B.C.D.
| Standard stabiliser jackets or buoyancy compensating devices (Stabi or BCDs) provide buoyancy around the back, under the arms and over the shoulders and are by far the most common type used. When used in a rescue situation they bring you to the surface face up. A BCD for diving in the UK needs to have the extra lift for the extra weight needed in UK diving. The BCD shown here is the Buddy Commando and it has a lifetime guarentee and I have heard of 20 year old commandos getting fully serviced for free. | |
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Weight-Integrated BCDs The weights are put in a pouch and slide in a pocket of the BCD and are attached directly to the BCD by velcrow. Its very important not to put to much weight in the weight pockets as loosing weight when diving can be a life threatening problem. |
| Unisex standard BCDs Suitable for recrational diving. These BCDs are only suitable for warm water diving in a wetsuit as they do not have enough lift to support the extra weight associated with cold water diving. | |
| Wings are generally used with twin-sets, to remove clutter, give extra lift and comfort underwater. They have a tendency to force you face-forward at the surface, which can obviously be dangerous so proper training is needed when changing to wings. Wings provide buoyancy at the back of the diver and are attached by a harness. You can get up to 60kg lift which means you could carry a 15-litre twin-set on your back and 2 x 12-litre stage cylinders. Dive Rite Classic Wing is designed specifically for use with double cylinders. They provide up to 59 pounds/27 kg of lift. They are designed for use with medium- to heavyweight doubles. When positioning weight you can use a steel plate and a v-weight so that the weight is in the right place and cannot fall off. | |
| The AIR 2 is is a demand valve and BCD inflater in one, fixed at the end of the corrugated hose of any BCD and is fed by interstage pressure from the first stage with a quick release coupling. With the AIR 2 always close at hand its a good safety feature. These have been used for over twenty years now and are proven technology. | |
Summary
If it dosen't fit you comfortably and properly, your BCD will not perform properly. The lift capacity is very important and two tank bands are a good safety point. D rings are required for hanging all the kit required in diveing. Many BCD's offer integrated systems which allow the diver to use a weight system to store weights as part of the BCD which includes the ability to be able to ditch the weights in an emergency. The BCD is used to float the diver and equipment on the surface and allows for adjusting neutral buoyancy at depth. Cold water diving calls for the use of drysuits and extra weight, both of which require more lead to offset the extra buoyancy. In contrast, warm water diving requires that a BCD have little more than tank bands and a place to hang your hoses and enough lift to float the diver with minimal weight. BCDs offer a variety of shoulder and waist adjustments to help you custom fit the BCD to your body. Quick releases on the shoulders, chest and the waist make for easy removal.
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