No piece of dive gear needs to multi-task more than a Buoyancy Compensator. It has to secure tank, hoses and accessories. It must support weight pouches and cargo pockets and still maintain a streamlined profile. It has to enable you to safely control your ascents and descents, and afford relatively comfortable surface flotation. That’s a tall order. Clearly, no one BC can hit all the marks for all divers in all diving conditions. But if you can identify where you spend most of your wet-time, it’s not so hard to find a BC with your name on it. 

Voted Testers’ Choice in this category, the Axis delivers the functions, features and performance most coveted in a streamlined general-purpose back- buoyancy BC without unnecessary bells and whistles.

Divers looking for an entry-level BC that’s well appointed and performs admirably — and doesn’t cost a lot of money — will be drawn to Prime MRS. It nails the important stuff at a good price, earning it the Best Buy award.

The gear experts at ScubaLab tested 8 of the latest fabric drysuits for durability, performance and comfort — here are the results.