Please suggest BC for new diver.

[SaltyCracker]

My 16 yr old son will be getting OW certified and I want to get him a BC and octo for Christmas.
I've been out of the game for too long to know what new stuff is out there so your advice will help a lot.
I guess the first choice will be jacket style or back inflation style. Please describe the benefits of each for a new diver and why one would be more suitable for him.

After that, some recommendations on specific models that are known for reliability, build quality and customer service would be very helpful.

For quite a while, our dive style will be local Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Beach with yearly trips to Florida for vacation style recreational reef diving.

While I don't want to cheap out on this, cost is a factor. I'm hoping to keep the BC under $500 plus the cost of octo.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

DGX Custom - DGX Gears Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package This will give you what you want and allow for his physical growth without having to replace the whole thing. I’ve been using a ScubaPro Litehawk, back inflate BC, for the past 4 years in both NE cold waters and Caribbean warm waters. 30 pounds of lift has been plenty in both settings. If he decides to eventually try tech diving, the DGX will allow him options that a standard BC will not allow.
Also, at $375 (steel plate option) you’re not going to find a standard BC that is nearly as good.
I have really liked my Litehawk, but I would have bought a BP/W system if I hadn’t been on such a tight budget at the time.

Erik

 

[Rob9876]

We were on a budget when buying gear for my son and I a few years back, and after a good bit of online research we ended up ordering this package for both of us: Buy Scuba Gear Value System Package at Low Price | Divers Supply In the "Customize" options we upgraded the regulator to the Sea Elite Covert regulator for $75 (which is a balanced regulator), and we upgraded the instrument console to 3 Gauge Global for $35 (which adds a compass). You can just order the BCD on that site also if you don't want the full package.

Honestly, we could not be happier. Between the integrated ditchable weights in front and the trim pouches in back, we are able to get our buoyancy dialed in just right. 36 lbs. of lift in Medium, up to 41 lbs in XL and 2XL. The pockets are big enough to hold a 6 ft. DSMB and spool on one side, and a spare mask and fold up snorkel in the other side, so no floppy snag hazards. These BCDs have a wide range of adjustment -- my son has probably grown half a foot taller and 70 lbs. heavier (football player) since he got his, and it still works fine. The BCDs have held up well with travel, and are actually not much, if any, heavier than many more expensive travel BCDs. The regulators have also been great -- the Covert is very adjustable and breathes easily at depth (115 ft. is deepest so far). Sea Elite is made by Edge/H.O.G. and can be serviced by their dealers, or for $15 Diver's Supply will send you a UPS shipping label to send to them -- if you have them service the BCD or regs, parts are free, so that actually works out pretty well (they are pretty fast, also).

A lot of people on ScubaBoard like backplates and wings, but once you start adding weight pouches, pockets, etc., even the budget models start to add up quickly. I think this is the best deal for a weight-integrated BCD and reg set around. Don't take my word for it, there are a lot of reviews online also.

 

[drrich2]

Jacket BCDs offer 'off the rack' all-in-one, pre-assembled simplicity, and when at the surface you tend to float upright more naturally. They are mainstream and recreational divers are familiar with them.

If you go the jacket route, I recommend 2 cambands over 1 for greater tank-holding security, and a weight-integrated model since you can still use a weight belt if you wish, but you've got the choice.

You may want a back inflate model, to aid with more naturally achieved horizontal trim at depth.

A BP/W system is modular and highly customizable but may require you to make a range of choices; what material backplate, what capacity wing, a simple one piece webbing threaded through it vs. a deluxe harness, whether to add integrated weight pouches, one camband or two, etc... Since it lacks the padding of a traditional jacket BCD, you tend to need a few pounds less lead weights. Can be used for single or (with a larger wing) double tank diving, so if you anticipate going into technical diving and using doubles, a natural choice. Some people like that when you inflate the wing, it doesn't squeeze you like inflating a jacket BCD does. If you over-inflate it, you may tip forward at the surface. This isn't insurmountable, just something to be aware of.

 

[Scraps]

Your BC is your best opportunity to spend hundreds of extra dollars without improving your comfort, safety, or efficiency.

When you consider the actual functions you want a BC to perform--hold a tank securely, provide lift, stow weights, and give you a few places to hang accessories--you quickly realize that most of the bells and whistles are extraneous.

Many divers buy simpler, lighter BC's as they gain more experience.

At the $400 price point, I like the Zeagle Scout. Back inflate. Trim pockets in rear. Zippered weight pockets in front (which I prefer to quick-release mechanisms, especially for new divers). This is what I put my OW students in. Does everything a recreational diver needs from a BC. No need to spend more unless you want to make a fashion statement.

At the $500 price point, I like the Hollis LTS. Great lightweight travel BC that can stand up to regular use, too.

At the $600 price point I like the Dive Rite Hyperlite. Beautifully minimalist. This is what I use for most of my dives, but I did make one modification to it. The lower cam band is fastened only with Velcro. I replaced it with a regular cam band so it can now handle even big tanks securely.

Best wishes,

 

[BrackaFish]

As you have found, dive gear can be expensive and buying the wrong gear for your type of diving can take you down a bottomless rabbit hole. My advice would be to wait until you see how much your son is “into” diving after class. As a general guide, if you are diving quite a bit or planning to advance to technical diving, a Backplate wing setup will offer better options and make trim easier. Finding someone that will let you borrow gear to play around with will go a long way toward helping you make a decision. I have found most divers do not mind letting others use their gear, sometimes shops will do the same if they believe a sale might be in the future. Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

 

[tbone1004]

My 16 yr old son will be getting OW certified and I want to get him a BC and octo for Christmas.
I've been out of the game for too long to know what new stuff is out there so your advice will help a lot.
I guess the first choice will be jacket style of back inflation style. Please describe the benefits of each for a new diver and why one would be more suitable for him.

After that, some recommendations on specific models that are known for reliability, build quality and customer service would be very helpful.

For quite a while, our dive style will be local Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Beach with yearly trips to Florida for vacation style recreational reef diving.

While I don't want to cheap out on this, cost is a factor. I'm hoping to keep the BC under $500 plus the cost of octo.

don't buy a jacket style for him. He's still growing and you run the risk of it not fitting properly as he either gets taller, fills out, or both.

In my opinion there are no benefits of jacket style bc's for divers and I do not train in them, nor have I ever had a student who ends up renting one come back to me and say he or she preferred it to the backplates they were trained in. Back inflation is slightly better, but not appreciably so.

@RIHappyDiver suggested what I would have. Get it with a stainless plate, no shoulder pads, and I personally wouldn't go with pockets, but that's for you to decide. Can always add them later. I much prefer rubber freediving weight belts since he will need them in VA but may not in FL. Most diveops you go with will also have weight belts for you to use if you're renting tanks/space on the boat so I wouldn't worry about them. Pockets take up real estate on the waist and I find the belts to be more comfortable since you aren't carrying that much lead with a backplate and they also make changing tanks much easier since you aren't having to lift all of the weight off of the tank and back onto the next one.
Setting the harness up takes about 10 minutes, so a bit more than a jacket but there are plenty of resources on youtube and on this forum.

This rig will last him the rest of his life if he takes care of it, no way a jacket or back inflate will do that, and it will also adapt with any changes in his body size/shape.


In terms of the octo, I would not recommend getting an integrated octopus for a myriad of reasons, but most relevant to this is the fact that not all rental regulators have provisions for one and since each different brand use one of a handful of connectors, you can't guarantee that the rental regulator will be able to connect which would obviously be bad.

 

[VikingDives]

In terms of the octo, I would recommend AGAINST getting an integrated octopus for a myriad of reasons, but most relevant to this is the fact that not all rental regulators have provisions for one and since each different brand use one of a handful of connectors, you can't guarantee that the rental regulator will be able to connect which would obviously be bad.

FTFY.

OP, please don't get an integrated octo. Please do get a back plate and wing or at least a back inflate bcd.

You can spend over a thousand dollars on a BCD, and replace it in 2-10 years, or you can buy a back plate and wing once, and only replace the pieces if there's a problem.

 

[tbone1004]

FTFY.

yeah that one! not enough coffee yet

 

[ofg-1]

Find out what he is using in class, if he is comfortable in it, and if it fits him properly. Then go and look for a used one or ask the shop to sell you one of their rentals. You will probably find someone that did a dozen dives on one, and decided to give it up.

I do not believe that a newly certified diver is the proper test platform for new gear.