New diver, BC question. A comparison really

[Riteoff]

First off, im glad to see such a large informative forum about my new favourite activity. I am a new diver and have decided its time to put my big boy pants on and buy some gear. Being a gear guy in every other hobby ive typically leaned towards the military for guidance. From guns to camping gear to boats its has worked out well.

I had my heart set on a zeagle ranger for a BC. Reviews are good, looks good and is enough techy to satisfy my gear love. Having started with local shops i had a great conversation with a shop owner he advised its a pretty bad choice and a halycon eclipse or infinity will give me longer happiness.

Anyone care to chime in? I love rugged and tactical but would like something best outside my experience.

Diving will be cold water, tropical when possible and as time goes on id like to up my resume to more technical stuff

Thanks for your time and info

 

[tbone1004]

Your LDS is right, though the price of the Halcyon Eclipse would probably spook you a little bit, they aren't cheap.

Where are you diving/living, what do you want to do with diving as far as long term diving goals?

Either way a BP/W is a superior system and is much more rugged/tactical than a Zeagle Ranger. If you want more of a hiking pack type feel the Dive Rite Transpac system is more inline with that, but the most "military" system is a standard backplate and wing, and Halcyon is quite good albeit expensive.

If you want to go through your LDS, let us know what LDS it is so we can see what brands they carry/stock.
DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
This is almost identical to the Eclipse, even up to the shape of the wing, half the price, but it isn't made in the USA. Halcyon, Dive Rite, and Deep Sea Supply are 100% USA made

 

[lemke]

Dive Gear Express and Deep Sea Supply have everything you need...

 

[Riteoff]

Your LDS is right, though the price of the Halcyon Eclipse would probably spook you a little bit, they aren't cheap.

Where are you diving/living, what do you want to do with diving as far as long term diving goals?

Either way a BP/W is a superior system and is much more rugged/tactical than a Zeagle Ranger. If you want more of a hiking pack type feel the Dive Rite Transpac system is more inline with that, but the most "military" system is a standard backplate and wing, and Halcyon is quite good albeit expensive.

If you want to go through your LDS, let us know what LDS it is so we can see what brands they carry/stock.
DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
This is almost identical to the Eclipse, even up to the shape of the wing, half the price, but it isn't made in the USA. Halcyon, Dive Rite, and Deep Sea Supply are 100% USA made

Thanks for the insight and reply. Bp/w?

The shop i am using is
Dans dive shop in Ontario Canada.

As for my diving life, id love to get into tech end of things,wreck, rescue and deep with time.

 

[KevinNM]

Your LDS is right, though the price of the Halcyon Eclipse would probably spook you a little bit, they aren't cheap.

Ranger is $900 list, $750 on sale at scubatoys. Eclipse is $799 and Infinity is $899, very rarely on sale. So no, it's isn't that big a gap.

The Aqualung Dimension i3 I bought cost more that a new Infinity. It certainly cost a lot more money given that I bought both the Dimension two years ago and an infinity at $500 on Ebay last week...

 

[diversteve]

Here we offer a full selection of Halcyon MC Eclipse, Evolve, Explorer and Infinity Multi-functional compensators, as well as backplates for single and double tanks from Dive Rite, HOG, Hollis, [-]Scubapro[/-], Deep Sea Supply and more.

Any of those at Dan's...except one poseur.

You might also look at an Apeks WTX system. Sold here in the U.S. thru Aqualung dealers - from England. Aqua Lung US - Displaying items by tag: Apeks bcds

BP/W?

A backplate and wing (often abbreviated as BP&W or BP/W) is a type of scuba harness with an attached buoyancy compensation device (BCD) which establishes neutral buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy on the surface. Unlike most other BCDs, the backplate and wing is a modular system, in that it consists of separable components. The core components of this system are:

A harness, which attaches the system to the diver, and may support other accessories.
The backplate, a plate, usually made from metal, which is held against the diver’s back by the harness, and to which the diver’s primary cylinder or cylinders are attached.
An inflatable buoyancy bladder known as a wing, between the backplate and the cylinder(s), used for adjusting the buoyancy of the diver when in the water.

Backplate and wing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nice thing for you about a BP/W is that for cold water, thick wetsuit (lots of buoyancy to overcome) diving, a steel backplate makes about the most sense since it gets some/all of the weight off your belt. (in Niagara - I'm guessing some...lol) A conventional BCD like a Ranger has some inherent buoyancy in the jacket, lumbar pad, shoulders, pockets etc. that you also need to overcome. A BP/W with straps has none of that.

You can go with a singles wing, later add a doubles wing and DSS even sells a lightweight Kydex travel plate. Many backplates or wings are interchangeable between vendors but not all.

Funny thing about my post here is that I'm usually on the other side of the BP/W vs. Back-Inflate BCD argument. So here's my attempt at that:

Going the conventional BC route, Zeagle also sells their Tech 10 model. http://www.zeagle.com/Products-Repository/BCDS/Products/Tech-10 - I don't know that I see any advantage over the Ranger though - I own the latter. I don't know why you would especially since you're starting from scratch but you can also add Zeagle's Backplate to a Ranger. It would provide more stiffness for doubles since the existing Ranger is a little "floppy" when they're mounted with just the adapter clips.

 

[drrich2]

BP/W = back plate wing. If you might get into technical diving, or just dive doubles, you need to read up on these.

 

[tbone1004]

lord, I just got a like on my post in here and I reread my first words. "Your LDS is right..." when on earth do we ever get to say that?

 

[boulderjohn]

The Ranger is a good BCD on the verge of being techie. It was my first BCD years ago, and I liked it.

If you are really going to go into tech, though, why go with something that is on the verge of being tech? If you are sure you are going into tech, then starting off with something that will almost be good for you is not wise. Go for the real thing from the start. If, on the other hand, you only think you might want to go into tech, than you should still go for the tech gear from the start. If you don't go into tech, you will still have a superior system, so no money lost.

There are less expensive systems than the ones being suggested in this thread, and they are plenty good enough.

John

 

[C P]

The Ranger is a good BC. It'll take you all the way thru back mount doubles without ANY problems. Some people feel it is a little too cluttered with the rip cord weight system and pockets, but most of those people then add pockets so take that for what it is worth. I have had Zeagle BCs for a really long time. I'm fortunate that my wife is pretty understanding on my gear. The Zeagles have held up very well. My Tech, pre Tech 10, lasted for years, thru pool work in classes, more checkouts than I care to think, travel to the islands and fun diving. This included all the way through my cave training and for a a couple years after. My wife sold it to one of my divemasters who still regularly dives it. I have the Zeagle Tech Pack which is a lot like the Dive Rite Transpack but fits me better. Our Daughter has a Ranger now, she uses it for back mount in caves now, and for her colder water diving as it is heavier duty than her Scout. We both have Scouts for warmer water and travel. You're not going to go wrong with the Zeagles.
There is a real following here that believes only SS back plates are the answer and everyone eventually ends up in one so you should start there. I had one for years and really did not like it and sold it. For me it wasn't as comfortable and just didn't make sense to dive it when the Zeagle Tech Pack was better.