Women's BCDs
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| LOUISE ATKINSON PADI Assistant instructor 7 years diving experience | LYNSEY WEST PADI AOW 2 years diving experience | PAT HOPE PADI Instructor 15 years diving experience |
RACHEL HARRIS PADI Rescue Diver 5 years diving experience |
HILARY WRIGHT PADI Open Water Diver 1 years diving experience |
Oceanic Hera (SRP: £345)
o Weight: 4.8kg including knife and retractor
o Features: Integrated weights, two pockets, shoulder and rear dump valves, six D-rings, fittings for optional knife (£21.60) and retractor (£13.65).
Pat: This a very comfortable BC with loads of lift so it holds you really high in the water. It’s very well padded in all the right places for a woman. The chest strap is adjustable, which I like.
Lynsey: This is not the one for me, it could do with a bit more padding on the shoulder straps. It’s also a bit tricky getting the weights in. The knife holder fell off while I was using it.
Rachel: It seemed to sit a bit high on me, and the power inflator did not sit well in my hand. It’s a good BCD, just not the one I’d buy. The retractor stopped retracting before it got wet.
Louise: The weight system works really well on the Oceanic, and the BC holds your face high out of the water on the surface and the in-water position is good as well. The air in it behaves a bit like a cross between a wing and a BC, which works well.
Hilary: I like the integral weights on this one, the system works very well. It’s a comfortable BCD, but it seemed quite heavy compared to one or two of the others.
Seac Sub Pro Lady (SRP: £325)
o Weight: 3.58kg
o Features: Integrated weights, two pockets plus a small pocket on the cummerbund, shoulder and rear dump valves, five D-rings, whistle, elasticated octopus holder.
Pat: This seems a bit bulky around the waist due to the cumbersome weight system, although it has not got as much lift as some of the BCs on test. Not the most comfortable one for me, but it’s a pretty good all-rounder.
Lynsey: I prefer this one to the P2K, the weight system came out easily, but was a little bit tricky to get back in, in the water.
Rachel: This one is alright. I like the weight system but the shoulder straps seemed a bit wide and it didn’t hold me as high out the water as some on the test.
Louise: The whole thing felt a bit bulky on me and it could have done with a bit more padding on the backplate.
Hilary: This is fairly comfortable, not the best but not the worst either. I liked the weight system, which worked well enough.
Seac Sub P2K (SRP: £299)
o Weight: 3.70kg
o Features: Integrated weights, shoulder and rear dumps, four D-rings, two pockets plus one small zippered pouch on the cummerbund.
Pat: This is quite comfortable, although the chest strap is too low. It holds you in a nice position in the water and pretty well on the surface, not bad at all. The pockets aren’t overly generous, and I’m not a fan of the weight system.
Lynsey: The shoulder straps were too wide for me and the weights were awkward to get back in, although they came out easily enough. Not the one for me.
Rachel: This held me high on the surface and well in the water, and it fitted me pretty well. One of the best on test as far as I’m concerned.
Louise: While it’s not quite the one for me, it’s still a nice BCD. It’s got good lift and it performs in the water as well – if it fits your body shape, you’ll like this one. I like the way you can make lots of adjustments to make it fit.
Hilary: Not the best fit for me, the shoulder straps did not seem quite right. The weight system works and is pretty good on this jacket.
Tusa Selene (SRP: £298) BEST BUY
o Weight: 3.72kg
o Features: Integral weights, two large pockets and two small pockets, shoulder and rear dump valves, three D-rings, whistle, removable chest strap and rear trim weight pockets.
Pat: This has an excellent weight system and it holds you very well on the surface and in the water. Good roomy pockets. It’s a well-made BCD that is worth a look.
Lynsey: This is a comfortable BCD that works well, nice in the water and good on the surface. The weight system is good, the clips are nice and bright, and easy to find.
Rachel: One of the better ones here, not my favourite weight system but it works well enough. Both the power inflator and pull dumps work very well.
Louise: This is my favourite in the test. It’s really comfortable, it doesn’t restrict my chest, it’s got loads of lift and I like the weight system. It felt stable in the water and you can adjust the width across your shoulders. I’d buy one.
Hilary: This is good in the water and on the surface, with the best weight release system here. It’s not my favourite but it’s not far off. I like this one. The chest strap was comfy, but I liked the way you could take it off altogether if you wanted to.
Mares Kaila (SRP: £329.95) SPORT DIVER CHOICE
o Weight: 4.6kg
o Features: Integrated weights, two pockets plus a small pocket on the cummerbund, shoulder and rear dump valves, five D-rings, whistle, elasticated octopus holder.
Pat: This is very comfortable, it’s got a very good weight system, good pockets and it fits well. It performs in the water and it’s got lots of lift in the right place. The air cell is separate from the harness, so inflates away from your body. One of the better ones in the test.
Lynsey: This is my favourite, it’s comfortable and the weight system is excellent to use. I do like the long padded spine protection. You can get a whole Mares set colour-matched – reg, fins, BCD and reg bag (and it’s got a metal mirror in it).
Rachel: This was like sitting in an armchair on the surface, it’s well padded in all the right places, the power inflator works well and it performs in the water. The best in the test as far as I’m concerned.
Louise: I like the weight system although when the jacket was fully inflated the weight pockets seemed to dig in a bit. The jacket is well padded in all the right places, particularly the spine pad.
Hilary: This is the one I’d buy (note to husband; or ask for as a Christmas present). It’s well padded and holds you just where you want to be on the surface and in the water. It’s well made and good quality – the best one here for me.
Scubapro Ladyhawk (SRP: £395)
o Weight: 3.26kg
o Features: Integral weights, fold-out pocket, shoulder and rear dump valves, four D-rings, whistle and rear trim weight pockets.
Pat: I liked this so much last year, I bought one. I like the wings style, it’s got loads of lift on the surface and holds you well underwater. It’s still the best of the bunch as far I’m concerned. I’d like to see the new Scubapro one, which is a jacket style, when it’s available.
Lynsey: I like this one, it’s quite light compared to the others but it does the job very well, and the weight system is very good. The whole BC seems to mold to your body.
Rachel: I like the padded neck but the shoulder straps could do with a bit more padding. This is a nice BC, you know what you are getting with Scubapro.
Louise: I prefer jacket-style BCDs to wings, but a wing means your chest is totally unrestricted, which makes this really comfortable. The roll-out pocket is a neat idea. This is a pricey BC, but you do get your money’s worth.
Hilary: This has not got the best padding, but what it has got is in the right places – it’s the first time I’ve used this style of power inflator and I quite like it. The swivels on the shoulder straps keep the straps where you want them. Quite a nice BCD.
