The great travel BC topic

[metaldector]

I have a Seaquest and a Ranger. I dove the Seaquest and took it around the world for 250 dives. Never had any problems, as all dive gear is bulky. Now I dive a Ranger, the back inflation makes me feel more secure. The Seaquest just hangs in the garage. Of course there are other great BCs on the market and you should try them on and dive them (rent from LDS) a few to see if any really are better for you.:tease: Dive gear are like cars, everyone thinks his/hers is the best and coolest. Buy what works for you and meets your $$$s.

 

[Gator Diver]

Thanks for your input so far and keep it coming.
I dove with my friends Zeagle Escape yesterday
in Blue Grotto. The only thing I found was that
it was a bit hard to let air out of the BC to
initiate the dive. The Balance was stated
to be lacking in lumbar support in one of the
magazine reviews. Can anyone who has one
or dove with one attest to that?

 

[herman]

I have a Ranger and a Scout. The Scout is my warm water/travel BC. It has 36 lbs of lift ( the 24 lb is an option) and it does have a sort of weight intergration, 2 dumpable pouches on the back beside the tank. They are susposed to hold up to 30lbs (15 per) but I have found anything over 8-10 causes you the turtle, not a problem for me as I only use about 6. You can always use a standard weight belt or it has 2 "pockets" in the frount that you can place a little weight in. At about $220 on line, it's a nice little BC. I have been well pleased with mine.

The air dumping "problem" is just a matter of learning how. Slightly raise your left shoulder so it's the hightest part of your body, hold the inflator hose above that and all will work nicely.

 

[cstreu1026]

There is always the bp/wing tyupe setup that would be a breeze to pack but I won't really go into that too much. If the idea of cold steal against your body or wetsuit isn't for you then you might want to take a look at te Aeris Atmos XT, along with the previously mentioned Zeagle and Sea Quest bc's. I have tried in on a few times and it is very comfy and seems like it would be a breeze to pack. Also take a look at the Aqua Lung Malibu which is similar to the Balance.

 

[Jaxscubadiver]

What part of Florida are you in? I have several bcs that you could try. I have the Zeagle Ranger (size sm, md and lg), Ranger LTD (size lg) and A Seaquest Balance (size lg). Let me know if I could help. Have a great day.

 

[JohnF]

PurduEE once bubbled...
In terms of travel, I am thinking of picking up one of the BPs that oxycheq is selling now:
http://www.oxycheq.com/backplates.html
Tell me that travel BP doesn't look SWEET! (granted, it would be for a very limited type of diving, but talk about packing light....)

The Koplin travel plate (and STA) weighs in at less than 4# and is a very nifty tool for travellers. I used mine for the first time in Mexico (when the DM's on the boats didn't make me trade with them to try it) this year with my 27# Halcyon wing and even used it for doubles when I did my Cavern/Intro to Cave courses. It made the switch to doubles & a canister easily, much to the surprise of my Instructor, who then tried to talk me into leaving it with him to play with. So I'm not sure what you mean about limited diving. 8)

This plate will work for any kind of diving you wanna do. Granted, it will mean a little extra lead on yer waist in cold water, but most of us travel to warm water, don't we?

Go for it.
JohnF

 

[PurduEE]

Seacur once bubbled...


The Koplin travel plate (and STA) weighs in at less than 4# and is a very nifty tool for travellers. I used mine for the first time in Mexico (when the DM's on the boats didn't make me trade with them to try it) this year with my 27# Halcyon wing and even used it for doubles when I did my Cavern/Intro to Cave courses. It made the switch to doubles & a canister easily, much to the surprise of my Instructor, who then tried to talk me into leaving it with him to play with. So I'm not sure what you mean about limited diving. 8)

This plate will work for any kind of diving you wanna do. Granted, it will mean a little extra lead on yer waist in cold water, but most of us travel to warm water, don't we?

Go for it.
JohnF

Hadn't though it could used for that sort of diving to be honest. I'm glad you went ahead and replied, or I wouldn't have known... I tend to be pretty neutral all by myself, and I've never worn anymore than around 6# (5mm, hood, AL80 - tropics is more like 2#), so I've not been that excited about strapping on a full SS BP since I'd be pretty overweighted. This might be a pretty good solution to the problem... Thanks...

Did you just make your harness from some webbing, or did you order one pre-made? Any other tips you could provde would be great. Feel free to PM it - I don't want to get accused of hijacking this thread...

 

[ZoCrowes255]

newbie-in-fl once bubbled...
I am open water certified within the last 2 months.
I live in Florida and plan to do predominantly single tank
spring diving, and shallow ocean dives (under 90 feet).
I would also like to do some traveling to the
Caribbean for diving. Can someone suggest
a back inflation BC that would handle this (and I can take
when I travel)
I am considering one of the Zeagles or a Seaquest
at this point. Some said the Ranger would be too
bulky for travel. Thanks.

Try out a few different BCD's and see what you like. Whatever fits and is comfortable for you is what you go should go with.

 

[JohnF]

PurduEE once bubbled...


Hadn't though it could used for that sort of diving to be honest. I'm glad you went ahead and replied, or I wouldn't have known... I tend to be pretty neutral all by myself, and I've never worn anymore than around 6# (5mm, hood, AL80 - tropics is more like 2#), so I've not been that excited about strapping on a full SS BP since I'd be pretty overweighted. This might be a pretty good solution to the problem... Thanks...

Did you just make your harness from some webbing, or did you order one pre-made? Any other tips you could provde would be great. Feel free to PM it - I don't want to get accused of hijacking this thread...

I need some lead but with a 3/2 wetsuit, double al80's and a canister lite I didn't need any extra lead. The skinny little dude (Fred Devos in Puerto Aventuras) who was teaching me needed a keelweight with his shell drysuit. he's the one who coveted my travel plate. I think he actually had designs on making it into a sidemount rig. I passed that on to Scott.

I make my own harness out of a piece of 2" webbing. Depending on yer girth you need approx 10-11' of the stuff, 3 d-rings and tri-glides and a good buckle. I have a 48" chest and a 38" waist so I use a bunch of material but I have lots left over from 13'. For the crotch strap I use 2" seat belt webbing. It's softer for those tender areas. You probably should put a butt ring on the butt tri-glide for reels & such, but forget the scooter-ring unless yer gonna invest in one of those toys. I bought a Halcyon crotch-strap, and it works fine too, but the softer home-made one works at least as well, costs less, and is DIY so ya can brag about it.

JohnF

 

[Gator Diver]

Seacur
thanks for your input regarding bp and wings.
I am not sure if it will suit the type of diving
i want to do (single tank, florida springs/ocean, no
tech dives). By the way what does STA mean?
As a newbie, any info is helpful but some
of your posts are a bit to advanced for
my needs. Any other suggestions you have
for BCD for someone in my stage would be helpful.