Recommendations on good BCDs for Drysuits

[Daweri]

Hello,

My fiance and I just received our OW certification last month and are starting to do research on purchasing gear. We will be purchasing BCDs within the next couple weeks, but it will be a while longer before we can afford drysuits. We plan on diving in the cold waters locally (Seattle, WA, USA) but also on vacation in tropical waters

My question is this...I am wondering if anyone has recommendations on both womens and mens BCDs that go well with drysuits (but will also work well in warm water), or is there anything in particular we should be looking for in a BCD that will makes it ideal to use with a drysuit.

I have been eyeballing the women's Oceanic Isla due to good reviews and an awesome price on leisurepro. I understand it is better to try the products on first and see, but none of my LDS seem to carry this product.

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[scarefaceDM]

I can tell ya from experience...but I will give you a short answer.

Try before you buy.
Buy a BC that FITS you well.
Shop around.
The cheapest is not the best solution.
Buy one that is tough reliable and if you want to not wear a weight belt. a BC with integrated weights.
A BC that has Double CAM bands. ( prevents the old tank slip out. )

I can tell ya also that from experience...a Backplate and wing may be your choice.
Reliable, adjustable and tough. it is not just for technical diving. But for single tanks aswell. Look at the manufactures of true backplates and wings. OMS, Halcyon, Dive right, Agir, Oxychec just to name a few.

For drysuit diving. There are a few variables to consider. One is bulkiness in the front of your chest. Inflator valve is usually in the chest area centered. You do not want anything to block the operation of the valve. especially if you have thick gloves on or drygloves And you do not want a cumber strap to rid high. It just makes it too bulky with a drysuit.

And then there is adjustability. If you canot adjust the BC then it is the wrong size. Some BC'S ar too snug for drysuits...just ask the LDS about fitting a BC for drysuit.

Another thing to consider is a Back wing inflation when diving a drysuit. Makes for less bulk in the front and better mobility. I had a Zeagle Ranger and that for me was the best BC back wing ever. When I switched to a Backplate and wing...well that is truely the best system with drysuit and even in a wetsuit. IMO

It is just a few points to think about if you do go the Drysuit/BC route.

Just do not jump at the first deal you see...Until you tried it on.

 

[SteveAD]

second everthing scareface said, give zeagle a serious look

 

[MSilvia]

Another thing or two to add to my general agreement with scareface: Avoid getting a BC with strap placement (ie chest straps) that might interfere with your drysuit inflator valve.

While the cheapest solution is probably not the best, the most expensive quite possibly isn't either. Evaluate what you need, and get that. Don't pay for fancy features just because they are available... in many cases, they aren't desireable.

 

[vablackwater]

I prefer something back inflate in general, especially with a drysuit (do not like the squeeze).

 

[TSandM]

The most important thing about a BC is that it must fit you well. The problem is that trying things on in the store won't tell you much about how the BC will fit with a tank on it and in the water.

If you are diving with dive ops in the BVI, you may want to rent BCs there. You'll get a chance to try a couple and see what you like. Jacket, back inflate, and BP/W all feel different or are different to get in and out of or to adjust.

It's a cleft stick that new divers find themselves in: You need to have gear or you won't dive, but you can't know what you really want to dive in until you've done some diving. Some people do what I did, and just buy something, get started, and replace it all six months later (the expensive route). Clever people buy their dry suits and then get on the Orca Bait forum and ask who they can borrow gear from . . . And THEN maybe they get to make their decisions once . . .

 

[fdog]

I will echo what's been said multiple times above....try before you buy!

And this is the best suggestion of all:

<snip>Clever people buy their dry suits and then get on the Orca Bait forum and ask who they can borrow gear from . . . And THEN maybe they get to make their decisions once . . .

There is such a divergence between the needs of cold water/dry suit diving, and warm water/thin wet suit/travel diving, that we own two sets of gear!

All the best, James

 

[dsteding]

Post over in Orca Bait, depending on your sizes, I bet we could scrape together enough gear for you all to try out, and I'd be happy to help how I can (for instance, if your fiance is about six feet tall, I could contribute just about everything he'd need except for fins and some sort of depth measuring device).

FWIW, I dive a backplate and wing and have two (one for doubles and one for singles). They work great for cold water diving locally, I have yet to take them on trips, but plenty of my friends have travelled with such setups. If you are hell-bent on buying before the trip, and are serious about diving locally, I'd recommend some sort of back-inflate backplate-like setup, be it a plate/wing or a transpac or something along those lines. These seem to be used by lots of local divers with good results, and they also travel well (packing flat, although a six pound plate can add some weight to your luggage).

I don't want this to become another BP/W v. traditional BC thread, so take this as one person's opinion, lots of good options out there. But, having gone through all this in the past year (zero to two drysuits, 10 tanks, four reg sets, bladdity blah), I'm happy to offer advice. Gear choices can be daunting, and mistakes can be costly . . . PM me if you have more questions.

 

[Bobbin-along]

Same goes here. You are more than welcome to try out hubbies Black Diamond, my Ladyhawk, and even our bp/w setups.

One thing most dont think about is making sure the bc you get (I prefer back inflates) can carry enough weight for colder/drysuit diving. Just food for thought. My brother showed up with his warmer water bc and by the time we had him kitted up he couldn't carry enough lead in the pockets and ended up borrowing one of ours.

 

[String]

Ive not seen a single weight integrated BC i'd class as safe for the amount of weight a typical dry suit diver needs with a single tank.
Weight belt or if not, a harness are much more secure and comfortable solutions.