new to diving, and wondering about BCD

[rebelmag]

Hello, lovely people

I am finishing my open water dives this weekend, and I am getting serious about diving as a hoppy.
I want to start building my equipment and I was thinking to start with a BCD, used market here is not the best ( Vancouver Canada), what do you guys think about a backplate setup, it's cheaper than back inflated BCD and I ran some number it seems it will cost me less than buying one and it will last longer and be adjustable for different types of dive??
just wanted to know opinions before throwing my bank account in the void.

 

[Expatwannabe]

Do it. Best this is you can always upgrade or replace parts in the future, instead of buying a whole new BCD. Wish I had started with a backplate.

 

[lowwall]

Love my BP/W. Also wish I hadn't wasted money on a standard BCD when I started out.

 

[Curious_George]

The first thing you should do is congratulate yourself on not spending $1500 on the day you had your first training dive on a bunch of crazy gear. After enjoying that missed pitfall, decide which camp you are in. Some suggest to get a computer first so you can avoid diving with a different rental every time or without one at all, and some suggest BC so you know it fits, or reg set so you know you are safe.

BPW is for sure a nice choice and the favorite configuration of scubaboard.

Whichever item you decide on first, I think the choice should be based on your budget, how much time you have before you expect to dive with it, and lastly whether you want to buy for your current skill level, or what you might be interested in after 200 dives.

If it was me, I would post a wanted ad here, something like this: "looking for entry level dive kit, what do you have". And don’t be too picky or spend a lot. As your skills progress you will form your own opinions about what you like and don’t like. And 90% of the people on here have some old but perfectly usable entry level kit that they later upgraded out of and would likely sell cheaply.

Enjoy. It’s the start of lots of fun decisions.

edit to add: welcome to Scubaboard.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Hello, lovely people

I am finishing my open water dives this weekend, and I am getting serious about diving as a hoppy.
I want to start building my equipment and I was thinking to start with a BCD, used market here is not the best ( Vancouver Canada), what do you guys think about a backplate setup, it's cheaper than back inflated BCD and I ran some number it seems it will cost me less than buying one and it will last longer and be adjustable for different types of dive??
just wanted to know opinions before throwing my bank account in the void.

Yes, you won't find many here that disagree with purchasing a bp/w. Infinitely adjustable for size, lift, color, weights, pockets, or whatever other do-dad you could want. Many, like myself, started with a BCD and then moved onto backplates. You'll be better off skipping the wasting money step, especially with the insane price of some new ones.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Hello, lovely people

I am finishing my open water dives this weekend, and I am getting serious about diving as a hoppy.
I want to start building my equipment and I was thinking to start with a BCD, used market here is not the best ( Vancouver Canada), what do you guys think about a backplate setup, it's cheaper than back inflated BCD and I ran some number it seems it will cost me less than buying one and it will last longer and be adjustable for different types of dive??
just wanted to know opinions before throwing my bank account in the void.

Paragon Single Tank Package - SubGravity

We understand what the active diver needs from a single tank rig. Simple, streamlined, balanced, and easy to travel. We built the Paragon single tank package to offer a modular and customizable BCD to best suit single tank diving needs. At the heart of the Paragon Single Tank Package is the...

sub-gravity.com

Check to see if it comes with single tank adapter.

 

[Gone for diving]

I agree with backplate and wing, and steel tanks.
Especially is you plan to dive cold water...
And then you'll probably eventually have a drysuit, and need even more weight,
Skipping a bcd can be good and bad,
Good because you saved money,
Bad because you haven't made the mistake of using a jacket bcd..

That all said,
rent a bunch of different gear to understand why you are getting a backplate, (backplates do need to be set up for you, so renting one can be a bit of a pain)
Get as much practice, as possible, as quick as possible, in whatever gear you can afford, even in rental gear, and it will stick with you like riding a bike,

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Paragon Single Tank Package - SubGravity

We understand what the active diver needs from a single tank rig. Simple, streamlined, balanced, and easy to travel. We built the Paragon single tank package to offer a modular and customizable BCD to best suit single tank diving needs. At the heart of the Paragon Single Tank Package is the...

sub-gravity.com

Check to see if it comes with single tank adapter.

I have one of their BP/W and their wings do not require a single tank adapter.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Is there any side to side movement of the tank without the STA?

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Check out dive gear express