BC for Woman Beginner Diver

[jlee]

I started diving in April and have up to rescue. I am now looking at buying a BC and really don't know where to start. I am a 5'2" 110 lbs female and will most likely be doing rec diving. I have tried on the Zeagle Zena, Seaquest Libra, Aqualung Pearl, and Mares Kaila. I don't know what the brands reputations are and what I should be looking for in a BC. I do know that I want the BC to fit well but not be overly snug and that I want it to be weight intergrated. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Diver Kat]

Originally Posted by jlee

I started diving in April and have up to rescue. I am now looking at buying a BC and really don't know where to start. I am a 5'2" 110 lbs female and will most likely be doing rec diving. I have tried on the Zeagle Zena, Seaquest Libra, Aqualung Pearl, and Mares Kaila. I don't know what the brands reputations are and what I should be looking for in a BC. I do know that I want the BC to fit well but not be overly snug and that I want it to be weight integrated. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

You'll find fans of every brand here ... I'm a Zeagle Zena believer myself ... best thing is to try on as many as you can find and see what you like, in fit and function.

I happen to like the Zena for the comfort & ease of the zippered front - no Velcro or cummerbund to mess with, and the availability to mix sizes of the vest, back & shoulders for my body type. The integrated weight system is an easy one to use as well. Zeagle also has an excellent reputation for quality, and we've had super customer service the few times we needed something taken care of.

Happy shopping!! Hope you find a BC that's just perfect for you!

[Lulubelle]

Originally Posted by Diver Kat

You'll find fans of every brand here ... I'm a Zeagle Zena believer myself ... best thing is to try on as many as you can find and see what you like, in fit and function.

I happen to like the Zena for the comfort & ease of the zippered front - no Velcro or cummerbund to mess with, and the availability to mix sizes of the vest, back & shoulders for my body type. The integrated weight system is an easy one to use as well. Zeagle also has an excellent reputation for quality, and we've had super customer service the few times we needed something taken care of.

Happy shopping!! Hope you find a BC that's just perfect for you!

I tried on every BC on the planet and was sure that I would end up in a ladies because I have a very girly shape. I'm a tall girl and the ladies BCs were just too short. I ended up in a man's, the Zeagle Stiletto. Hasn't been in the water yet. I loved being able to select customizeable parts which you can do on all of the Zeagles. The Stiletto is a pretty trim design and rugged fabric which I like. ST was great to work with, I think they shipped me 3 BCs and 1 more should piece before I landed on the one that worked. Seems like a lot of gals really like the Zena, for me it wasn't comfortable because I am a bit chesty.

TRY TRY TRY on, and bring a friend along when you think you have found some good options. My dive buddy helped me make my final pick.

L

[zoey]

For what it's worth, I rented a Zeagle Lazer for my wife and, aside from the small pockets placed back a bit, she really liked it. I think she will end up buying one.

I looked the Lazer over and am impressed with the build quality.

[CFDAlden]

My wife tried a Seaquest Libra, Diva LX, and a mens Pro QD. She ended up choosing the Diva, as she preferred the jacket style fit and comfort.

It's all about the fit and comfort.

[Zenagirl]

The next decision you need to make IMO is whether you want back inflate, jacket style, or hybrid. There's quite a difference in how these BCs perform in the water, and many people have strong feelings about what they prefer. Once you've narrowed that down, then you need to start considering features like pockets, D rings, etc. As far as brands, all the ones you've tried so far are good products.

I chose to go with Zeagle initially because of the modular design and the ability to custom fit it to me. Some of us are okay with "out of the box" fit, but many of us need to mix and match for the perfect fit. At the time, there was only one choice from Zeagle for a "female" BC, which was the Zena. The fact the Zena is a minimalist design really attracted me, and the lack of cumberbun sealed the deal. For me, every BC with a cumberbun rides up and shifts on my body, thus making it extremely uncomfortable. The corset design and custom fit of the Zena means I adjust it once at the start of my dive, then never touch it again until I'm ready to take it off.

Since then, Zeagle has come out with other choices for women and even after having Scott(Zeagle) fit me into a LaZer, I realized that although it was an extremely comfortable BC, the cumberbun was the deal breaker and I'm sticking with my Zena.

You also mentioned brand. Personally, I'm very biased toward Zeagle since buying my first regulator, and now will only buy Zeagle regulators and BCs. Heck, I've even switched my husband from Aqualung/SeaQuest to Zeagle BCs and regs, and he's never been happier. Besides calling Scott(Zeagle) a friend, I'm pleased that they are a US based company, they service and build BCs in Florida, when you call on the phone you talk with a person who knows their products IN Florida, they listen to their consumers about what we want (ie pocket and lumbar pad for the Zena), and there's nothing better than being able to ask a question and having someone very high up in the company (Scott) answer you on a forum like this (or via PM). Their customer service is incomparable IMO, and where else can you order a BC with custom colors?

Now all that said, what is right for me (or anyone else) isn't necessarily right for you. You really need to figure out what you want, try your different choices on (in the water if you can), and make your own decision for YOU.

The best BC is the one that meets YOUR needs and fits YOU best.

[lucidblue]

I've had the Zeagle Brigade since right after I got certified. The fit is perfect and it was cheaper than the "women's" Zena and Lazer styles. It's also compact and easy to pack. I'm 5'4" and 120 lbs, so we probably have similar sizing. I gave ST my measurements and they put together a custom fit.

[cowgirldiver]

I have the Pearl-I love the fit and when I'm waiting for the boat to come after a dive, I feel like I have my own personal raft because of the back inflation. I have had some problems with the i3 system-air getting trapped and shooting to the surface. I went back to the dive shop and had them put the regular inflator hose on. This works much better. Also, when I was having problems, the divemaster didn't understand how the i3 worked which only made things worse. I still use the lever for inflating the BC but use the hose for deflation. It is somewhat bulky which makes packing it a bit of a challenge. It's a real love/hate relationship!!

[imasinker]

You say in your post your likely to do rec diving. I know a few lady divers that use the Zeagle Zena and love it. You have the dumpable rear trim weight pockets, and of course intigrated weight pockets at the front. Looks like a tuff n nuff BC to me. Easy to Donn and Doff and It is light weight so travelling will be a peach. You can't go wrong with Zeagle, my first BC was a Zeagle.

[TRACI]

I have a Zeagle Escape and love it. One of my friends bought a Zena, and really likes it. She did her first ocean dives in Coz last week and said it was great. I agree you can not go wrong with Zeagle.