Tusa Conquest

Tusa Conquest

Features

The big story with Tusa's Conquest is its new 3D air cell made of 840/420 denier nylon. Its hybrid design delivers some serious lift capacity, along with the stability benefits of a jacket design, but with virtually no bulk. The BC features Tusa's independent harness system, an enhanced lumbar backpad for maximum comfort, and a depth-compensating cummerbund for a snug fit. It's loaded with pockets and pouches and festooned with D-rings and grommets galore. It comes with a secure integrated weight system, rear trim pouches, a stylishly slim power inflator and three remote dump valves.

Performance

The depth-compensating cummerbund, two-position sternum strap and the shoulder-width adjustments offered by the harness system virtually guarantee a snug fit with the Conquest. A bunch of padding ramps up the comfort but also creates excessive inherent buoyancy; we measured four pounds, more than any BC in this review. There are six cargo pockets but virtually none of them offer much in the way of cargo capacity, due either to their size or their proximity to the weight pouches. The exception is the drop-down mesh pocket, which is large and offers good access. Testers found the Conquest's integrated weight system a bit complicated when compared to others in this go-round, however, once properly loaded the system secures with double-lock buckles and ditches easily. It delivers a stable ride at depth, has a finger friendly inflator and offers a relaxing floating position on the surface.

Bottom Line

Lots of lift without lots of bulk. Comfortable too, but we found the complexity of the integrated weight system annoying and four pounds of inherent buoyancy unacceptable.