Tarafied
New
I am looking for recommendations for a youth bc or one that comes in at least an xxs size for my 10 year old daughter I am wanting something with quick release weights other than that I am not very picky
Youth bcd
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If she's tall enough, a back plate and wing would be the most prudent investment. If she outgrows a bcd, she outgrows it and you buy a new one. If she outgrows her wing, you can replace it for much less.
If you're really wanting a bcd, look for a back inflate (as opposed to a jacket) bcd. Edge-hog.com has a nice travel bcd that I use with really small students, and it has a lot of room to grow.
If you're really wanting a bcd, look for a back inflate (as opposed to a jacket) bcd. Edge-hog.com has a nice travel bcd that I use with really small students, and it has a lot of room to grow.
I'll second the recommendation for a Backplate and Wing... and further add that a backplate is truly just a flat plate with slots cut in it. Which means that you can just cut one yourself. My kids (11 and 15) use BPWs that I built, and the plates are cut from $5 cutting boards. They make quick release weight pockets that can be put on the waist band if you wanted to go that route. My 15 y.o. is on his second harness due to teenage growth spurts, but nothing has "worn out" and the plate and wing will serve him roughly forever. Below is my 11 y.o. when he was 10.
Respectfully,
James
Respectfully,
James
davecampbell
Contributor
definitely look into a BP/W. we just set my 12 year old niece up in a dgx plate and wing. She's completing her OW checkout dives this weekend.
Will your daughter be diving for real? Or being introduced to scuba in a swimming pool, say?
When my daughters were about that age, I went to my local "Play It Again Sports" and purchased an old-school plastic backpack. Then I rented an Al 63 (because no Al 50 was available), and introduced them to scuba in my parents' backyard pool. No BC. And they didn't require additional weight. (No wetsuit.)
FWIW,
rx7diver
I will go against the grain. For a young kid, I would recommend a plain old non-weight integrated Scubapro Stabilizing Jacket BCD--provided you can get one small enough to fit him/her. The SSJ has a greater chance of floating the child face up, I think. If weight is needed, put it on a weight belt. This is the approach I was planning to use with for my own daughters.
rx7diver
rx7diver
Belzelbub
Contributor
When my daughters first started diving (both at 10). I looked into youth BCs as well. I quickly eliminated most youth BCs, mainly because I figured I’d have to get a new one very shortly.
As others have said, a BP/W does solve that problem, but for a young child, they may create a weighting problem. At that age, my daughters required little or no weight with a standard BC, so they likely would have been overweighted with the plate.
The one youth BC I had mostly settled on was a Zeagle Ranger Jr. No one stocked it, so I would have had to order one. In the end, I ended up getting a Zeagle Lazer (since discontinued) for my oldest, and a Zeagle Zena for my youngest. The Lazer is size S and the Zena is size XS. The main reason I was looking at the Zeagles is that with many Zeagle BCs, that have (PFS) Personal Fit Sizing, you can resize them. The Ranger Jr., Lazer, and Zena are all modular. As your daughter grows, you can just buy the part that she’s outgrown.
My daughters are now 12 and 16 and still using the same BCs. The oldest may be getting close to moving to a M shoulder section, but other than that, everything still fits. When I bought my own BC, Zeagle Stiletto, the shop swapped out one section for me for a better fit. M BC with L shoulder section.
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