BC for Travel

[Travelnsj]

I am looking for a light weight Jacket style BC for travel. The one I think I have settled on is The Oceanic Oceanpro...it is under 7 lbs....Is this the best one? No velcro pockets for the weights want snaps.

[CompuDude]

Not familiar with that one, tho it may be good. I frequently see the Zeagle Stiletto being mentioned as a great option for a travel BC.

http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detai...ZeagleStiletto

[creggur]

Maybe you should try a BP/W............


I'M JUST KIDDING, LARRY DON'T NUKE ME!!!

Seriously though if you're dead-set on a jacket I couldn't say..

The Zeagles are a great quality BCD and the Brigade makes a nice travel unit.. No velcro weight pocket's, they have the ripcord system which is awesome!! Of course all of the Zeagles are back-inflate so...Good luck on your search..

[Zenagirl]

The Zeagle Stilletto is definitely light and good for travel, but keep in mind that it is a back-inflate and the pockets are very small. It also has the ripcord system for weight integration, not snaps or velcro.

Personally, I think the ripcord system is the best weight dumping system around. My husband had a BC with the plastic clip system and not only did he have trouble getting weight INTO the pockets (the pull out sections were small!), but when he lost one in 300'+ of water, it cost us $25 to replace it. On our recent liveaboard trip, we found 3 weight pockets on dives and only one belonged to someone on our boat! He now has a Zeagle Ranger.

[Judestudio]

Zeagle Stiletto is definitely worth looking into, my sister's got a LaZer (ladies' version of the Stiletto), it packs relatively flat and is very functional, with more than enough lift.

You should probably look at the new Zeagle Scout that just came out, that packs even smaller. It's got less lift compare to the Stiletto, but if you're traveling to warm waters, Scout will work fine for you.

[ScubaToys Larry]

And the scouts are cheap.. about $220... but most everyone has tossed back inflate at you instead of Jacket...

There is the Mares Icon http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.as...D=MaresIconBcd

Or the Aeris Coral is not too bulky http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.as...AerisCoralBCD+ but a lot of the travel style BC's are in the back inflate family as making the bladder behind you and not wrapping around - by design will make it smaller to pack and easier to fold up.

[Travelnsj]

Larry the Mares looks like a back inflate and weighs more than 7 lbs. The Aeris Coral looks a little more like it. How much does that weigh?....The Oceanic Ocean Pro weighs less than 7lbs. Can you order that as I do not see on you web site and the price?

Regarding the Back inflate I have used one once did not care for it and being I dive mostly in the Indo-Pacific....do not want to carry an extra BC to play on a $125 plus dive in Palau or Indonesia. One thing I have noticed where ever I have traveled probably 40-50 destinations around the world I have never seen an Instructor, Director, Dive guide etc ever wear anything but a Jacket Style and 90% of those are by SP....and yes I do know they get discounts...but they do on all BC's...the only people I have ever seen with a back inflate are from the good ol USA.

[ScubaToys Larry]

Oh yea.. We've got that http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.as...id=OceanProQLR

So it's showing $329, but that's before your 10% discount and any of your board gift certificates!

As far as weight... with all the BC's that will vary a bit with size. Larger ones will weigh more since there is more material.

Let me know what size you're after and I'll have one of the guys toss one on the digital scale and let you know!

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Travelnsj

Larry the Mares looks like a back inflate and weighs more than 7 lbs. The Aeris Coral looks a little more like it. How much does that weigh?....The Oceanic Ocean Pro weighs less than 7lbs. Can you order that as I do not see on you web site and the price?

Regarding the Back inflate I have used one once did not care for it and being I dive mostly in the Indo-Pacific....do not want to carry an extra BC to play on a $125 plus dive in Palau or Indonesia. One thing I have noticed where ever I have traveled probably 40-50 destinations around the world I have never seen an Instructor, Director, Dive guide etc ever wear anything but a Jacket Style and 90% of those are by SP....and yes I do know they get discounts...but they do on all BC's...the only people I have ever seen with a back inflate are from the good ol USA.

A discounted cheap BC is still cheaper than a discounted expensive BC.

Jacket style is arguable best for instructors for a very specific reason: No other group of divers spend as much time vertical on the surface as instructors. Even their classes underwater are usually given vertical, on their knees at the bottom. A jacket style BC is probably the best option for those needing to be vertical in the water.

For actual diving, however, back inflate brings a number of advantages in terms of trim. But instructors (when they are teaching, at least) do "real diving" far less than sitting/floating/kneeling vertical in the water.

In poorer countries, they tend to use whatever their shop offers to them... which, again, tends to be rugged and cheap. ScubaPro offers great deals on quantity orders of their end BCs, and they're actually pretty rigged units, plus the advantages they hold for instructors, and it's not much surprise that you see them in such numbers.

[Travelnsj]

Larry I need an XL...if I remember it is about 7lbs...I was looking at Seaquest Latitude....but the XL was about 9lbs. If you have a different one that offers all the same things that the OceanPro does and is better and lighter...let me know.....I am headed for Kona tomorrow and may want to get the BC before I go to Bali/Wakatobi in Sept.

Compudude....good info...wish I did shore diving in CA....I'D play/try a BP/wing...but nothing less than 82 temps for me....I know I am spoiled...but I love it!