Looking to get new BCD

[nomilk4u]

Hey all, I am looking into getting a new BCD because The Sherwood Avid I have now was purchased when I was 34 pounds heavier and needles to say, it is a bit big on me now and still in outstanging condition. I was looking at Back inflation rigs like the Zeagle Ranger LTD since it is completely customizable as far as bladder/lift size, tank numbers and all the other goodies you can "zip" onto it. let me know about this rig if any of you have any inputs, thanks.

P.S. I will be turning to Tech diving in the future so this is why I chose this rig.

[Papa Bear]

DiveRite is adjustable up or down by two sizes! Transpac is the best on the market for the money!

[scuba smurf]

I"ve tried about half a dozen different BC's over the years and the best by far was when I switched to a backplate and wing with no quick releases. I have some friends who've had the zeagles for a long time and swore by them. Funny thing is, they've all switched to backplate and wing now and don't regret the switch. There are some excellent ones out there, Halcyon, Agir, oxycheq. I'm sure there are others too. Hope this helps

smurf

[Papa Bear]

As I said "for the money" checkout Diverite" Transpac it is the only BCD I have used for 8 years in a row! No need to try others if it travels, works, adjusts, and adapts! Designed and made by Cave and tech divers for Cave and Tech Divers! What else do you need? A plate? It can do it! Doubles? It can do it! Side Mount?
It can do it!

[BamaCaveDiver]

I have to agree with with the old bear, you just cannot beat the Transpac for versatility. You can use it with a back plate to help stabalize doubles, and if you are looking at doubles and stages in your future then you are going to need that stabilization. With the Nomad package you will have one of the best off the shelf sidemount rigs on the market today; I have let a number of novices (no or limited experience diving a SM configuration) dive mine and they were amazed at how well it worked for them. One girl had not dove in over eight years and she trimmed ou like she had been diving the rig her entire life (she went on to do a 90 minute cave dive in it and her buddy was absolutely amazed at how stable she was during that dive.)

[Papa Bear]

Bama, You gatta stop agreeing with me so much! They will think were dating;) :eek: Peace, Brother!

[hbh2oguard]

for the money it does seem like a real good deal, under $300

[hbh2oguard]

So with the transpack, what bladder/wing would you get with it? Also is the weight pockets worth it, crotch strap??? I'd just be using it for singles now so is a backplate necessary?

[littleleemur]

I heard that a single tank with the BPW style has too much wiggle and therefore is uncomfortable. & that the travel wing in long and narrow causing it's own set of trim problems. Can anyone comment/add to this?

[acelockco]

If you are diving the transpac you don't need to use a back plate as well. It is designed to work with single cylinders out of the box. There are many single cylinder wings that would work great. I went with an OMS wing because they had the style/lift combo I was looking for. There are a few other manufacturers that make wings out there, and MOST of them work with the Transpac. Just make sure the wing has the slits built in to it to allow the straps to go through. A few of them ONLY have the mounting holes and not the slits.

[BillGraham]

The Transpac is infinitely flexible. I don't own one but I have a lot of friends who dive with them and it works for single tanks, doubles, and converts rather easily to a sidemount rig. If you're not sure what kind of diving you'll end up doing, it's a good choice.

[littleleemur]

Was looking at the Transpac & accessories for it on leisurepro and found this OMS IQ Backpack Harness at a similar price:

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CategoryID_964/Context_954/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/Filter_1%3d617/OMSIQ.html?Hit=1

Does anyone have any info/an opinion on this compared to the Transpac?

[Papa Bear]

I use the rec wing with mine and love it! I travel with it and like them all there is a bladder inside that keeps minor tears and pokes to the outside cover. I have close to a 1000 dives on mine and it is still going strong!

[acelockco]

Was looking at the Transpac & accessories for it on leisurepro and found this OMS IQ Backpack Harness at a similar price:

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CategoryID_964/Context_954/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/Filter_1%3d617/OMSIQ.html?Hit=1

Does anyone have any info/an opinion on this compared to the Transpac?


Looks almost identical. I have an OMS wing on my Trans Pack, and I love it. OMS products are top quality. I would say go with what ever one feels more comfortable on you. They will both do the same job though.

[hbh2oguard]

Does anyone dive a seaquest balance, or know much about them? I've never dove a back inflate nor integrated and couldn't pass the great price I got to try both. It was a CL steal at $45 (basically the same as renting) and there is nothing wrong with it. It doesn't even looked that used. It was a DM's and the shop he worked for only allowed him to use gear they sold so I got a good deal.:)

[littleleemur]

Make sure to fully check it out before diving! Buddy of mine thought he got a great deal at a scuba swap. Turns out the inflator attachment threads were previously damaged due to being cross-threaded. The place where he brought it to be checked out didn't catch that & it lasted for 1.5yr. Luckily whenit failed, it failed on a routine easy dive. We bailed him out no prob. But scary anyways.

[hbh2oguard]

I am going to plus my first dive on it will be in a pool. Thanks:)