Which bcd?

[gunner]

having bought my regs - Scubapro MK25AF/S600 & R295 octopus i now need to be thinking about a bcd

i want a good quality one that I can hopefully take abroad (so not to heavy) so what do you recommend?

[endoman]

A little chef tray and a reinforced bin bag with a tube from a home brew kit should do the job perfectly :-)

[EllieCee]

Knowing what I know now, I'd go straight for a wing/harness/backplate ( or LittleChef tray! ) setup like the Frog Indigo, OMS 32lb, or Halcyon Eclipse etc, assuming your diving a single cylinder.

It seems thats where most peeps end up at.

Ellie

[endoman]

I flogged my BCD to secondopsman and now have a backplate and Frog Indigo. It suits me very well. I will take it to Sharm as between 4 of us we have plenty baggage allowance.

I did like the Seac Sub pro 200 bcd when I had it, it worked well.

[incapete]

Just get whatever's available cheaply second hand - they all weigh about the same, do the same job etc and you'll only want to upgrade in a couple of years.

[Druid]

Knowing what I know now, I'd go straight for a wing/harness/backplate ( or LittleChef tray! ) setup like the Frog Indigo, OMS 32lb, or Halcyon Eclipse etc, assuming your diving a single cylinder.

It seems thats where most peeps end up at.

Ellie

No, it's just where most people who post on diving forums end up.

Most people have a normal bcd and are quite happy with it. Decide what features you want (integrated weights, d-rings, trim pockets) and buy one that suits. ime there's not much to choose between the well known brands. More features usually means more weight, so you may have to make some trade offs. If you will only be diving abroad you don't need loads of lift, so pick a lightweight one. If you are diving in the UK as well you'll probably need something with more lift (and more weight). I used a Seaquest ProQD for years and was quite happy with it. I sold it on when I bought a backplate and wing and it's still in use today.

If you do decide on a bpw then you need an alloy backplate to keep the weight down for trips abroad, which rules out the Frog. Remember that you can mix and match wings, backplates and harnesses to get exactly what you want - I have an OMS alloy plate with an Apeks WTX3 wing and a home made harness for single cylinder use.

[Troll]

The first BCD was Tusa Platina evolution ... it was compleet rubish .
Used to dive in Oceanic Excurtion BCD , very confortable and I liked it very much . It didn"t have any pockets if you need them ...
Now I use Halcyon Eclipse for a single tank and the same harnes for double tanks but swich the blader to OMS Larry Green .
Buy the BCD with the back plate , so you will have the universal set for Your further diving needs evolution , it will be the same , only to swich the blader for bigger one with the doubles
Halcyon ggoes with the single cord system (hogartian ) so it's little unconfortable to get in and out in the beginning , but it's only for a while .
If you are sensibile for comfort , buy OMS , little more buckles , softer padding on back plate
If your traveling much , and need as lightweight choose alu backplate .
Sorry for bad engilsh ...

[EllieCee]

No, it's just where most people who post on diving forums end up.

Indeed! But the OP is posting on a diving forum, so using your logic, surely they'll end up there anyway!

Ellie

[Morag]

Indeed! But the OP is posting on a diving forum, so using your logic, surely they'll end up there anyway!

Ellie

Not necessarily - only if they are daft enough to keep reading, keep posting, and allow themselves to be brainwashed into the ways of YD diving.

there are thousands and thousands of divers who are perfectly happy diving with a BCD, and the OP has asked for advice as to which he should get.

FWIW, I would suggest going and trying a whole stack and decide which one is most comfortable for you - both wearing it, and paying for it.

A lot of people will swear by the buddy commando. Others will hate it. You will get as many people suggesting BCD A, B, or C as you will bet sending unsuspecting divers down the BP/Harness/Wing route.

[Ahoy]

I tinkered with bcds for a couple of years and ended up with a Dive Rite Traspac II harness with a Venture wing for all my diving. Would pop a recwng on it should I ever venture into twins again but that's most unlikely.

It's ideal for travel as it's light, has no metal plates and is very comfortable. My mate has the Apeks WTX harness with a recwing and likes it too - not much between them IMO.
HTH,
S.