Women's BCD

[kelp maiden]

I have a Diva and wish I had bought the Zena. That said, I like my Diva enough to keep it and not change since there's really no reason to get the Zena yet.

I agree with the above recommendations to buy what is comfortable, whether it be made for a man or a woman. Comfort is the most important thing, not brand or what everyone else is wearing.

I am interested in why you wish you had gone with the Zena (versus the Diva). I am contemplating the Diva so would like to hear your view. Is your Diva the LX or QD?

 

[boxcar]

My wife got a Zena this year and swears by it...the fit and relative comfort have changed her from an occasional diver to a fequent one...

 

[SangP]

Hi,

This is just a suggestion but here is a link for some women's bc review:
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/buoyancy_compensators/best_bcs_for_women/

That or you could try the BP/W combo that I was thinking of getting for my girl.

Cheers,
SangP

 

[Lexy]

I dive the Zeagle Stiletto and am tall like you.... I can't say enough great things about it. Very comfortable. Had a little "ride up around my waist" issue, which was easily solved with crotch straps.

 

[joelknapp]

Here is a beginner question:

I did a search of the board and it seems that the most popular women's BCD is Zeagle Zena.... but I'm wondering whether it's worth it to get a woman-specific model or not. I'm tall (180 cms) but my shoulders aren't very broad. I know lots of women dive in men's BCDs (not sure about vice versa... haha) and it's personal preference but I'd like some imput.

Any women (or men who know about this???) who can suggest the best model? If you use a women's model, why is it better?

i think you should tell your dive company to get of there butts and get working on that idea

 

[TrainerAW]

I own an Oceanic Isla and love it. After a couple of years of diving in men's rentals I love the fit of the Isla. Follow the advice already given and try several different models to see what's most comfortable for you.

 

[Mandy3206]

Maybe you would like to try the soft packs, like the Dive Rite Transpack II or OMS IQ Pack. That way you'll have the firmness of a harness BCD, the advantage of a back inflated BCD and avoid the issues with the Backplates like weight, ect.

I would recomend the BP/Wing setup, but some ladies like my girlfriend don't like the aditional weight it may provide and prefer the weight belt as separate piece of gear, other than that, I can't see why not a BP/W setup.

Good luck in your search and the most important feature of any BCD is confort.

 

[DiveMaven]

I am interested in why you wish you had gone with the Zena (versus the Diva). I am contemplating the Diva so would like to hear your view. Is your Diva the LX or QD?

:05:
Actually, my Diva is the original one....no LX or QD, just Diva (it's about 10 years old). The reason I'm thinking of a change is because I'm wanting to move to a lighter, simpler BC. The things I like about my original Diva is that it is made for a woman, it's fairly light (especially compared to the LX or QD), it isn't laden with doo dads, and I don't mind that it's not weight integrated. However, it has the typical bulk that a jacket BC has, and I'm a minimalist when it comes to diving. And as minimal as the Zena is, it is weight integrated, which isn't a necessity for me, but I wouldn't mind.

My dilemma about switching is that I can't find a Zena locally, so I'm talking with Larry at ScubaToys about sending me one to try on for size and fit. My biggest fear is that I'll love the Zena then have to hassle with selling my Diva. :05:

 

[chrisc]

My wife used Dacor for a couple years until she tried a TransPac 2, now she won't dive with anything else....

 

[Mandy3206]

:05:
My biggest fear is that I'll love the Zena then have to hassle with selling my Diva. :05:

I still got my old jacket style BCD, I never know when it may come in handy, and get in the water again for what ever reason.
Just make sure is clean, lubed and inflated when you store it.