it was half the price it is over here.
OK - I hate the thing but at least 2 Japanese divers will not have any danglies....
OK - I hate the thing but at least 2 Japanese divers will not have any danglies....
please tell me your fav bc & why
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SeaJay
Contributor
One vote for the backplate and wings, please.
I've tried many different BC's... And I'm not going to lie here... There were a lot of things I liked about a lot of different BC's.
Before I took the DIR-F course, I could not really understand why bp/wing users, and especially DIR guys, were so adamant about them. I tried them out, along with many other BC's... Frankly, I liked the simplicity of the rig, as well as it's inherent ability to be set up however I liked. It was completely modular, and the best thing that came of that was the fact that anything could easily be replaced at any time. This was a huge advantage in my eyes, as I'm often diving right on the bottom in zero vis, on a fossil bed, in current... Off of a jonboat.
That alone didn't sell me on bp/wings, though... I liked the overall attitude that a "regular" BC offered. I liked the optional colors. I liked the neato gadgets. I liked all of the quickreleases and quick adjustability that they offered. They were easy to put on, cinch tight, and go. Some were more stable than others, but those that were, I enjoyed quite a bit.
While I'm on this topic, I'll tell you what my favorites were... The Scubapro Classic and Knighthawk... The SeaQuest Black Diamond and the Balance... And of course, the jacket version, the Pro QD Plus. I also liked the Transpac 2, although it's lack of structure made my tank a bit wobbly, and I found that to be annoying. Of course, it folded down to nothing, so the advantage/disadvantage to me was a wash.
I actually dove so many BC's in a row that I got to the point where I simply didn't care what I wore. All of them worked well for me. Well, except for the Zeagles... (Sorry Zeagle owners.) I really didn't like the ripcord thing. Of course, that was just my opinion...
That's when I took a DIR-F course. I took the course mostly because I wanted to understand the dive style... I wanted to understand why they were so serious about it all.
...What I got was a pretty rude awakening. I wrote about it here on Scubaboard. I saw divers doing things that I simply had never seen before. They "hung" in the water column, in complete control all the time. Their skills and situational awareness was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. In my group, I'd been a pretty decent diver. Around these guys, I was a clown.
...And here's where the epiphany comes in... I tried their skills and found myself woefully inadequate. My skills were completely lacking... But that wasn't all. I found that I simply could not perform like these guys did.
...Let me be clear on this... I was lacking the skill to do what they were doing. But what made it worse was my choice in gear. Diving that style was very difficult to do in a "regular" BC. It had to do with trim, buoyancy, bladders that were the right size, weight placement that created a balanced diver, and a rig that never, ever moved. After learning the skills and trying them out, going back to a "regular" BC was like trying to do aerobics in a winter coat.
...So the bottom line, really, is that I agree with the other posters here - that this isn't really a fair question and won't really give you fair information. It really depends on the style of diving you do. I don't mean the TYPE of diving... I'm not talking about the difference between offshore diving and caving and fossil diving... I'm talking about how YOU dive, what body positions you favor, what finning techniques you prefer, and other dive style attributes. If you dive the way most of us were taught in PADI OW1, pretty much anything will do ya. Some prefer one type of BC to another, and they all have valid reasons for their preference. To those people, the biggest BC decision they'll make is which manufacturer to trust to stand behind their warranty, or whether they prefer a back inflate or a full jacket. Color may come into play here, as will pocket style, the type of weight integration, etc. Some even buy based on recommendation from Scuba Diving magazine or believe that "fit is everything." (To quote that mag.) To others, they prefer not to have any fit at all... That is, they'd prefer not to have anything but straps in the first place.
...And all of those are valid reasons. I am not in any way putting anyone down. I know a guy who can dive the pants off of most divers, and he dives with an old, beat-up BC that's seen better days. Heck, as has been mentioned before, there was a time when divers didn't even use BC's.
...But now I can see why people are so nuts about bp/wings... And I have to admit that they have a very valid point. I go into some of the differences here.
...So what's a "good" BC? Well... That's your call, my friend. I recommend looking around a lot and diving many of them and seeing what you like. I recommend experience over education, and education over ignorance. I recommend ignorance over arrogance, and I recommend arrogance over stupidity. Try them out yourself and see what you come up with.
...Now, if this thread is an attempt at education, then I recommend the formal sort. Pick up the DIR-F book, available at Extreme Exposure, and learn formally. Then I recommend taking it one step further and going for the experience through tons and tons of practice.
Then making the decision for yourself.
...And if, at that time, you choose to dive a "regular" BC, then more power to ya. At least you'll have made the decision based on education and experience, instead of what color was offered.
I've tried many different BC's... And I'm not going to lie here... There were a lot of things I liked about a lot of different BC's.
Before I took the DIR-F course, I could not really understand why bp/wing users, and especially DIR guys, were so adamant about them. I tried them out, along with many other BC's... Frankly, I liked the simplicity of the rig, as well as it's inherent ability to be set up however I liked. It was completely modular, and the best thing that came of that was the fact that anything could easily be replaced at any time. This was a huge advantage in my eyes, as I'm often diving right on the bottom in zero vis, on a fossil bed, in current... Off of a jonboat.
That alone didn't sell me on bp/wings, though... I liked the overall attitude that a "regular" BC offered. I liked the optional colors. I liked the neato gadgets. I liked all of the quickreleases and quick adjustability that they offered. They were easy to put on, cinch tight, and go. Some were more stable than others, but those that were, I enjoyed quite a bit.
While I'm on this topic, I'll tell you what my favorites were... The Scubapro Classic and Knighthawk... The SeaQuest Black Diamond and the Balance... And of course, the jacket version, the Pro QD Plus. I also liked the Transpac 2, although it's lack of structure made my tank a bit wobbly, and I found that to be annoying. Of course, it folded down to nothing, so the advantage/disadvantage to me was a wash.
I actually dove so many BC's in a row that I got to the point where I simply didn't care what I wore. All of them worked well for me. Well, except for the Zeagles... (Sorry Zeagle owners.) I really didn't like the ripcord thing. Of course, that was just my opinion...
That's when I took a DIR-F course. I took the course mostly because I wanted to understand the dive style... I wanted to understand why they were so serious about it all.
...What I got was a pretty rude awakening. I wrote about it here on Scubaboard. I saw divers doing things that I simply had never seen before. They "hung" in the water column, in complete control all the time. Their skills and situational awareness was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. In my group, I'd been a pretty decent diver. Around these guys, I was a clown.
...And here's where the epiphany comes in... I tried their skills and found myself woefully inadequate. My skills were completely lacking... But that wasn't all. I found that I simply could not perform like these guys did.
...Let me be clear on this... I was lacking the skill to do what they were doing. But what made it worse was my choice in gear. Diving that style was very difficult to do in a "regular" BC. It had to do with trim, buoyancy, bladders that were the right size, weight placement that created a balanced diver, and a rig that never, ever moved. After learning the skills and trying them out, going back to a "regular" BC was like trying to do aerobics in a winter coat.
...So the bottom line, really, is that I agree with the other posters here - that this isn't really a fair question and won't really give you fair information. It really depends on the style of diving you do. I don't mean the TYPE of diving... I'm not talking about the difference between offshore diving and caving and fossil diving... I'm talking about how YOU dive, what body positions you favor, what finning techniques you prefer, and other dive style attributes. If you dive the way most of us were taught in PADI OW1, pretty much anything will do ya. Some prefer one type of BC to another, and they all have valid reasons for their preference. To those people, the biggest BC decision they'll make is which manufacturer to trust to stand behind their warranty, or whether they prefer a back inflate or a full jacket. Color may come into play here, as will pocket style, the type of weight integration, etc. Some even buy based on recommendation from Scuba Diving magazine or believe that "fit is everything." (To quote that mag.) To others, they prefer not to have any fit at all... That is, they'd prefer not to have anything but straps in the first place.
...And all of those are valid reasons. I am not in any way putting anyone down. I know a guy who can dive the pants off of most divers, and he dives with an old, beat-up BC that's seen better days. Heck, as has been mentioned before, there was a time when divers didn't even use BC's.
...But now I can see why people are so nuts about bp/wings... And I have to admit that they have a very valid point. I go into some of the differences here.
...So what's a "good" BC? Well... That's your call, my friend. I recommend looking around a lot and diving many of them and seeing what you like. I recommend experience over education, and education over ignorance. I recommend ignorance over arrogance, and I recommend arrogance over stupidity. Try them out yourself and see what you come up with.
...Now, if this thread is an attempt at education, then I recommend the formal sort. Pick up the DIR-F book, available at Extreme Exposure, and learn formally. Then I recommend taking it one step further and going for the experience through tons and tons of practice.
Then making the decision for yourself.
...And if, at that time, you choose to dive a "regular" BC, then more power to ya. At least you'll have made the decision based on education and experience, instead of what color was offered.
Bloop once bubbled...
Hey. A couple of Japanese guys came into an LDS that I was browsing around. They saw the Dacor HUB and went ballistic!!! They simply swear by it and within 5 minutes bought 2 pieces of it. Did not even bargain for better price..
Naturally, the shop owner was smiling from Ear to ear. (Whew, stock cleared)
Shortly after the Suunto Spyder came out i bought on ein singapore but at that time was lving in Japan, i wlaked into the LDS in tokyo and everyone was practically bowing at my feet , they saw the spyder and figued i must be some millionaire
ew1usnr
Contributor
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This BC dates to around 1973. I like the BIG tank band cam handle (I highlighted it with a piece of paper in the photo). I also like how Scubapro included an extra flap of material in between the bladder and the tank band. That's a good idea because it prevents wear on the bladder. The orange color is nice also.
Tekkie
Guest
My favorite Bc is my Halcyon Pioneer 28, 29? lb. Good construction, minimal drag and my trim is perfect with it. I would recomend this Bc to any one. And I recientally got a Halcyon liftbag and spool. Its like its not even there when I have the Bc on.
Tekkie
Tekkie
SeaJay
Contributor
Yep, I've seen a couple of those up close. They're interesting, aren't they? Similar in a lot of ways to some of today's bp/wings.
I've also got a buddy who owns a Scubapro "stab" jacket that dates back to one year before that bat wing... 1972. Isn't that cool?
...Looks like both designs have been around for a couple of decades. 'Course, the bat wing that I saw didn't really have a conventional backplate, and the stab jacket wasn't weight integrated or have a built-in plastic "backplate" either. So they both have sorta undergone some significant design changes.
Boogie711
Guest
This is the second BC you list amongst your favourite BC's which is at least 20 years old...
earlier you referenced continuing, to this day, to dive with a J valve and a push rod instead of an SPG...
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand lots of very competent divers learned to dive with that equipment BACK IN THE DAY, but are you familiar with the advances in modern technology?
It just seems like your equipment stepped out of a time warp!
earlier you referenced continuing, to this day, to dive with a J valve and a push rod instead of an SPG...
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand lots of very competent divers learned to dive with that equipment BACK IN THE DAY, but are you familiar with the advances in modern technology?
It just seems like your equipment stepped out of a time warp!
SeaJay
Contributor
Oh, man... Please tell me that you don't really do this... You do know that you can replace those things with REAL valves - brand new ones - for around $50? Imagine depending on that J-valve thingie... You breathe, the resistance increases... And so you reach back to flip the rod... And guess what? Someone or something bumped it for you, and it was already flipped...
Uh-oh...
Scubadawg
Contributor
On my personal dive time I use a Chute II with a Zeta/CDX and a DELTA III for my octo. I love the Chute II for the back inflation, integrated weights and the Bent D- rings to clip my stuff on too.
As For Doing Public Safety diving I use a Zeagle Tech 911 with A flathead reg and the 50 series reg and octo
As For Doing Public Safety diving I use a Zeagle Tech 911 with A flathead reg and the 50 series reg and octo
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