When considering what type of BCD to use, the first thing to take note of is whether the BCD in question is a ‘jacket’ style BCD, or if it is a ‘wing’ style BCD.

Jacket style BCDs are worn like a vest, and they have air bladders at the back and on the sides, as well as pockets and straps in which to place your gauges and equipment. Wing style BCDs, on the other hand, just strap onto your back, concentrating all the air bladders behind. There are no pockets on wing-style BCDs, giving you more freedom to hook up your equipment to your body in any way you like. Wing style BCDs, however, have to be tailored to body size, and thus cannot be shared around, unlike jacket BCDs, which can fit a large array of body types.

In either case, some BCDs feature integrated weights, which eliminate the need to string weights  on a belt every time a divers wants to start a new dive, although this creates the new hassle of having to teach your dive buddy how to release your weights in case of emergencies!

To size a BCD, make sure that on the surface it is snug against your belly and not to tight around the arms. As a rule of thumb, BCDs should tend to be tighter than looser, but not to the point where it becomes uncomfortable to wear.

When buying a BCD, it is important to take note of:

Check out our Guide to Masks and Snorkels as well!