For many divers, after investing in a mask, fins, snorkel, and exposure protection, a buoyancy control device (BCD) is the next piece of SCUBA gear they purchase. With so many options on the market, it can be a tough decision. Use this handy, easy-to-understand BCD buyers’ guide to decide based on your needs.
As with most SCUBA gear, the most expensive isn’t necessarily the best for your body and the diving you plan to participate in, so take a few minutes to educate yourself on buying the right buoyancy control device before spending money on the wrong item.
Style
Buoyancy control devices come in three main styles: jacket, backplate with wing, or sidemount.
- Jacket: Like a department store vest, the BCD wraps around your body and secures the tank against your back. The straps, tank holder, and air bladder are all built into the single unit with minimal (or in many cases nonexistent) customization.
- Backplate with Wing: Allowing far more customization at the expense of “comfort features”, a backplate and wing is built from a wing (the air bladder that controls your buoyancy), a backplate that the wing and tank attach to (made from aluminum or stainless steel) and straps that hold the unit against your body.
- Sidemount: A sidemount configuration is an extreme variation of a backplate with wing where your tank (or tanks) are positioned along the sides of your body instead of on your back. Originating in cave exploration, it is quickly becoming popular at all levels of diving.
The most common option is a jacket style due to the available comfort features (more below). Sizing is straightforward to determine (similar to t-shirt sizing), which most divers are trained to use.
A backplate with a wing would be ideal if you plan to move into technical diving. Still, this setup is also growing in popularity with recreational divers due to its simplicity, durability, and ease of customization/maintenance.
If you think you may move into cave or wreck diving or have back problems, side-mount may be the best option. Sidemount is also growing in popularity among traveling technical divers because it’s easier to mount two single tanks than to find pre-configured double tank setups.
Gender
In recent years, equipment manufacturers have moved away from a one-size-fits-all mentality and have started to realize men and women have different body shapes. Since women survived for many years using unisex BCDs, some women may not feel the need to look for a woman-specific BCD.
Typically, a female BCD has three (and a half) differences from its male/unisex counterparts:
- Chest strap removal/redesign: Most BCDs have a chest strap to prevent the shoulder straps from digging into your armpits, but traditional designs and placements aren’t always the most comfortable for women.
- Length: Women tend to have shorter torsos than men, so a shorter BCD is less likely to rub on hips or cover weight belts.
- Shoulder strap width: Women tend to have narrower shoulders than men, so moving the straps closer together is more comfortable on a woman’s BCD.
The half-difference is color selection. Some see this simply as marketing (and some would go so far as to call it pandering), but female BCDs tend to come in more “womanly” colors.
If you are a woman, we recommend at least considering a female-specific BCD due to well-thought-out comfort changes.
