BCDs

A scuba diving BCD (buoyancy control device, also called a buoyancy compensator) holds your tank on your back and lets you add or dump air, so you can hover, descend or float at the surface. This range covers jacket and rear-inflation (back-inflate) BCDs in mens, womens, unisex and youth fits, from Aqua Lung, Cressi, Oceanic, Apeks, Mares, Seac, Ocean Pro and Zeagle.

Jacket vs Rear-Inflation BCDs

A jacket BCD wraps the air cell around your sides and back, kind of like a vest. It holds you upright at the surface, which is why most people learn in one. A rear-inflation BCD (also called a back-inflate BCD) keeps the air cell behind you, between your back and the tank. It's slimmer through the chest and tends to give you a flatter trim in the water, but it can tip you forward at the surface if you over-inflate it. Neither one is better across the board. Fit, weighting and where you dive matter just as much.

• Jacket BCDs: a familiar feel and a stable surface position, so a great start for new or occasional divers.
• Rear-inflation (back-inflate) BCDs: cleaner trim underwater, and popular with regular divers and travellers.
• Womens and youth cuts, plus lighter travel and weight-integrated models, if you want a closer fit or a smaller pack.

Want a modular wing and backplate setup instead? Check out our BCD backplates and harnesses. Eckart from our Melbourne store also runs through the two styles in this jacket vs rear-inflation BCD video.

Getting the Fit Right

A BCD that's too long in the torso or tight across the chest will fight you the whole dive. We stock mens and womens cuts, unisex options and a youth BCD for smaller divers. Try one on with a tank, in the wetsuit thickness you actually dive in, at any of our six stores: Aspley, Woolloongabba, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne (Cheltenham) and Perth (O'Connor). We've been fitting divers since 2001. Buying your first set? Pair your BCD with a regulator, or grab a complete scuba package. Spare inflators, weight pockets and hoses are in BCD spare parts.

BCD FAQs

What does BCD stand for?

Buoyancy control device. You'll also hear buoyancy compensator, buoyancy compensating device, or just BC. It's all the same gear: an inflatable bladder, a harness and a tank mount.

Is a jacket or back-inflate BCD better for beginners?

Most new divers start with a jacket because it holds you upright at the surface without much thought, because the BCD holds air along you hips towards your belly. A back-inflate BCD is a good next step once you want cleaner trim underwater because, with the bladder holding around around the tank/your back, your body basically hangs off the BCD, making it easier to remain stable in a prone/flat position.

Do I need a womens BCD?

Not automatically. But if a unisex or mens jacket feels long in the torso or bulky across the chest and shoulders, give a womens cut a go.

What size BCD do I need?

Check the brand's size chart, then confirm the fit with a tank on. The top of the bladder should sit near the base of your neck, the tank shouldn't swing around, and you should still breathe easily with the straps done up over your wetsuit. Not sure? Come into a store and we'll size you up.