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Hitman731

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cincinnati OH
Hello ,

I am so glad i stumbled across this board in my research. I have a question for everyone. I have taken a resort course and had a great time. I want to go ahead and get my ow and then prolly get aow and prolly nitrox and see where that leads. As i said i had a great time except for one issue and from the local dive shops i see it a going to be an issue in the ow class as well. I am 6'3 160 lbs so very tall and thin and the basic rental BC do not fit me at all. I survived the resort course but was quite sore afterwards due to the BC riding up. The LDS in the area all seem to use the same BC i tried and as i said it did not fit at all and though the underwater experience overweighed the discomfort i do not see me being able to enjoy or get everything i need to out of the OW course if i am in a similar BC. After doing research and digging on here i think a Back inflation BC that is interchangeable would be best therefore i can get the loarger shoulders and a smaller waist and it will fit and be comfortable. What is the opinion of the board should i go ahead and get a desent back inflation BC that fits well for the class so i can get the most out of it if the LDS does not have any proper fitting rentals or should i find another LDS ? I am in ohio and there are not a ton of dive shops but all seem to be pretty much the sameas far as what they rent for classes.

Thanks Ryan
 
I would suggest going to the shops and ask them if anyone there uses a BackPlate and Wing setup. It is infinately adjustable and sounds like that is what you are looking for.
 
Hey Ryan,

Well, let me be the first to suggest a backplate and wing. You will get alot more answers out of this scubaboard area:
http://www.scubaboard.com/f18-buoyancy-compensators-bc's-and-weight-systems.html

On to the meat of the matter. Finding a BC for you may be hard. I totally recommend trying on as many as you can before you purchase. BP/W's may look expensive at first, but you can put one together for about the same price as a recognized brand (say $350-$400). The best part is that you can totally customize the harness to fit you.

Shop around. Alot. Find someone in your area who has a bp/w. Try them all on. Good luck.

Joe

edited to add: I thought I would be the first! Damn you Quarrior :bangboom:
 
I'll third the motion on going with a backplate and wing setup.

Check with Cincinnati Dive Center. If you take your classes there you might be able to use BP/wing. If you are considering other shops for your classes then by all means ask if they have BP/wings you can use.
 
Although a BP/Wing may be a good choice please also take a look at a more traditonal, though backmount BCD. I much prefer a DiveRite TranspacII to just about anything else. I also dive a BP/Wing but prefer the Transpac for recreational diving. There are several options that you should look at, including BCD's like a Seaquest Balance, ScubaPro Knighthawk or an Oceanic Chute to name a few.-M
 
I have to disagree with going ahead and buying a BP. No doubt they are fine BCs but there are those of us who for various reasons don't care for them, myself included. Until you have some diving experience and have an idea of what YOUR preferences are your best option is to rent, beg or borrow different types/brands until you find what you actually like. Another reason not to buy is the fact that many people get into diving fully intending to dive a lot but after getting certified, make a couple of dives and lose interest, it happens. There is a lot of little used gear on the market due to people buying first and then not diving, which by the way is a great place to get good used gear cheap. Get certified, get some diving experience and then buy.
 
The idea here isn't that a BP/wing is any better than any other BC. The problem here is that Ryan (Hitman731) has a body shape that is difficult to fit with most standard BC's. A BP/wing set up should be far easier to custom fit to him which will be better for him.

I agree though that he should not look into buying just yet. Either renting or having the gear provided by the shop that does his instruction would be best until he has some experience and knows what he wants to buy.
 
jbd:
The idea here isn't that a BP/wing is any better than any other BC. The problem here is that Ryan (Hitman731) has a body shape that is difficult to fit with most standard BC's. A BP/wing set up should be far easier to custom fit to him which will be better for him.
Click to expand...
Thanks JBD, I'm glad someone can read. I've been tempted to say something more than I had already posted, but you covered it quite nicely. :D
 
Right on, JBD. The idea would be to find a bc that fits well. You may find the bp/w to not be what you want at all. I personally like the fit of the chute3 and the trans pac, but wasn't thrilled with the cost. Just offering suggestions.

Joe
 
I echo jbd. I'll also echo that a BPW is the way to go.
 
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