Which Brand of BC to BUY *NEW DIVER*

[srkdvr]

Scubapro,
and I would say the Glideplus
Rich:mean:

 

[Finnatic]

You might want to check with the shop that you will be taking classes from. I don't know if this is the norm, but our instructor would not let anyone use their personal gear in class. He supplied the gear that we used except for our personal equipment such as mask, fins and snorkel. His reasoning was that the training would be more uniform and also that he had problems in the past with people coming to class in used or borrowed equipment that was essentially junk (pulled out the garage after 10 years with dirt dauber nests and dry-rotted..lol). If that is the case, you will have plenty of time to research equipment, try on gear and find something that works for you. At the end of each class we were told what new piece of equipment would be expected for the next class so we were buying stuff essentially each time we came to class. Our last class was last night and now all we need are our BCs, regs, guages and wetsuits. What we have now includes mask, fins, snorkel, divelog, weightbelt, weights, booties, gloves, divewatch and dive knife. Sorry for the long post, but hope this helps. Good luck with your class

 

[JimC]

I hope they didn't force you to buy that stuff from them!

 

[spritie]

I would try calling as many shops in the Dallas area to see what brands they stock, and in what sizes. Then, I would go to any shop that might have something in your size. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum from you and need an XS. All the BC's I used for my OW certs were way too big on me (the shop didn't have one small enough to fit - yuck). So, one Saturday afternoon, my boyfriend drove me to 8 different stores in the Houston area trying on all the different makes/models/ and sizes. I finally found one that I love, and was within my price range. I even tried on several kids BC's that were too big on me!

 

[ElectricZombie]

Buy a Backplate and wing combo from Halcyon. These are adjustable to literally fit anyone. They perform great and that is what I use.

 

[ofb11]

Last night I went ahead and bought an XXL Genesis Cobra for about $262. I will consult my friend who is a Master Diver about the fit when it comes in. I kind of have to chance it because I feel guilty about try on at dive shops because I know I can't afford what they carry.

Thanks all!

Dave

 

[AquaBob]

.... and if you think the capital costs are high.... wait 'til you add up the O&M!

Good Luck

 

[5615mike]

I had some relitive input for you since I am 6'5' about 325lbs and have looked at everything on the market but it's too late now. Hope you enjoy your Genisis.

 

[buttermanr]

I have been diving for 14 years and still use my original Dacor Chameleon BC and Sherwood regulator and both are still in great shape. Pretty good for "crap".

If you look around this forum you'll find lots of opinions about brands. My recommendation is to take these with a grain of salt: there is very little "crap" out there and companies like Dacor, ScubaPro, SeaQuest, Mares and many others would not have survived unless they deliver good quality.

Rodales (http://www.rodales.com ) does some decent testing on all scuba gear and helps weeding out the "crap".

My recommendation:
Check Rodales for their 10-15 recommendations, then go to your dive stores and try them on and pick the BCD based on comfort/fit and your budget. Ignore the opinions (except this one).

By the way: although my gear is still in great shape I am going to buy a new one. Somehow it does not seem right to rely on 14 year old gear when you're 100 feet below. For BCD's I am looking mostly at the Mares Morphos Twin and the DragonFly Airtrim.

RB