Plus Figure womens BC's

[Starfish]

I just changed to the OMS IQ soft harness and a wing and I love it. No chest squeeze.

I have a weight belt and not integrated, and thought I might have to go to the integrated because of the amount of weight I use (20#). Turns out (I found this out taking a peak buoyancy class) that I needed to move all the weight to the front of the belt (not evenly distributed around me) so it sat on my hips and not loaded around to my back. Belt now stays put and I don't get back aches.

Just my @ cents Starfish

 

[divemistress]

there is (often) a strong correlation between gender and fit. the more pronounced a woman's "female" body shape, the less likely it is that she can comfortably wear men's clothing.

in english

* large breasts make it difficult to wear a man's shirt/t-shirt. the garment isn't cut right and it pulls. ditto large hips.
* a small waist combined with large hips and thighs make it near impossible to wear men's jeans.

there are other, basic anatomical differences that some women discover when trying to wear men's clothes. women generally have a narrower heal compared to forefoot than men do. although i have big feet, i can't wear men's athletic shoes because i slip out of them. (even with a lace lock.)

a poorly designed, so-called women's bcd doesn't do a woman any good, and she's better off with a good quality man's bcd. but just as it makes sense for a woman to try on women's underwear before comparing the fit with men's underwear, it makes sense for a woman to try on a woman's BCD before comparing the fit with a man's.

after all, how often do men walk into scuba shops and try the zena, diva and isla BCDs before they try on men's models?

divemistress

 

[SubMariner]

I am not disputing that women are shaped differently than men. However, just because something is labelled "womens" doesn't mean that it fits EVERY woman. For example, when I was looking for a mountain bike, I tried several "womens' specific" models by the major manufacturers. In the end I bought a "mens' " medium Trek Fuel 90. Why? Because not only did it give me the features I wanted, but, most importantly, it fit.

In the case of BCs, with the trend towards harnesses & back inflation (or hybrids) the issue of torso "shape" is much less relevant than it used to be. So "male" vs "female" becomes a non-issue.

Again, it's a matter of having a specific set of criteria & finding the piece of equipment that meets these criteria and fits. What the label is on it is irrelevant.

~SubMariner~

 

[divemistress]

but often disproved by empirical experience.

 

[SCUBAKristey]

I tried the Ladyhawk in the pool, and still ended up buying a man's bcd. Why? It seemed to ride up on me the least I was at the surface vs. the women's bcd's I tried. (And I sincerely believe the other two women's I tried out were just men's bcds w/ pink trim!)

Good luck!

Kristey

 

[divemistress]

('98? '99?) i think most of the women's BCDs WERE just men's models with pink (or purple) trim. not that pink and purple are bad colors...

 

[DivingDoc]

The main difference between men's and women's BC's is the position of the sternum strap, if there is one -- it's usually higher on women, to avoid pressing on certain sensitive areas.

I found most ScubaPro BC's to be particularly uncomfortable as the upper straps curve inward right in the wrong place and if you tighten up on them, they really hurt!

This is one reason why I like Zeagles because there are so many things on them that are adjustable -- you can get different sized shoulder straps and waist straps, for example.

The Seaquest Divas are very comfortable to try on as they have no sternum straps and instead have a bra-like piece of neoprene in the front. But I prefer back inflation BC's because of the freedom of arm movement and the lack of chest squeeze when they are inflated.

ET

 

[DonnaS]

Hi !

I own a Zeagle Escape......I'm I guess you would say full
figured. I'm 5ft.8 and weight 155. The Escape is compact and
easy to pack yet it gives 35lbs of lift. I use steel tanks so I
carry less weight. The only problem I've had is air trapped
in the bladders when I desend. Sometimes I have to go
ahead and turn and kick down. Once I'm down....I'm down.
I don't mind as I love the fit and the lumbar padding is nice.
I'm high waisted which is another plus for fit. I used the
Zeagle Ranger when I was certified and thought it to be a bit
bulky.
Happy Diving

 

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by DonnaS
Hi !

I own a Zeagle Escape......I'm I guess you would say full
figured. I'm 5ft.8 and weight 155. The Escape is compact and
easy to pack yet it gives 35lbs of lift. I use steel tanks so I
carry less weight. The only problem I've had is air trapped
in the bladders when I desend. Sometimes I have to go
ahead and turn and kick down. Once I'm down....I'm down.
I don't mind as I love the fit and the lumbar padding is nice.
I'm high waisted which is another plus for fit. I used the
Zeagle Ranger when I was certified and thought it to be a bit
bulky.
Happy Diving

Hi -- I would definitey say that I am MORE full figured than you are as I am 5' 4" and 190 lbs (I wish I could get back to 150). ;-0

Anyway, I just came back from a week in Cozumel, where I did 12 dives in my new Zeagle Escape. It fits beautifully, as it is so fully adjustable ( I have a medium shoulder and a large waist band). I put two 2 # weights in the back trim pockets and another 13# divided between the 2 front weight pockets. I had no trouble getting into any swimming position and I like the fact that the sternum strap is high enough that it doesn't press on my bust line. I also like the fact that with the back inflation, my arms are very unencumbered. The only thing I think needs improvement on it is the weight pockets in the front. The weight pockets are hard to insert into the pockets while wearing the BC. Also, it is hard trying to get the weights out before climbing up on the boat. What I usually did was to inflate the BC, then slip out of it, and the man on the boat would pull it out for me.

I also like the lumbar support in the BC and a larger one is available and can be purchased separately. With the two straps for the tank, it doesn't wobble around much at all even though it doesn't have a hard plate. Packing it is great as it folds up quite small.

As I said above, the weight pockets could use some improvement. I like the weight system better on the LadyHawk.

ET