Switching from Sherwood Avid BCD to Zeagle Ranger BCD...

[yukoneer]

I am thinking about switching from Sherwood Avid BCD to Zeagle Ranger BCD...

I have a dive in (see my sig for the days till my trip) and should I go ahead dive in my "future" Ranger BCD or should I stay with my Avid that i know what it does???

I wont have time/places to practice with the Ranger BCD - so i was wondering if there's a BIG difference to adjust between the 2 bcd's?

 

[AtomicWalrus]

I've made a similar switch, going from an Avid to a Zeagle Tech. I found a few differences that took some getting used to:

1. The back inflate of the Ranger/Tech changes your buoyancy characteristics on the surface considerably. With the Avid, I found that the more air I added to the BCD, the more stable and comfortable I'd be, and it'd keep me in an upright position. The back inflate BCDs tend to tip me forward, particularly if I've got a lot of air in it. I learned to compensate by adjusting my body position in the water, tending to lean back more than I used to.

2. With the Avid, I used to be able to sense how much air was in the BCD by how it felt against my body because of its jacket-style design. When I went to the Tech, I didn't have that feedback anymore. Not a big deal, just a bit of an adjustment.

3. The Zeagle power inflator isn't as responsive as the Avid inflator. I had to get used to holding down the inflator button longer on the Tech than it took to get the same response on the Avid. The Zeagle is also trickier to purge than the Avid because of its long deflator hose - I have to take more care that I hold it up when venting so it doesn't trap air.

All of these things take a little while to shake down, but I'd figured it out within my first dive and was really comfortable with it within 5 dives. On the plus side, the Zeagle is much more comfortable, has a better weight integration system, and I found that the releases were easier to use with my drysuit.

 

[gfisher4792]

I've heard that the Zeagle is great, however, if you have no time to practice before going on your trip, I would stick to your Avid. Presumably, you're comfortable with how you're Avid works, and I would go with that. You don't want to be figuring out your weight, trim, placement of gear when you could be enjoying your dive from the get go.

BTW, your sig doesn't seem to be working!

edit: Just noticed that your countdown is in your Profile. Have a good trip!

 

[Desa]

Back inflates are not any "trouble" to get used to. Key point is to not overinflate at the surface or you mayhave a tendancy to tip forward.

If need be do a pool dive at the motel to get used to it. I am familiar with the Avid but much more prefer my back inflate.

 

[D_O_H]

I went from using jacket BCs to a Ranger (my first back inflate) a few dives ago and agree with most everything AW said above.

A couple of differences for me:

-While it does float you differently at the surface and feels strange to not feel air going into and out of your BC, it did not take me long to adjust and feel comfortable with these differences.

-I haven't had any trouble inflating or venting from the BC. Rather than using the hose, I use one (or both) of the valves on the bottom of the BC. With a slight head down position, the air slips right out and you can avoid having to tip vertical to vent. It is a little disconcerting not to be able to squeeze the air out with my arms, like I'd become used to doing with my jacket, but I'm getting used to it.

I say make the switch - you'll likely be glad you did. I wouldn't do anything extreme on the first dive or two, but the differences, for me at least, were not enough to keep me from having a fun and productive dive the first time in the water with it.

 

[StSomewhere]

I'm no expert, but my first experience with a backinflate (a SeaQuest Balance) after learning on a vest type BC was miserable at the surface. As it turns out, it was the nearly empty AL80 that was the problem. If you are using an aluminum tank maybe get some tank weights or in a pinch at least move three or four lbs of standard ankle weights over the tank valve before you attach your regulator.

 

[D_O_H]

You don't want to be figuring out your weight, trim, placement of gear when you could be enjoying your dive from the get go.

A couple of additional thoughts:

I was excited about having trim pockets and went a little overboard in loading them up with weight, resulting in the BC wanting to flip me over like a turtle on my first dive. It was still manageable, but I wouldn't start with more than 20-30% of your weights in the trim pockets (assuming you're using a typical AL80). I woudln't think your total weighting would change at all.

As for gear configuration, it looks like you've got a few weeks to figure that out. I had a great time installing bolt snaps, snipping innertube, raiding hardware stores and generally getting my gear streamlined while waiting to dive with my Christmas present (though my girlfriend was less than pleased with our living room being turned into my personal dive shop).

 

[D_O_H]

I'm no expert, but my first experience with a backinflate (a SeaQuest Balance) after learning on a vest type BC was miserable at the surface. As it turns out, it was the nearly empty AL80 that was the problem. If you are using an aluminum tank maybe get some tank weights or in a pinch at least move three or four lbs of standard ankle weights over the tank valve before you attach your regulator.

Sorry to be flooding your thread with posts, but you shouldn't need tank weights with the Ranger (that's what the trim pockets are for).

 

[ScottZeagle]

My first suggestion would be:
Don't overinflate the bladder at the surface. The #1 reason that people feel as if it is "pushing them forward" is that they have filled the bladder until the OPV pops. In normal situations you shouldn't need more than 50% of the bladder filled to float comfortably on the surface.

I would not put more than 1/3 of your weight in the rear pockets to start out. After you get a feel for the BC you can make adjustments as needed.

I truly believe that once you get used to the back inflation, you will be amazed at how much more free you feel without the squeeze!!

I'm biased, but I say take the Ranger and have a great trip!!

Scott

 

[StSomewhere]

Sorry to be flooding your thread with posts, but you shouldn't need tank weights with the Ranger (that's what the trim pockets are for).

Really a great point specifically for the Zeagle BCs, D_O_H.

I was just commenting on my small experience with backinflates, in general if your BC has a trim weight system like the Zeagle BCs do, then that would obviously be ideal.