Guide to female fit BCDsUpdated 2 years ago
It is pretty common to see women diving with generic unisex BCDs designed around a male body shape, and you must wonder why? In the past, the choice of ladies specific BCDs was admittedly limited, and quite often, you had to like the colour pink, but today there is a mix of stylish BCDs from most manufacturers, some of which don't even have a hint of pink.
So why would you want to opt for a women's BCD? It comes down to a simple fit. Men and women are different shapes, and most BCDs were designed to fit men as scuba diving has a much higher percentage of male divers. Whilst there is no typical male or female body shape, some fundamental differences cause a standard BCD to fit poorly on women.
Height
Generally speaking, women have slightly shorter backs. This causes the problem that weight from the BCD, cylinder and integrated weight system can transfer incorrectly, leading to muscular discomfort down the spine.
A women's BCD usually has a shorter backplate that ensures not only better weight distribution but also positions and supports the cylinder correctly, helping to prevent it from slipping into your lower back.
Harness
The chest and hips are other areas of difference between men and women, but a unisex BCD will really only accommodate a male physique and still be comfortable. Whilst many chest straps can be adjusted up and down, the final positioning is still not great. Still, a women's BCD is designed so that the strap sits higher up or is done away with entirely in favour of comfortable elasticated panels on BCDs like the Zeagle Zena BCD.
The waist strap and cummerbund also suffer from the same positioning problem, inevitably pushing down or sitting over the top of a weight belt which adds a safety issue of not having sufficient access if the weight belt needs to be ditched. The problem goes away with a ladies specific BCD thanks to a shorter back and subsequently high strap and cummerbund.
Visual Comparison
The image below shows a 50/50 split between the Aqualung Pearl BCD and the Aqualung Pro HD BCD. It is immediately apparent how the ladies Pearl BCD raised the straps, pockets and weight system for a more comfortable fit; the backplate itself is shorter, but the bladder extends down further to act as a cushion between the cylinder and your back.
Choice!
Now more than ever, there is so much choice in Women's BCDs that there is no excuse to opt for a standard BCD and be uncomfortable. Most manufacturers have at least one ladies BCD in their range, if not more. Gone are the days when they were more expensive than the equivalent specification unisex BCD, so take the plunge and buy a women's BCD instead. You won't regret it. - Click here to browse all Women's BCDs!