Not A Clue On Bcd's

[lynnemari]

I have been diving for a few years now have about 50 dives in. We live in the midwest so don't get to dive as much as we would like. We have been lucky with renting, but think it is time to buy. Any reccomendations on bcd's ,we have a couple of trips planned Cancun, Bonaire, and Caymen . We don't want to go all out, but want one with a good relaiable reputation, with some of the newer more important features.
Im small 5"2, my husband in 5"8. any advice would be great!
Lynne

 

[JacobsonC2]

I have been diving for a few years now have about 50 dives in. We live in the midwest so don't get to dive as much as we would like. We have been lucky with renting, but think it is time to buy. Any reccomendations on bcd's ,we have a couple of trips planned Cancun, Bonaire, and Caymen . We don't want to go all out, but want one with a good relaiable reputation, with some of the newer more important features.
Im small 5"2, my husband in 5"8. any advice would be great!
Lynne

your missing some great diving in the midwest. you might be surprised. what state are you from and what kind of diving are you looking to do?

 

[mtiffee]

You can narrow down your search by first deciding whether you want a vest syle, or wing style. If you've been renting, you've most likely been using vest style. Either works great for me, but I prefer the wing. The BCD I chose is the Zeagle Ranger.

Call Larry at ScubaToys.com, tell him what you're looking for and he'll give you a great deal. He matches anyones prices.

There is an article in this months Scuba Diving magazine about some of the wrecks in the Great Lakes.

 

[simbrooks]

If you are looking for something to travel with mostly and it is to a warm place, then consider something travel friendly and smaller, if you go Zeagle and back inflate, try the escape/scout/zena, check out the womens section on what is recommended for women. You wouldnt want to take a hulk of a BC like a ranger travelling! There are plenty of BC's out there for only $200-300, which is a reasonable price depending on how much you use them. I dont know much about vest/jacket BC's beyond what i have rented before buying and seen in the stores, the rentals put me off researching into them at all.

Before you buy, i would look into what is close by you, quarries, rivers, lakes etc and check with your local dive store (LDS) to see what they carry or with local dive clubs, see what they use or post in your regions forum on here.

 

[mtiffee]

I will be traveling with the Zeagle Ranger.. It's really not all THAT much bigger or heavier. It all goes into a bag anyway and I'm done with it.

 

[lynnemari]

your missing some great diving in the midwest. you might be surprised. what state are you from and what kind of diving are you looking to do?[/QU
thanks for your reply. We are from Nebraska and did do our open water cert in a quary, it was (cold), and the month of September. We had to wear hoods which I did not like, it made equalizing your ears more difficult. How ever I did like the feeling of being under the water, and given a warmer day and better vis might enjoy it. So far we have done most of our diving in Roatan Honduras,Cocoview. We have been there twice each a week at a time, getting in 4 dives a day. Lots of wall dives and some drift.WE dove once from a cruise in belize, it was nice but did not compare to Roatan. I think mainly because it was through the cruise ship and did not reflect the diving in belize. Our first dive in the ocean was in puerto vallarta mexico, the arches. It will always remaine one of my favorite because it was our first real dive. I know there is diving in the midwest but I can't imagine liking it as much as the ocean. Im not saying I wont try it though.
Thanks Lynne:mermaid:

 

[Groundhog246]

I dive mostly cold water. While most find the hood uncomfortable at first, in my experience you soon get used to it. I find now, that when it's warm enough to not require a hood, diving without it feels "wrong". The worst part fo course, is putting the wet hood back on for the second dive.
As far as choosing a BC, if it's mostly for travel and diving in warmer climes, thens check how small it packs, you won't need the larger lift capacities common to colder water divers (I think your BC should have a bit more lift than the maximum amount of lead you need, thicker exposure suit = more lead = more lift required, especially if it's weight integrated). Try to think back over what makes/models you've rented and how you liked each one. Or do some more diving in rentals, keep notes and try to rent a variety of BC's. The one you like best may not be the same as the one you SO prefers.

 

[BuoyantC]

To add a few more cents worth, I use a Zeagle Ranger, and my gal dives a their Escape model. Both work well for the Great Lakes area, and our trips to pleasant places. They pack reasonably well since there is no hard back in them.

I am not opposed to jacket styles, but they tend to be full of frills and do-dads that make them very bulky. A friend has a SeaQuest Pro QD that is so huge it looks like an air mattress when laid out! My gal only switched to a Zeagle because she couldn't find a simple, basic Jacket BC.
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D.C.C.

 

[gj62]

You can get a Zeagle Escape from www.scubatoys.com for $290 (because that is what you can get them for from www.leisurepro.com). I recommend ScubaToys, because you get the warranty.

I've got 2 of them packed easily beside me here in S. FL for our diving next week - they travel great!

 

[Willar]

I'm a fairly new diver and just picked up the SeaQuest Black Diamond at my local dive shop. I love it. This is a back inflate type and I wasn't even sure if I'd like it or not. Took a little testing to get the weight balance right (ditchable vs. non-ditch on back), but it really swims nice and flat. Very comfortable, easy to load weights, plenty of d-rings and good pockets. I now have a full set of gear and bought a roller-bag that holds it all. I don't see that it is too big for travel as it packs in the bag fine with the other gear in/around it.

I bought at a local dive shop because I love the personal service. They gave me a great deal, just a few dollars more than online, AND free pool time to pratice with my new gear! Plus the advice and support (free) that you can't get online. Use online for comparison, but remember that the LDS has costs to cover, people to pay, and stock to keep so they can be there to answer your questions and let you browse. I think its worth a little extra.