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My son and I are in the process of getting certified.  I am looking to purchase a new BCD for him on his birthday. Any suggestions on what to buy and what not to buy.  I mean in BCD's. ex. I am looking at a Zeagle Escape BC. or the ATLAS BCD, reason's why these vest is price. We only plan to dive 30 to 50 ft. max in both water warm and cold (no ice diving). Thanks for any advice you may provide. John

My son and I are in the process of getting certified.  I am looking to purchase a new BCD for him on his birthday. Any suggestions on what to buy and what not to buy.  I mean in BCD's. ex. I am looking at a Zeagle Escape BC. or the ATLAS BCD, reason's why these vest is price. We only plan to dive 30 to 50 ft. max in both water warm and cold (no ice diving). Thanks for any advice you may provide. First, forget about 30 to 50 feet max.  There's no way you'll stay that shallow if you dive enough to make it worth your while to buy your own BCD. Second, how old is your son and how fast is he growing.  BCDs are not cheap and it's a shame to buy one that he'll quickly outgrow. Many of us here have given up on jacket _style_ BCDs in favor of a _meta_l plate with a harness and a wing for buoyancy control.  This configuration is more streamlined, more versatile and holds the tank more securely than any of the jacket _style_ BCDs I'm aware of.  Depending on whether it's made of stainless or aluminum, it can also move weight off the belt and to the center of buoyancy, making good trim and buoyancy control easier to achieve.  Two of the better known manufacturers of plate and wing systems are Halcyon and Dive Rite.  You might want to take a look at them before you decide on something else. If you must buy a jacket _style_ bcd, look for a name you recognize.  I've never heard of Atlas.  Zeagle, on the other hand, is a known name in the industry, as are Scuba Pro, SeaQuest, US Divers and a lot of others. Lee

Many of us here have given up on jacket _style_ BCDs in favor of a _meta_l plate with a harness and a wing for buoyancy control.  This configuration is more streamlined, more versatile and holds the tank more securely than any of the jacket _style_ BCDs I'm aware of.  ... .. I agree emphatically with Lee on this. Please at least investigate and learn more about the Backplate and Wing setup that Lee describes.  Whatever you decide, you will almost certainly learn something that will be worth the effort. You can start at www.diveriteexpress.com/bcs. Look at the Basic harness; the cross-chest strap on the Delux harness is unnecessary and can be trouble prone. For most purposes, the Travel Wing or Venture Wing will probably be the best choice for your first wing. Other manufacturers make similar plates and wings.  Right now I think that DiveRite is the best combination of price and quality. Welcome to SCUBA diving.   You and your son have many wonderfull experineces ahead!

jj < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :My son and I are in the process of getting certified.  I am looking to urchase a new BCD for him on his birthday. Any suggestions on what to buy :and what not to buy.  I mean in BCD's. ex. I am looking at a Zeagle Escape :BC. or the ATLAS BCD, reason's why these vest is price. We only plan to dive :30 to 50 ft. max in both water warm and cold (no ice diving). Thanks for any :advice you may provide. :John There's lotsa choices out there.  I am currently a back inflate _style_. It's something like the backplate and wings Lee and Charlie mentioned, but, without the _meta_l.  I like it probably as much as they like their's.   Features that I find nice are: 1.  A small zippered pocket in the cumberbund. 2.  Weight pockets, means you might not need a weightbelt. 3.  Quick disconnects for easier doffing and donning. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

First, forget about 30 to 50 feet max.  There's no way you'll stay that shallow if you dive enough to make it worth your while to buy your own BCD. Second, how old is your son and how fast is he growing.  BCDs are not cheap and it's a shame to buy one that he'll quickly outgrow. Many of us here have given up on jacket _style_ BCDs in favor of a _meta_l plate with a harness and a wing for buoyancy control.  This configuration is more streamlined, more versatile and holds the tank more securely than any of the jacket _style_ BCDs I'm aware of.  Depending on whether it's made of stainless or aluminum, it can also move weight off the belt and to the center of buoyancy, making good trim and buoyancy control easier to achieve.  Two of the better known manufacturers of plate and wing systems are Halcyon and Dive Rite.  You might want to take a look at them before you decide on something else. If you must buy a jacket _style_ bcd, look for a name you recognize.  I've never heard of Atlas.  Zeagle, on the other hand, is a known name in the industry, as are Scuba Pro, SeaQuest, US Divers and a lot of others. Lee I'll 3rd that vote. I have a Scuba Pro Back inflate and love it. I also dry dive with the Halcyon BP/W. Love that to. Back inflates and BP/W are both much better (comfort and fit wise) than the jacket _style_ BC. The advantage of the backplate is that it will fit with anything you wear and there is no chest squeeze. But be aware that many instructors put you in a jacket and then convince you that it's your safest option. At least that has been my experience personally as well as from reading forums. Try them out yourself and don't be influenced by any instructor who tries to convince you that anything but a jacket will push your face into the water at the surface. They are just repeating stuff they've heard. Also agree with the comment about buying a know brand even if that means spending a little more. In the end you will be glad. Irene

new BCD for him on his birthday. Any suggestions on what to buy and what not to buy.  I mean in BCD's. ex. I am looking at a Zeagle Escape BC. or the ATLAS BCD, reason's why these vest is price. We only plan to dive 30 to 50 ft. max in both water warm and cold (no ice diving). Thanks for any advice you may provide. John I have the Zeagle Escape and now use it instead of my backplate/wing and am quite pleased with it.  I've used it for travel and for local diving Southern Calif. Once you know the right size you can buy one discounted at LeisurePro.com. Adam