Cressi Start BCD Buoyancy Compensator Device

Cressi Start BCD: Jacket-Style Buoyancy Compensator Built for Heavy Use

The Cressi Start BCD is a jacket-style buoyancy compensator designed from the ground up for dive schools, rental fleets, and new divers who need gear that holds up under constant, demanding use.

If you are working toward your certification or just finished it, and you want a BCD that will last through years of learning without falling apart, this is worth a serious look.

What "jacket style" means for you

A jacket-style BCD wraps the air bladder around your sides and back, rather than keeping it only behind you. When you inflate it, buoyancy is distributed around your torso, which tends to hold you in a more upright position at the surface.

That is exactly what most new divers want. Treading water at the surface while sorting out your regulator or waiting for the boat is a lot easier when your BCD is doing the work of keeping you upright and stable.

Underwater, jacket BCDs can push you into a slightly head-up angle if over-inflated, so learning to control your buoyancy carefully still matters. The Start is not a shortcut around good buoyancy skills, but it is a forgiving platform to develop them on.

Built to survive the conditions you will dive in

Cressi made the outer shell from 500 and 1000-denier Cordura nylon, the same kind of heavy-duty fabric used in serious luggage and military gear. The thicker 1000-denier material handles the areas that take the most abuse.

This matters because entry-level BCDs often use lighter fabrics that scuff, tear, or delaminate after a season or two of regular use. The Start was specifically designed with rental and training environments in mind, where a BCD might be donned and doffed dozens of times a week by different people.

For you as a new diver, that durability means this BCD should last well beyond your open water course and stay in good shape through your first years of recreational diving.

Lift capacity by size

Lift capacity is how much upward force the BCD can generate when fully inflated. You need enough to comfortably offset your wetsuit, tank, and any weight you are carrying. Here is what the Start delivers across its size range:

Even the smallest size gives you over 29 pounds of lift, which is adequate for most recreational diving in a wetsuit. If you plan to dive dry or carry a lot of weight, size up rather than squeeze into a smaller cut.

Three dump valves and a power inflator

Controlling your buoyancy means being able to add air quickly and release it just as fast, from whatever position you find yourself in underwater.

The Start has three dump valves: one on each shoulder and one at the lower rear right of the air cell. The shoulder valves are operated by pull cords. The rear valve is built into the power inflator mechanism.

Having a low dump valve matters because air does not always collect at the top of the bladder, especially when you are in a head-down position. Being able to vent from a lower point gives you more control in those moments.

The Cressi power inflator connects to your regulator's low-pressure hose via a standard 3/8-inch quick-disconnect fitting, which is the universal size. It will connect to any regulator you rent or own without an adapter.

Fit and adjustment

Getting a BCD to fit correctly is not just about comfort. A poorly fitting BCD shifts around underwater, throws off your trim, and can ride up uncomfortably when inflated.

The Start addresses this with several adjustable points:

• Adjustable torso straps let you dial in the shoulder fit across different body shapes within each size.
• Adjustable sternum strap with a squeeze-style side-release buckle keeps the front from splaying open.
• Waist strap and cummerbund with a squeeze-style buckle wraps the lower body securely.

The squeeze-style buckles are worth noting specifically. They release with a simple pinch rather than a button press, which makes getting out of the BCD at the surface faster and less fiddly, especially with cold or gloved hands.

The waist and cummerbund assembly is independently suspended from the air cell. In practice, this means when the bladder inflates, it expands away from your body rather than tightening the waist against you. That "squeeze effect" when a BCD inflates is a real annoyance on cheaper designs; the Start avoids it.

Backplate and pockets

The backpack section is rigid, which keeps your cylinder sitting straight and stable rather than wobbling around on your back. It is also fully padded, so the rigidity does not translate into discomfort against your spine.

Two large zippered pockets with hook-and-loop closures give you space for a surface marker buoy, dive light, or other accessories you want to carry on the dive.

For attachment points, the Start has four plastic D-rings (two standard D-rings and two snap hooks). These are adequate for hanging an instrument console, a light, or a pointer. If you plan to carry a lot of technical accessories or need stainless steel rings for clip durability, this is not the BCD for that. For recreational diving, plastic rings are perfectly serviceable.

If this BCD ends up in a rental or training operation, there is a visible size indicator on the right shoulder, a small but genuinely useful detail for instructors managing a fleet of differently-sized BCDs on a busy boat.

Who the Cressi Start is not for

The Start is a jacket BCD, which means it is not designed for the horizontal trim that technical or advanced wreck divers typically work toward. If you are already thinking about sidemount diving, back-inflate setups, or DIR-style configurations, this is not your BCD.

It is also not a travel-light option. Cordura this heavy adds weight and bulk. If you are a frequent traveler watching every kilogram in your dive bag, a lighter travel BCD would serve you better.

But if you are a new or recently certified diver who wants a durable, well-fitted jacket BCD that will handle regular use and grow with you through your first years of diving, the Cressi Start is a straightforward, honest choice.