2001 Testers' Choice BCs

November 2000
By Jon Hardy

Ain't choice wonderful? Especially when it comes to life-support equipment? But you need real choices that make a real difference, not neon green versus hot pink.

Over and again during in-water tests by Rodale's ScubaLab of more than 200 BCs, we have discovered a truism that every BC shopper should take to heart: If it doesn't fit you comfortably and properly, your BC will not perform properly. And that's only the first reason adequate choice, especially in style and size, is critical to BC selection.

Here's another: Divers do their thing in more widely varying conditions than just about any active sports participant out there. Powdery snow versus icy snow? Oooh. How 'bout 200-foot vis versus 10-foot? How 'bout zero current versus a four-knot blaster that'll rip your mask off?

Ergo, choice: Low-lift, mighty-lift. Soft-pack, hard-pack. Jacket-style or back-buoyancy. Soft and supple, tough as ironshore.

But there's one thing all of these many variants of the BC have in common: Our ScubaLab says they're the best out there: Testers' Choice each and every one.

Maybe that's the best choice of all.

BCs in Review

Aqua Lung Testers' Choice

Aqua Lung Wave Junior

Aqua Lung Known For: Broad distribution of many models

Aqua Lung Elan RDS
Women BC shoppers should put the Elan at the top of their must-try list: outstanding stability, fit and comfort, adjustability and assembly in a weight-integrated jacket BC. $525

Aqua Lung Wave Junior
Parents will appreciate the easily adjustable shoulder straps that let this BC grow with the child as well as the durable Amorshield Cordura material that is tougher than a Tonka toy. Jacket-style, weight-integrated. $310

Beuchat Testers' Choice

Beuchat Master Lift 420 Beuchat Master Lift 420 If you're looking for a budget jacket-style BC with no air trapping or inherent buoyancy, drop this into your shopping cart. Unique sliding Velcro attachment for the ambient hose. Non-weight-integrated. $349

DUI Testers' Choice

DUI BCS Jacket DUI Known For: Tech features and adjustability DUI BCS Jacket The famous dry suit maker has created a versatile jacket BC for recreational or tech diving, with or without weight integration. Air cells and harnesses are interchangeable, providing four different capacities for buoyant lift (30, 35, 40 and 50 pounds, which can be mixed and matched with four different harness sizes). $498, without weights; $598 with weights.

Genesis Scuba Testers' Choice

Genesis Scuba Phantom Genesis Scuba Known For: Customizing with an extensive selection of accessories Genesis Scuba Phantom A solid, unisex performer at a modest price, with one of the best weight-integrated systems available today. A depth-compensating waistband and overstrap add to its comfort. $430 Genesis Scuba Athena An excellent women's BC and the first to offer as standard equipment accessories like a knife and light. But where this weight-integrated jacket BC really shines is its low inherent buoyancy. $460

IDI Testers' Choice

IDI Nekton 2000 IDI Known For: Adjustability and comfort IDI Advantage Suitable for rec or tech, with or without weight integration, this back-buoyancy BC's great adjustability gives it a clear advantage in fit and comfort. Unique vertically adjustable tank band creates one of the best soft-packs available. $550, without weights; $600, with weights. IDI Nekton 2000 Sure, it's complex to set up, but the pay-off is one of the most comfortable and versatile weight-integrated jacket BCs available today, performing well in a variety of conditions. $550

Mares Testers' Choice

Mares Frontier Expedition Mares Known For: Quality construction Mares Frontier Expedition A heavy-duty, well-padded jacket BC that earned top scores in buoyant lift capacity and lack of inherent buoyancy. A height-adjustable tank band lets this BC fit many sizes of divers. $534

Oceanic Testers' Choice

Oceanic Tour

Oceanic Known For: Wide selection; good pricing

Oceanic Baja
Excellent features and function come together to provide performance at the level of a much more expensive jacket-style BC, making this a Testers' Choice and a Best Buy. Non-weight-integrated. $329.95

Oceanic Cabo
Slightly less expensive than the Baja, this model's strengths are the excellent adjustability of the straps and valve flow rates and valve operation. Jacket-style, non-weight-integrated. Best Buy. $309.95

Oceanic Flex
Clearly a Testers' Choice and a Best Buy: this BC has optional weight-integration and tested several categories above its budget price range, especially the well-engineered airway system and its excellent fit and comfort. $419.95

Oceanic Isla
An excellent women's BC that performs well where it counts: comfort and fit, stability and lack of air trapping. The unique Adjustable Positioning System allows over four inches of horizontal customizing. $449.95

Oceanic Ocean Pro 5K
One of the highest scoring BCs our ScubaLab has ever tested, with outstanding scores in mechanical performance and ergonomics. Jacket-style, with or without weight integration. $499.95

Oceanic Probe
If you're after the tech look and performance, probe no further: With stainless-steel D-rings, reinforcing Kevlar, significant lift, hard backpack and black on black colors, the jacket-style Probe works for the quarry and the Caribbean. Optional weight-integration. $519.95

Oceanic Explorer
An innovative kid's BC that can be converted to a constant buoyancy surface scuba unit (like a SASY)—and back again. Available in two sizes with appropriate lifts and some of the best valves around. $299 without foam for surface scuba; $357 with foam for surface scuba.

Oceanic Tour
If you're looking for a back-buoyancy, weight-integrated BC, the Tour's Adjustable Positioning System and improved weight system make this one of the more comfortable ones. $439.95
{mospagebreak}Poseidon Testers' Choice

Poseidon Powerlift Photic Poseidon Known For: Tech BC that works well for rec divers Poseidon Powerlift Photic Finally, a tech BC that doesn't overwhelm the recreational diver, who will appreciate its D-rings, hard-pack for heavier tanks, hard handle for carrying and versatility. Jacket-style; optional weight-integration. $510

Scubapro Testers' Choice

Scubapro Tradewind

Scubapro Known For: Stab jacket design; durability; high quality

Scubapro Accent
An effective blend of traditional Scubapro BC features—Super Cinch tank band, excellent valve flow—with several well-positioned remote exhausts. Jacket-style, with weights. $500

Scubapro Classic
Ed.'s note: A new version of the Classic, called the Classic Plus, will be available sometime in December.
Based on Scubapro's breakthrough stab jacket, the Classic now sports weight integration, D-rings and extra lift capacity for demanding conditions. $722

Scubapro Superhawk NT
Another versatile Scubapro BC that works for tech or rec diving. Easy to use and adjust, the Superhawk's shoulder and crotch straps make for a comfy fit and dependable stability. Back-buoyancy; weight-integrated. $694

Scubapro Tradewind
For the truly budget-conscious: The jacket-style Tradewind is the least expensive BC ever to receive both Testers' Choice and Best Buy awards. Non-weight-integrated. $278

SeaQuest Testers' Choice

SeaQuest Spectrum 1

SeaQuest Known For: High quality; accuracy of buoyant lift; weight systems

SeaQuest Balance
Its name says it all: Excellent trim weights and overall lift versus weight capacity made this one of the more stable BCs with weight-integrated systems. Back-buoyancy. Outstanding shoulder releases. $510

SeaQuest Diva QD
Best BC for women. The jacket-style is the best integrated-weight system around, there's no air trapping and adjustments are a snap. $495

SeaQuest Spectrum 1
Amazing: The Spec 1 costs less than most private-label for-junk BCs available through mail order, yet earned a Testers' Choice and a Best Buy rating—proof positive of the SeaQuest mission: quality and affordability. Jacket-style, non-weight-integrated. $230

Sherwood Testers' Choice

Sherwood Luna Sherwood Known For: The only budget women's BC Sherwood Scuba Luna The only Best Buy women's BC, the Luna shines for its lack of inherent buoyancy, attitude and stability, valve operation and ascent control. Best for warm-water diving. Jacket-style; weight-integrated. $425

Zeagle Testers' Choice

Zeagle Zipper

Zeagle Known For: Back buoyancy; weight integration

Zeagle Concept II
This all-purpose BC from the leader in back buoyancy has an outstanding inflate/deflate device and a patented one-toggle release that ditches all weights with a single pull. $516.50 to $586.50, depending on features.

Zeagle Ranger
A rugged tech BC suitable for recreational diving, the Ranger shares the Concept's unique weight-ditching system, but adds provisions for dual tanks and sports stainless-steel D-rings. $661.50

Zeagle Zipper
This kid's back-buoyancy, weight-integrated BC has highly adjustable waist straps and a unique front-zipper closure that fits small people extremely well. $294.50

Women and BCs

Although they comprise one-quarter of all divers and have special needs when it comes to BCs, only recently have manufacturers made BCs just for women. ScubaLab has found that well-designed women's BCs enhance the efficiency and safety of female divers. The five Testers' Choice women's BCs listed here are:

Aqua Lung Elan RDS
Genesis Scuba Athena
Oceanic Isla
SeaQuest Diva QD
Sherwood Scuba Luna

As an alternative, women often find that back-buoyancy BCs with weight integration also work well for them. Woman should look closely at a BC's:

• Inflator grip. Fully inflate the BC while trying it on. Hold the inflator in your left hand. You should be able to use the inflate and oral deflate buttons without changing your hand position.

Pockets. Try opening and closing the pockets without looking at them. Try putting something like a slate or light into the pocket and then removing it.

Fit. Above all else, do not compromise on fit. When you try on your BC, do so wearing the thickest exposure protection you plan to use. You should not be at either extreme of the shoulder or waist adjustments. The BC should fit snugly with little or no squeeze.

Weight Integration

For the first time in history, a majority of divers own a weight-integrated BC, be it jacket-style, back-buoyancy or tech. Why the big shift? Manufacturers have solved most of the problems of early weight-integrated models, letting their significant advantages shine through:

• Weight distribution: Dry suit, tech, women and tropical divers have all discovered increased ease, comfort and security with light loads of weights in their BCs, resulting in better balance and less weight on the hips.

Weight-integrated BCs are now viewed as part of an overall weight distribution system, including weight belts, trim weights, ankle weights and negatively buoyant tanks.

Weights can be loaded in or out of the water.

The weight-integrated BC is less likely to ride up when inflated.

If weight ditching is necessary, portions of weight can be dropped instead of all-or-nothing weight belts.

Less back strain.

But there's still a downside:

• At full load, weights may fall out.

Weights may shift in their pockets.

Some type of weights may not fit in pockets.

Weight pockets can interfere with regular pockets.

Weight capacity of the BC may exceed its lift capacity, especially in the smaller sizes.

Getting Your BC Serviced

• An annual tune-up is mandatory if you use a combined power inflator/alternate air source.

An annual tune-up is highly recommended for the rest of us: BCs are the most complex piece of equipment we own. Its valves in particular are subject to deterioration and cannot be safely overhauled except by qualified technicians.

How to Choose a BC

When it's time to buy a new BC or find your first one, check the Testers' Choice models here, and compare their prices against your personal budget. Then find out what's available at your local dive retailers. With this short list, zero in on the features that are most important to you and your diving. When you try on the keepers, make sure the BC:

• Fits you correctly, in the middle of its range of adjustments, over the thickest exposure protection you plan to wear.

Has the appropriate buoyant lift for your needs:

Tropical diving: 12 to 24 pounds

Temperate diving: 20 to 40 pounds

Technical diving: 40 to 80 pounds

Prevent Tank Slippage

• Make sure you're threading the band properly in the buckle.
• Wet the tank strap first, then mount the tank, let the strap dry partially or completely, then re-cinch.
• Lay BC and tank down in order to pull strap tighter.
• After pulling strap tight, bring up cam buckle slightly to catch, then thread top of buckle.