Which Aqualung female bc?

[Andreanne33]

Hi,
I'm all new to diving, and im looking into buying my own gear. Im just a recreational diver, diving in warm water.
I would like to have your comments and recommendations on these four BC's.

-AquaLung Libra BCD
-Oceanic Hera BCD
-Aqualung Pearl BCD
-Aqualung Pearl i3 BCD

You can also tell me any other BC's that you would recommend for women.

Thanks

 

[Acanthurus]

Hi,
I'm all new to diving, and im looking into buying my own gear. Im just a recreational diver, diving in warm water.
I would like to have your comments and recommendations on these four BC's.

-AquaLung Libra BCD
-Oceanic Hera BCD
-Aqualung Pearl BCD
-Aqualung Pearl i3 BCD

You can also tell me any other BC's that you would recommend for women.

Thanks

I have used the Aqualung Pearl i3 BCD since I finished my certification and I love it. I used it in warm water as well as cold water with my dry suit and it works great. It is very comfortable with a great fit. One of the DM's on a liveaboard tried it on and also really liked it

That said I got a new BC for Xmas the Aqualung Zuma. Haven't tried it yet but it is much lighter and easier to pack when travelling than my pearl. It is also essentially a back inflate - will let you know how it works in a few months. Currently no diving where I live in Northern British Columbia!

 

[pelan-pelan]

Hi, this is the female half of pelan-pelan. Had a miserable time finding a BC to fit. Slipping, twisting etc. You can't really tell until you have tried the thing in water. Watch out for high chest straps that garotte you when you giant stride.

Tried "women's" BCs in water - depressing - they didn't fit right. So try anything that you can, it doesn't have to be for a "woman". (By the way, I am a lady shape and do need space around the chest area!) The more you try - the more you will know about fit and straps and things. I went to my local dive club and tried all their hire BCs and as much gear as I could when I was away. Lots of help from other divers letting me stride in and do a quick dive on their BC. What did I learn? Sizing eg Small or XSmall or Medium is totally inconsistent with how the thing fits. How it feels on land is important but not not not an indication of how it dives. (One comfy fit on land nearly killed me underwater due to dodgy tank binding). Which leads to - buy a reputable make. Be aware of adjustment on a BC - some have alternative positions for cummerbunds - this can make a huge difference. Do not buy anything - better to rent until you are sure you have a fit.

Result from my experience. I grimly expected that when I found "it", it would be most expensive bla bla. So I rented. Came up from a dive with a growing suspicion. Second dive - I nearly started snarling and spitting when the guides tried to help me off with the wet BC. Instinct was to scream Noooh its mine mine I waaant this one. Just managed to smile politely and say excuse me but do you sell these BCs?

Yes, it's one of the cheapest on the market and well respected for being a durable work-horse that rental operations use. Everything totally simple and basic. Aqualung Waves.

Only problem so far - it looks like all the other hire gear so had to make sure it is clearly named and it has some colourful dive tags on it to make it look different.

Hope this l helps - and good luck.

 

[Tank601]

Hi,
I'm all new to diving, and im looking into buying my own gear. Im just a recreational diver, diving in warm water.
I would like to have your comments and recommendations on these four BC's.

-AquaLung Libra BCD
-Oceanic Hera BCD
-Aqualung Pearl BCD
-Aqualung Pearl i3 BCD

You can also tell me any other BC's that you would recommend for women.

Thanks

Not sure about those but according to Jayde323 BPW is the way to go:

Quote:

Originally Posted by M_Bipartitus View Post
If you look for a package online you can get everything you need for $200-$300. Though this will be the most basic variety (which some divers prefer). My second BP/W setup was this: TECHNICAL SCUBA BCD PACKAGE @ Divers-Supply.com .
I have this exact set-up and my husband has it in both the single and doubles version. We love them! Can't beat the price (super important for us since we have to get 2 of everything!) and the quality seems to be top notch. We have about 40 dives on each of our rigs and have had no issues what so ever.

Looking back, I would have loved my first set-up to be BP/W. Once you get the harness adjusted correctly, it feels like an extension of your body. I have some pockets that I can thread onto the harness, but the more I dive, the less I use them. As for weight pockets, I bought trim pockets that go on my tank straps for when I do need extra weight (besides the SS plate).

One thing is for sure - try before you buy unless you are in bum Egypt like me!

 

[marinediva]

Hi

I bought my Libra in 2006 and it has seen over a thousand dives, it still looks and performs great.
I love it, as it seems to hug me better than say a jacket style. The only part that I don't enjoy is the bulkiness of the right side pocket.

It is not the lightest BCD in the world but it is by no means the heaviest either.

I have found it gives plenty of 'chest' room as it straps from the side over the shoulders instead of the front.

The Zeagle women's ranger is also a good choice for bigger chested women.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

:worthless:

My co-worker pink wings has a lot of experience with this topic of discussion and I'm pretty sure she uses a SeaQuest; which may now be an Aqua Lung. You could try sending her a PM. She was lurking a week ago.

​

 

[DiveTheGalapagos]

I am a busty diver and do very much like the Libra. It fits better than virtually any other BC I've tried. I have 2 problems with it, though.

1. With the U bladder, it can sometimes be tricky to dump air in a horizontal position and you must take care turning it upside down and over to get all the water out after diving.
2. No carry handle in back.