7 Best BCDs For Beginners In 2023

How To Choose A Beginner BCD – Buying Guide

Type

There are three or maybe four types or styles of BCD. The most common is the jacket style. This is often called a vest style as well. It looks like a vest that you close in the front and the air bladders wrapping around you. You will feel the changes in the size of the air bladders as they fill with the air around your waist and rib cage. When floating at the surface, these are easy to lay back on and rest.

The back inflate BCD has air bladders that wrap around the backplate and tank. This design allows more freedom of movement around the arms and chest. It also disperses the buoyancy more evenly while moving horizontally in the water. However, some divers have trouble adapting to this style on the surface as they will push you a little face forward.

You will also hear of a Wing and Plate (W/P) design. These are similar to the back inflate and many consider them a part of that design. The major difference is the W/P’s air bladders can be changed. This is a major factor for technical diving.

A more recent style is known as the hybrid. A hybrid has most of the air bladder volume as a back inflate, with some inflation around you. This gives you the benefits of both styles.

Fit

It is also important the top-rated beginner BCD you choose fits your body well. BCD’s come in many sizes so finding the right fit will not be difficult. Also, most BCDs have straps that adjust to fine-tune the fitting. If a BCD is too small it may hinder your movement in the arms and even hamper your breathing. A BCD that is too large will not stay in place.

Weight

The most important thing to remember about the concern of how much your BCD weighs is that it only matters when the BCD is out of the water. In the water, the amount of air in the bladder will determine if your BCD has any weight. The weight of a BCD comes into play mostly for travel. Most BCDs will weigh under 10 pounds, but you may find an ultra-lightweight design that weighs only 5 pounds.

Valves

Valves are a part of the system to control your buoyancy in the water. The best beginner BCD would have 2-3 valves, which would allow you to dump or release air from the device as needed. All BCD has a dump valve attached to the inflator hose. This is the one used mostly during ascent and descent. A lower rear dump valve is used when horizontal and a head-down descent.

Lift

The lift of a BCD  will tell you how much negative buoyancy you can undergo. If at the end of the dive, you and all of your equipment are 5 pounds negative buoyant, then your BCD must provide at least 5 pounds of lift to keep you floating.

All BCD will provide enough lift to keep a diver safe if they are not adding additional equipment or are very much overweight.

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Features

Extra features, like pockets, are always nice to have on a BCD because it allows you to carry smaller gear items and keep them close by for safety. The best BCD for beginners will feature multiple pockets and D-rings, which you can use to store and organize your extra scuba equipment.

FAQs

Globo Surf Overview

For scuba divers, nothing beats the experience of seeing a whole new world under the waves. But you can’t have a good dive without the proper beginner scuba gear. For those who are just testing out the water, the best BCD for beginners should be durable, reliable, and functional to ensure your safety during the dive. We hope that our guide has given you all the information you need to find quality scuba equipment and the best beginner BCD.

More Scuba Reviews:

• Dive Camera
• Dive Light
• Dive Watches Under 200
• Womens Wetsuits
• Pole Spear
• Scuba Tank
• Rebreather
• Dry Suit
• Dive Bags
• Dive Compass

Source

1. Buoyancy Compensator – org