Travel BCD Recommendation for a Petit Woman

[drakcheslav]

I've handled Hydros at one point, and it's a super high quality piece of gear, and really expensive.
Which in my mind puts it into the cache grab territory, since IMHO, having an absurdly expensive piece of gear for recreational occasion diving, especially if it's only for travel diving where your kit is going to get banged up and messed up is pointless.

I know I might ruffle some feathers with this. But, real world use is one thing, and marketing is another thing.

For the price of a hydros you can put together a soft plate and a wing and get a good light warm water regulator, or a nice pair of fins.

 

[Outbound]

Check out the Aqualung Outlaw, or the Rogue. Both can be ordered with a semi-custom configuration by mixing and matching the size of the back pad, the shoulder straps, and the waist straps. I have the Outlaw and am using the small shoulder and waist straps with a medium back pad and a 25 lb. bladder. You can also get a 12 lb. bladder if you don't need as much lift. It's very light - just 4 lbs - and packs nicely. I use a Hydros Pro for local drysuit diving, and while it packs pretty small by rolling it up, it weighs in at something like 11 lbs. The Outlaw is my travel BCD for warm water trips.

 

[Hoag]

I have a couple female friends who use BCDs from your list. Both have several years of diving on their BCDs and both are extremely happy with their choices.

One of them has a Zuma and she loves the lightweight and the unrestricted movement it offers her.

The other has the Zeagle Zena. She loves the comfort and the fit. She also likes that the LPI can be removed and a garden hose hooked up to rinse the bladder.

I don't know anyone with the Cressi, however I used to have a Cressi Air Travel and I hated it. It was 4 pounds positively buoyant. The first 4 pounds of lead that I added was to offset the BCD.

IMHO, based on my friends, I think you would likely be happy with either the Zuma or the Zena.

 

[lexvil]

On my last trip to curaçao my buddy mused on the gear, both using the freedom plate and small wing, no complaint at all with these for diving, he mentioned that he was thinking the the AL Outlaw may be a better choice, very light weight and can be disassembled easily for packing and the Leisure Pro was clearing out the 12lb version at a great price. Mine came in last week, no chance to dive it yet but it’s very compact and comfortable and is slightly negatively buoyant in my pool, working on setting up another trip to Curaçao in February, the outlaw is a great concept that really looks like the perfect warm water rig.

 

[LFMarm]

XDeep Ghost with the smallest wing you will need (likely 20-30 lbs)

 

[formernuke]

All good choices. Going from jacket to back inflate is very easy and personally I will never go back.

Try all the options on including a bpw and go for the one you're the most comfortable in.

 

[DivingChipmunk]

Thanks all for your input. I am definitely adding a couple more models to my short list and am doing some research on BP/W.

 

[Jersey]

Let me throw another candidate out there. Had the opportunity to test dive the DiveRite Hydrolyte carbonfibre BP/W recently. Wow. Compact, midweight (6lb), streamlined, oh so comfortable.

 

[Nemrod]

We have a nice XS Zuma we might would let go cheaply enough. It is my wife's but she being a diver since 1979 kept pestering me to get her a BP/wing like all the other "old" guys have so she now has an Oxy UL plate and VDH 18 wing and as well a VDH plate to swap to. Just if you want. I always liked the Zuma and was trying to figure out how I could make it fit me but it is a no go for me being an XS size. .

James

 

[DivingChipmunk]

We have a nice XS Zuma we might would let go cheaply enough. It is my wife's but she being a diver since 1979 kept pestering me to get her a BP/wing like all the other "old" guys have so she now has an Oxy UL plate and VDH 18 wing and as well a VDH plate to swap to. Just if you want. I always liked the Zuma and was trying to figure out how I could make it fit me but it is a no go for me being an XS size. .

James

James, thanks and I am interested, although I am still debating between a hybrid back inflate vs BP/W. Let's me send you a private message to get more info.