Women's BC Hunt!

[MerMare]

I am looking for any advice I can get on purchasing a women's BC. I tried on a Seaquest Diva this weekend with a tank, and it actually couldn't have fit worse. My shoulders and back are sore and a bit bruised from wearing it for about five minutes. This is super disappointing because I've read such positive comments about the Diva here on scubaboard and thought this would be a perfect match for me. I've only been certified for a couple of months, and am anxious to find the perfect BC so that I can begin my diving experience in earnest. I'm about 5'8" and have a small frame, so it's been difficult to find a BC small enough, but tall enough! The extra small Diva fits great in the girth, but is way short. The Diva small is too big in the shoulders.

Any words of wisdom from some more experienced mermaids (or merdudes?) out there??

 

[Boogie711]

Mer - I hate to be the first one to chime in with something I know you'll hear a lot of, but seriously - have you tried on a backplate and wing?

I know I sound like one of the stereotypical "yeah, that's good, but have you tried a BP/Wing" zealot, but the beauty of the system is that it allows you to customize the harness to your exact body dimensions. It truly is "one size fits all."

 

[angelfish1]

Mermare, I am surprised you didnt like the Diva. I also had many great things about the Diva so i borrow one from a friend of mine and used it a couple weeks ago at West Palm beach and loved it. Now i'm not sure which model year you had but the newest one has an extra clip just above the beast area which may allow you to get the small size instead of extra small and adjust it for a better shoulder fit. Also there was a very nice woman on our boat this weekend with a new Womens BC by AquaLung the name started with an E but i cant remember it and she said it was great but only had it for a couple of dives so she didnt want to judge it to much just yet. I am also on the hunt for a good womens BC and need some advise from the more experienced ladies out there?

 

[ozarkjim]

Despite my urgings to go to a back-inflate BC my wife loves her Oceanic Isla. I can not stand the squeeze of the jacket style but she says she loves the way the BC snugs up when inflated a little. This is her 2nd jacket style and she likes it much better than her original Sherwood Luna.

 

[angelfish1]

What was it your wife didnt like about the Luna. I'm wondering because it is a little cheaper price wise and more in my budget but in the same hand i have to know its gonna get the job done when I need it.

 

[DS tank wipe]

Try a zeagle zena I know many women who have it and absolutely love it !

 

[The Kraken]

MerMare,
It's evident that your LDS sells SeaQuest.
My wife dives the SeaQuest "Libra" and is very satisfied with it. It is a nice, light, recreational back inflation B/C.
You may want to go back to the LDS and try one on . . .

the K

 

[Jaeger]

Mermare,

My fiance had the same issue with her Diva LX. It pulled back on her shoulders rather than down and the hard pack ended up hitting just above her kidneys rather than fitting snugly in the lumbar where it was designed. It was a very well made BC but seemed designed for a very short torso. Im guessing you have a longer torso and experience similar fit issues?

Here are a few that you might try that have gotten very positive reviews. I cannot comment as I am not a woman and my fiance and I are still searching but these are some choices I have found.

Zeagle Zena
http://www.zeagle.com/index.php?submenu=ZenaBC&src=gendocs&link=ZenaBC

Mares Ariel
http://www.mares.com/product.asp?cat=5&prod=tecno&menu=2

Scubapro Ladyhawk
http://www.scubapro.com/products/bcs/ladyhawk/ladyhawk.asp

Genisis Athena
http://www.genesisscuba.com/bcs_athena.html

Dacor Elite (sorry if posting a LP link is a faux pas but the dacor site is being reworked)
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Item.../Context_954/Sort_SKU/Filter_3=186/DCRET.html

Seaquest Libra
http://www.aqualung.com/products/libra.html

Hope this helps and good luck with the search!

 

[ozarkjim]

What was it your wife didnt like about the Luna. I'm wondering because it is a little cheaper price wise and more in my budget but in the same hand i have to know its gonna get the job done when I need it.

The biggest difference is that the integrated weight system is better with the Isla. The Luna was Velcro only and was hard to make the pouches secure where the Isla adds a clip and the Velcro is easier to "rub in" good.

 

[rje634]

My wife has the SeaQuest Eva and loves it, she has never had any discomfort wearing it in over 50 dives. Sounds like you have a simular build to her. In addition it was not as expensive as the Diva.