Travel friendly AND cold water BCD? Any suggestion?

[bluepacific]

Just joined this site after reading some good tips on dive gear.

I am going on a liveboard this Sunday and just learned that they charge $15/day for a BCD so I am shopping for one!

I am trying to find a BCD that I can use everywhere, that means a BCD that is lighweight & travel friendly but that you can also use in colder water. Basically, a BCD that is really compact and that you can pack in your bag when you island hop on a turboprop with limited luggage allowance but that you can also use in places like Galapagos, California or Cocos (I don't dive in places like British Columbia, etc... too cold).

Would a Zeagle Tech or Zuma make the cut? Or what other models would you suggest?

Thanks,
Eric

PS: I am 5'5" and weight 135lbs if this can help

 

[Skooter]

The Zuma probably won't cut it for cold water, but try looking at the Balance it could be a good option. Those are the two I have first hand experience with anyway. I am sure others will have some god suggestions also.

 

[ptyx]

I originally bought my AL backplate and a small wing for that purpose. That was years ago, before good travel BCs started to appear - at the time it was the only solution.

If I had to buy again today (and ignoring the underwater part of the 'plate vs BC' debate), I'd still go with the backplate. Current travel BCs are impressive in term of weight and compactness, but they're still bulkier than a fully disassembled plate (and can't be spread between pieces of luggage).

Obviously, it takes more time to pack - and to reassemble everything once arrived at destination. Caveat emptor.

 

[tbone1004]

I have a transpac II with Travel wing that I use for travel. It's really tiny compared to the newer ones. Do that and buy a larger wing and you can use it for anything. I my bc, regs, and all accessories in a carry on when I worked in the keys this summer. Fins and mask included. No wetsuit obviously, but all the rest of it went in a carryon

 

[DevonDiver]

I don't want to start another BP&W vs Poodle debate, but I do really suggest that a good option would be a Aluminum backplate, harness and 30lb wing. Suitable for ice diving, cave diving, reef diving, river diving. More robust than any jacket style BCD. Competitively lightweight and compact with any dedicated travel BCD. Upgradeable and interchangeable due to modular design.

If I was on a liveaboard to Cocos...where I really didn't want my gear to let me down.... and nothing could be replaced or repaired... then I would definitely have a BP&W.

 

[TSandM]

If you really wanted to optimize for travel, AND be able to dive cold water, you could use something like an aluminum or Kydex plate, and have two wings, one very small one for the tropics (I use Deep Sea Supply's 17 lb travel wing when I dive wet) and a larger one for cold water. Total cost for such a setup would be in the range of higher-end BCs. I think you'd be amazed, if you pull the cambands and take the wing off, at how tiny a package you can make out of a backplate setup.

 

[Kilili]

You could consider something like OMS IQ or Dive Rite Travel Pac or Trans Pac. Oxycheq also has a lightweight rig.

 

[Peter_C]

I travel (Sheesh I can not remember the last warm water trip though) with a Freedom Plate that also serves me perfect for local Monterey or North Coast diving. Plus the manufacturer is local. At least half the people in our dive club use one. With a Mach V wing from Oxycheq it is a very streamlined setup. Take a few minutes and call to chat with ZKY aka Eric.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...cussions/350126-freedom-plate-first-dive.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...freedom-plate-my-new-favorite-travel-rig.html

There are some uh BIG photos in here of it.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/330702-questions-about-bp-w-comfort.html

 

[claymore]

You may also want to look into the Zeagle Express Tech with a 36# wing. It will weigh about 5# fold down to a very small package and be able to handle warm and cold diving as long as you do not need a lot of weight in the cold water. My 24# wing is not quite big enough when I am in my farmer john and steel tanks but a 36# would be big enough but the 44 from my Ranger is too bid for singles.

 

[merxlin]

If you don't want a BP/W, try a Zeagle Stiletto. Packs small, light, 35# lift, and has integrated weight and trim pockets. Note that because it does not use weight pockets, but the "zip-cord system", if Panga diving you will need to tip the crew more because they have to lift the fully weighted BC out of the water.