Intro | Table | £150-199 | £200-249 | £250-299 | £300-349 | £350-399 | £400-500 | Conclusions
EXTRA
May 2000
COMPENSATION CLAIMS
AQUA-LUNG WAVE The tough Wave is a single-bag design along the same lines as the well-loved but long-gone Spiro SBC. The example sent to us was size L, so seemed enormous compared to some of its sleeker, more compact competitors.
This no-nonsense BC works very well but it didn't really fit and the maximum buoyancy results it gave mean it cannot be compared with medium-sized rivals.
It dumped its air from either shoulder and there was no sign of any being trapped, but we were bemused to see that there was no bottom dump. Dive centres would appreciate this facility for draining the water out; water will inevitably enter the BC when less-experienced divers dump air by raising the corrugated hose. The design of the two large pockets seemed to make them very inaccessible. £200
BEAVER HERCULES It's cheap, it does its job and it was probably unfortunate that the pull-cord for the shoulder dump came off in my hand. The Beaver Hercules could have made my eyes pop out if I had filled it to maximum but, as it was, I got more than average surface support from a modest maximum lift figure and without making any personal sacrifices.
This is a very ordinary BC for the diver who wants good value and nothing more. It comes with six stainless-steel D-rings, two ordinary plastic ones and, like many rivals, fairly inaccessible pockets. Dull but worthy. £225
SEAWAY EXPLORER Another German manufacturer fairly new to the UK, Seaway chooses to sell here only by mail order. Its Explorer BC gave a modest amount of surface support from an equally modest amount of maximum buoyancy and proved a nicely constructed single-bag design which did its job under water well and dumped air faultlessly.
A nice touch was the little cushion that stops an otherwise uncomfortable sharp edge rubbing on the back of the neck. The integrated-weight system seemed secure and it was fairly easy to pull the weights free if needed.
We liked the way the direct-feed hose from the regulator integrated with the corrugated hose of the BC. The two zipped pockets were averagely accessible. A very straightforward item. £229
NORTHERN DIVER GUARDIAN You want stainless-steel D-rings? We counted 12 on this Northern Diver offering, but otherwise this UK club jacket is a very conventional design not overloaded with frills.
It performed its core function well, giving average surface support, had two usable pockets and did not trap air in any part of it when it came to dumping. There is a facility to fit an auxiliary air cylinder, as on a Buddy.
Someone must have accused the Guardian of not having a CE mark - why else would the CE number be emblazoned in huge figures on one epaulet? £235
POSEIDON CLUBLIFT VOLUTE 3D Supplied in size L, this gave masses of lift but tended to expand in towards the diver somewhat. At the surface this single-bag design gave the greatest mouth-to-water height (along with the Zeagle Tech) and far more than its more expensive sibling, reviewed here.
This is another BC designed for use in clubs or dive centres. It had one capacious and accessible pocket sealed with a simple velcro-covered flap (the other side is a dummy) and although it had few additional features it performed its core function really well. £238
SCUBAPRO GLIDE 1000 Again tested in size L, the Glide is another of those good-quality single-bag designs and comes from the manufacturer which has been making jacket-style BCs for longer than any other, so it must be getting it right by now!
It did not have an amazing amount of lift considering it was not size M, but there was enough. We liked the way the pull-cord for the right shoulder dump was threaded through some piping so that it always fell easily to hand, though the dump operated by a pull on the corrugated hose seemed just as efficient.
We did not like the classic Scubapro cinch-strap that held the tank because, although this is very convenient when rigging to the same tank each time, it is very inconvenient if each tank has even a slightly different diameter. £249
Intro | Table | £150-199 | £200-249 | £250-299 | £300-349 | £350-399 | £400-500 | Conclusions
Appeared in DIVER - May 2000
