is best for warm water and travelling

ScubaBidz is going to be giving away a Scout as one of its contest prizes for its members and can be visited here:

ScubaBidz - Online Scuba Gear Auctions - List Your Auction For Free - Full Paypal Integration!