My wife wants the Apex Black Ice BC

[Jim Lapenta]

If she's properly weighted there will be no issues on the surface. And unless the crotch strap is made out of really stiff webbing that statement is an out and out lie. The only time a crotch strap is noticed is on the surface or when scootering. You might feel it under water when swimming but no more than you'd feel wearing a pair of board shorts. A soft 2 inch one is what I use with just a bathing suit. If someone was wearing say a thong bikini it might be an issue but only a fool would dive like that anyway. Or a model for some photographer. Smart divers wear rash guards, skins, etc. BTW anything thicker than a skin will negate the irritation or even noticing of a properly fitted crotch strap. They just want to sell you what they want to sell. Not necessarily what is best for her.

 

[Kitty_Kat]

If she's properly weighted there will be no issues on the surface. And unless the crotch strap is made out of really stiff webbing that statement is an out and out lie. The only time a crotch strap is noticed is on the surface or when scootering. You might feel it under water when swimming but no more than you'd feel wearing a pair of board shorts. A soft 2 inch one is what I use with just a bathing suit. If someone was wearing say a thong bikini it might be an issue but only a fool would dive like that anyway. Or a model for some photographer. Smart divers wear rash guards, skins, etc. BTW anything thicker than a skin will negate the irritation or even noticing of a properly fitted crotch strap. They just want to sell you what they want to sell. Not necessarily what is best for her.

Most of my male dive buddies don't share your view that string bikinis and diving are incompatible or foolish haha! I think most of them would list "wearing a thong bikini" as a trait of their ideal female dive buddy...

On a more serious note, crotch straps really aren't noticeable! As long as they are made out of soft normal webbing, they aren't irritating even in a bathing suit!

 

[alm]

Jayfro:

The experience of my wife and I would be to err on the side of uni-sexness (so to speak);
actively stay the heck away from anything marketed specifically to females. Find something
for a human being of the appropriate height and buoyancy; perhaps tending toward back
inflation if bust size makes that appropriate.

I don't have a lot of specificity for you, but I have to say that my wife positively hates her
"ladies" jacket BCD from 2005 or so. Both of our BCDs are Aqualung, and one is the "feminized"
version of the other. Neither of our BCDs are wonderful (buying a BCD before
you have a lot of experience can make you an easy mark) but at least mine has a reasonable
number of D rings and somewhat logical places for putting a fair amount of weight.. hers lacks
sufficient D rings and the weighting system and amounts permitted are pretty silly.

Oh, maybe one or two specific things: The number and placement of the O rings on the Black Ice
doesn't look any better nor more flexible than my old Aqualung, nor do the storage pockets look
any easier to use (in cold water with thick gloves on I find my pockets almost useless).
I can't personally advise about BP&W, but the level of flexibility with BP&W would seem
much superior to the Black Ice.