Buying Your BCD
Your BCD is one of the most important parts of your scuba diving equipment. BCD stands for buoyancy compensation device or it may be called a BC for buoyancy compensator. Your BCD allows you to control how buoyant you
are while in the water. You can let air in or out of your BCD as needed for buoyancy control. Keeping in mind a few tips when buying your scuba BCD will help you find the one that will work best for you.
If you are primarily a recreational diver, a jacket or vest BCD will work best for you. In these types of BCD’s, the air bladder goes around the diver from the back to the front of the vest. This style of BCD will allow you to float comfortably on the surface of the water in a vertical position. A back-mounted BCD has air bladders on the back of the device, which gives the diver an increased freedom of movement. This BCD is most often chosen by divers who spearfish and need to move quickly and freely. This BCD is not recommended for new or inexperienced divers, as these BCD’s tend to force divers face down on the water’s surface because the weight is on the back of the BCD. In an emergency, face-up on the surface is where you want to be, so these BCD’s require a cool-headed experienced diver.
Keeping in mind these few tips when buying your scuba BCD, will help you pick the one that will work best for you style of diving. Always perform regular inspections of all of your scuba equipment to ensure safety.
