What about those of us who can't try before we buy?

[The Chairman]

First off...

Almost ALL BCs feel great underwater. The weight of the tank is lifted off of your shoulders and with a few exceptions there are few BCs that will make you feel uncomfortable at depth.

Go to your local shop and try the BC on WITH A TANK! This is when you will get an idea just how snug it is and if there are any "tight" places.

Personally, I have dove quite a number of different BCs. Not one has failed me. However, the BC that FEELS the best on the surface with a tank on invariably feels great at depth. So look at what is important to you:

Weight integration.
Appearance.
Pockets or lack thereof.
Weight and size for packing.
Support.
D-Rings and placement.
Style (back inflate, jacket... etc)
Other "features".

FWIW, I have seen GREAT divers in poodle jackets (pink even) and crappy divers in the best BP&Wings... not to mention vica versa. It's not the BC that makes the diver look bad, but the diver that makes the BC look good.

Sure, it's a BIG decision, and you want to be sure... but I have yet to have someone be comfortable on the surface that was not so in the water. Really, really!

 

[StSomewhere]

Beware of surface logic, don't judge a BC by how it feels on dry land. Try them out underwater, see if they are stable or if they shift up and down or if the tank wobbles back and forth. Does it feel constricting when you add air to the BC? Does it have lots of gimmicks or is it streamlined? All those useful-looking pockets are useless when you can't get into them with some air in the BC.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Thanks for all of the great advice everyone.....I appreciate it...

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Try them out underwater,

I thought the whole point was not being able to try them out underwater. :11doh:

I suggest that you make friends with peoples that have the type of BCs your interested in and see if you can get them to let you try one out. (If finding a shop with a pool fails) If you're ever in my neighborhood you can feel free to browse my selection and dive any of the BCs you like from my collection, poodle jackets, back-inflate, or bp/wing. The point I'm making is that none of us (most likely) found that BC that fit their diving forever.

While I agree with NetDoc that most any BC is going to work out, I think there is value in seeing the differences underwater.

 

[ianr33]

Thus far, with the exception of some quarry dives to certify, 100% of my diving has been, and probably will be, rec diving in the tropics. 20-35 dives per year. I'll probably get nitrous certified.

Be careful breathing nitrous. Its VERY narcotic.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

That's the point right?

 

[kidspot]

One thought if you *want* to try different gear is to post in your local forum here on SB - I am always happy to let folks try my BP/wing out. I assume folks who like their gear will be similarly minded (no matter what kind of gear they have) - you could also research and narrow your choices down to 2 or three types/brands you want to try and post that as well - Divers seem to be a very generous group of people I've discovered.

Aloha, Tim

 

[StSomewhere]

I thought the whole point was not being able to try them out underwater. :11doh:

Exactly. (I'm not "from" FarFromDeepWater for nothin'!) And yet that leaves you to take opinions from other people. On SB, or from Rodales, or your instructor. So the alternative might be to do the homework for your dive destinations and find out what options you have to rent there. Some are a crapshoot, many have a fleet of cheap 10-year-old regs, the best (IMO) have fairly up-to-date regs from specific manufacturers. If it were me, that's what I'd do. Oh wait, it WAS me and that's what I did do.