too many potential points of failure for technical BCD. (doesn't mean this is a bad BCD) But every single plastic connector could potentially fail. and for technical diving you focus is on removing all the possible points of failure, and having redundancy, backups, plan B's for the things you can't dive without. This is however a very light, very modular travel BCD. you can disassemble almost all. Compared to all in one jackets that have a hard plastic backplate, thick bulky wing & pockets, and ends up taking 1/3rd of your suitcase. For Tec, Look into Tecline, Apeks, Hollis, Xdeep, OMS
Dangerous. The weight pocket is held on by plastic tabs - after 30 dives the plastic fatigued and my weight pocket fell off during a dive. Super dangerous.
not sure if you've seen any BCD in the last 15 years. But most have plastic!! (unless you dive Backplate, than it's only Nylon and metal) but yes, any regular BCD is: - plastic clips for waistband, shoulderstraps, chestband - plastic handles/buttons and system on the Dump valves & inflator valve - and yes, trim pocket attachments (Note that i say TRIM pockets and not weight pockets) because theres no reason why you would have your full weights come from a single point of dump/ failure. I currently have 300+ dives on my previous aqualung jacket (Also full of plastic) and apart from cosmetic scratches from squeezing through wreck windows and hitting the deck a bunch of times, all still works. Also the weight pockets system connect to your back, so during a dive the weight is not on the connector, and the pockets themselves have to be pulled up your back to remove, so again against gravity. Last, i can recommend Tecline trimpockets for around the tank strap. nice position for trim, and its just nylon and a zipper
I just got one of these recently. It's nice having all the different parts and sizes, but that makes it a pain to fit. Otherwise a pretty well put together BC, coming from a complete noob.
Should be, if you're ok with weight belts. I got a set of dumpable attachments and trim attachments to fill up the slots he pointed out and I can only barely cram 20lb of lead in there. Just enough for a full suit and my fat ass. My dive shop also offered 3 sizes of bladders, 24, 35(stock), and 42ish? So you can upgrade that if you're diving heavy.
Do you have to purchase one complete size off the rack (eg. Medium) and then pay extra to get customized parts (eg. Large shoulder strap or Small waist strap)?
That might depend on your dive shop. Mine let me mix and match pieces and didn't make me buy extra straps to make it fit. They even let me swap out another size of shoulder straps after a day in the pool because it wasn't fitting the way I wanted. The only thing I paid extra for was the trim pocket, the dumpable weight pockets were included. I skipped the inflator octo, but that was extra too.
Hmm. I wonder what anyone else thinks about those pinch clips on the shoulder straps...looks like an accident waiting to happen to me.
I'm not a fan of the vertical weight pouches. It is pretty hard to get the pouch back in. Especially underwater during training.
Ouch.
Just out of curiosity.... How much did you put in each pocket?
Does the webbing wear thin after lots of use?
Is it classified as a wig? Like a technical bcd?
too many potential points of failure for technical BCD. (doesn't mean this is a bad BCD)
But every single plastic connector could potentially fail. and for technical diving you focus is on removing all the possible points of failure, and having redundancy, backups, plan B's for the things you can't dive without.
This is however a very light, very modular travel BCD. you can disassemble almost all.
Compared to all in one jackets that have a hard plastic backplate, thick bulky wing & pockets, and ends up taking 1/3rd of your suitcase.
For Tec, Look into Tecline, Apeks, Hollis, Xdeep, OMS
Dangerous. The weight pocket is held on by plastic tabs - after 30 dives the plastic fatigued and my weight pocket fell off during a dive. Super dangerous.
not sure if you've seen any BCD in the last 15 years. But most have plastic!! (unless you dive Backplate, than it's only Nylon and metal)
but yes, any regular BCD is:
- plastic clips for waistband, shoulderstraps, chestband
- plastic handles/buttons and system on the Dump valves & inflator valve
- and yes, trim pocket attachments (Note that i say TRIM pockets and not weight pockets) because theres no reason why you would have your full weights come from a single point of dump/ failure.
I currently have 300+ dives on my previous aqualung jacket (Also full of plastic) and apart from cosmetic scratches from squeezing through wreck windows and hitting the deck a bunch of times, all still works.
Also the weight pockets system connect to your back, so during a dive the weight is not on the connector, and the pockets themselves have to be pulled up your back to remove, so again against gravity.
Last, i can recommend Tecline trimpockets for around the tank strap. nice position for trim, and its just nylon and a zipper
I just got one of these recently. It's nice having all the different parts and sizes, but that makes it a pain to fit. Otherwise a pretty well put together BC, coming from a complete noob.
Is it possible to use this bcd in more colder waters like northern canada?
Should be, if you're ok with weight belts. I got a set of dumpable attachments and trim attachments to fill up the slots he pointed out and I can only barely cram 20lb of lead in there. Just enough for a full suit and my fat ass. My dive shop also offered 3 sizes of bladders, 24, 35(stock), and 42ish? So you can upgrade that if you're diving heavy.
Do you have to purchase one complete size off the rack (eg. Medium) and then pay extra to get customized parts (eg. Large shoulder strap or Small waist strap)?
That might depend on your dive shop. Mine let me mix and match pieces and didn't make me buy extra straps to make it fit.
They even let me swap out another size of shoulder straps after a day in the pool because it wasn't fitting the way I wanted. The only thing I paid extra for was the trim pocket, the dumpable weight pockets were included. I skipped the inflator octo, but that was extra too.
illiteratebeef Thanks much for the feedback!