Why do I need a better BC

[Green_Manelishi]

I Live in Falmouth, MA (cape cod). I'll update my profile now.

I'd also suggest you locate a dive club in your area and be willing to drive to various areas to get together with other divers. the more you meet the better your chances of trying other gear.

Well it's getting late and I have to dive tomorrow so it's time for me to get into bed and go to sleep.

 

[BigWhiteSquare]

The only BCs I've used are rental sherwood silhouette. They were very comfortable and seemed like they would do the job, and they must be durable if they are used as rentals. Other than if I want integrated weight, is there any reason I should purchase a more expensive BC?

Perhaps. Price alone does not determine how well a BC will work for you. However, many people on this board, myself included, prefer BP/W systems or back-inflate BCs. The main difference is how the BC affects your trim underwater. In other words, you may find it easier to maintain proper horizontal positioning with a BP/W system or back-inflate BC.

Some good back-inflate BCs are the SeaQuest Balance ( http://www.aqualung.com/products/balance.html )

and the Zeagle Stilletto ( http://www.zeagle.com/index.php?src=gendocs&link=Stiletto&submenu=RecreationalBC )

Deep Sea Supply makes a good BP/W system: ( http://www.deepseasupply.com/page12.html )

With respect to weight integration, you may or may not like it. I do, but it's more of a personal preference thing than anything else. Remember, if you get a weight-integrated BC, you don't have to use the weight integration feature. You can always weight belt if you find that suits you better.

___

 

[Darnold9999]

Re integrated weights. I loved the idea first time I tried it. In Hawaii with 12# of lead. In Vancouver with 44# of lead I found that it made getting in and out of tank/BC rig much too difficult. You need to lift both the lead and the weight of the tank/reg/BC at the same time. I found that a separate weight belt that included a shoulder harness works better for me. Allows me to carry the weight on my shoulders not the hips, lets me adjust the placement of the weights higher and lower on my hips easily and lets me lift and manage two separate amounts of weight. I also moved away from the neoprene suit to a bag suit allowed me to drop to 28# of lead on the weight belt which is much more manageable.

I also went to a BP/W which integrates 6# of stainless steel into the tank/BC harness but this is not for everyone.

If you like the jacket BC, and you don't plan on diving cold or you can toss around that kind of weight easily then the integrated systems are great.

 

[TSandM]

The thing is, everybody is different. My husband loves his integrated weights. I hated mine, because carrying all the weight on my shoulders gave me neck and shoulder pain, and carrying the whole rig assembled was a major pain. Putting a lot of weight on a belt meant my hips and legs, which are strong, got to carry more weight than my neck and shoulders, which are not. It works for me.

Trim is important. If your weight is not where it should be, you cannot correct your position in the water. You will dive head low or feet low, depending on where the imbalance is. It makes diving hard and stressful. Correct trim lets you float horizontal without effort. All of a sudden, things get easier. A BC with integrated weights may or may not put your weight where it needs to be for proper trim. If it does, and you like handling the gear, then it works for you.

I bought a back-inflate BC to begin with, but changed to a BP/W assembly a few months ago. It worked for me. I am small (5'4" and 120 lbs) and my BC never fit very well. But you may have options that work better. Try to explore what you can before you commit to a purchase. My husband is not amused with me for replacing all of my perfectly good gear six months after I bought it.

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

...
Try to explore what you can before you commit to a purchase. My husband is not amused with me for replacing all of my perfectly good gear six months after I bought it...

I am also having some difficulty explaining why I am replacing a mint condition BC with a BP/Wing - without inflicting the contents of the hundreds of threads on the topic on her...

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[james croft]

I am also having some difficulty explaining why I am replacing a mint condition BC with a BP/Wing - without inflicting the contents of the hundreds of threads on the topic on her...

Cheers,

Andrew

If you keep getting new gear it will accumulate. After a while you will have so much stuff that they don't even notice it when a new piece of gear shows up. Hang in there.

 

[halocline]

The only BCs I've used are rental sherwood silhouette. They were very comfortable and seemed like they would do the job, and they must be durable if they are used as rentals. Other than if I want integrated weight, is there any reason I should purchase a more expensive BC?

To be honest, if you're happy for the moment, ENJOY IT!!! It probably won't last, depending on your diving style. BC style and fit is something that really affects buoyancy control, and consequently diving comfort, more than just about any other piece of gear. Typically, as divers get more experience they become more sensitive to small changes in buoyancy control and trim, and that's when the quest for a better BC begins. If you can buy one of these rental BCs cheaply and it will get you through a season or two of diving, I think it's probably a great investment, as after another 50 dives or so you'll have a much better idea of what style of BC would work best for you.

Trying on a BC in the store gives you only the most basic information about it, and in some ways can be very misleading. For example, remember that the weight loading on a BC in and out of the water is totally different, meaning it pulls on your body in very different ways. A common issue that comes up is the tendency for some BCs to ride up your torso, especially on the surface. This is something they would never do standing around in the store.

The best thing by far would be to start with a pool session with several different styles of BC; maybe one of the rental sherwood jackets, an expensive weight integrated jacket, a back inflate BC, and a backplate and wing set up. If you could some how gather together this gear and a few different exposure suits to match whatever water temp you'll be diving in that would be great, and you'd probably answer all your own questions confidently. One thing you'd find is that all the differences are greater with a thick wetsuit on, as you need more weight and it's placement is more critical. Another thing you'd find is that an expensive, feature-laden jacket style BC might perform worse than a stripped down simple one, especially in warm water situations.

Have fun!

 

[jerry_h]

Try Divers Market in Plymouth, I don't know if he has weight intergrated in rental though South Shore Divers in Weymouth does have them in rental (Scuba Pro Knighthawks)

 

[Puffer Fish]

Your choice of BC should be more than just comfort, although that is usually the number one issue.

Integrated weights are such a personal issue that you will tend to either like or dislike them. I like them, but for safety issues.

Hopefully you are considering:

Lift

Trim

Buoyancy control

Safety

You can see from the responses you got, that most of the people who care about the above, are BP/W people (posting that is)

It might help to ask yourself a couple of questions, outside what has already been covered:

1. How do I want to deal wth my Octo (if you don't have one - reconsider, you should)? Integrated with my BC, a spare second stage or for the die hard, a pony bottle.

2. How good am I with my weight belt? Always remove it first? Comfortable?

3. How is my trim?

4. How is my buoyancy control?

5. Is there anything else I would like?

If you don't have an opinion on any of the above - using rental gear should do the trick. If you do, then you should be able to decide which is best for you.

I have both, a travel BC and a BP/w. Like them both, for different reasons. Either would work well, if I only had one. Both are wings, both have integrated weights, and neither has a built in Octo. Makes me happy - you should do the same for yourself

 

[RumBum]

On some BCs the integrated weights have a bad habit of shimmying their way out of the pockets. If you look at these make sure they are well secured.
Personally, I did not like integrated weights, they threw off my trim. And it really makes it hard to sling a BC with lead in the pockets.

good luck and have fun trying different gear!