Intro | Table | £150-199 | £200-249 | £250-299 | £300-349 | £350-399 | £400-500 | Conclusions
EXTRA
May 2000
COMPENSATION CLAIMS
TECHNISUB VARIO HEX Size L again! It gave us better figures than it would have done in size M but it looks businesslike and put me well above the water at the surface.
This is a very conventional BC, with seven D-rings, two ordinary zipped pockets and two upper dump valves which seem to have been positioned just right. There was little or no torso squeeze at maximum inflation and it does the job expected of it in an unspectacular way.
We liked the way the direct-feed hose from the regulator integrated with the corrugated hose of the BC, and the extra guide strap to stabilise the cylinder with the single tank-band. This is a good-quality, single-bag design from a company with an excellent track record. £250
MARES VECTOR CHROME A well-made, straightforward single-bag BC for those who would like, for example, the Mares Frontier but don't want to use integrated weights.
The Chrome seems loaded with "systems". It has a labelled "cummerbund system" which we equated to an adjustable cummerbund, and a labelled "sternum-strap system" which allows you to vary the height of that strap. Mercifully it did not have a label on its pocket-zip system save for the Mares branding.
It surprised us by giving less maximum lift than the Frontier but there was enough to keep my head above water at the surface. And it did tend to squeeze a little. £265
SEEMANN SUB BLAC JAC Another offering from this notable German manufacture, which has kept its light under a bushel until now. Like most things German it is well-engineered, and gave no torso squeeze. Its surface performance was only average but otherwise it was a comfortable, well-performing BC.
It had a secure integrated-weight system operated at each side and also offered the opportunity to stash some lead at the back to counter a lightweight cylinder. The Blac Jac proved a well-fitting single bag design. £270
SEAWAY ARGUS The German manufacturer offers this standard single-bag BC with the option of a redundant buoyancy system as on a Buddy BC, but we were sent one without it. Integrated weights, including the option to place some in large pockets high up at the back, and 10 D-rings make this a "fully-loaded" product. Appearances can be deceptive. We found that the Argus did not give a huge amount of lift and left me only just clear of the surface.
It functioned well under water and I liked the little cushion that protected the back of the neck, important when you're not wearing a hood. £279
OCEANIC ISLA This tiny BC seemed rather lightweight in this company but proved extremely comfortable even when fully inflated, with no torso squeeze. It didn't really give much in the way of maximum buoyancy but there was enough for those who dive in calm sea conditions.
There were no meaty D-rings in evidence and the pockets were rather modest but the Oceanic integrated-weight system worked a treat. The solitary top-of-the-bag dump valve was positioned perfectly and worked efficiently and no air was left trapped even during horizontal swimming.
This is a BC for the warmwater diver who doesn't want a BC to occupy too much space in his or her luggage. From £296
SEACSUB COMPTEK Shrugging off the poor reputation for manufacturing quality this Italian maker's products might have had in the UK in the past, the new importer is keen to get things right, and sent us the single-bag Comptek.
It's a wing and it's a conventional BC. How's that? First you use it as a wing, and its bag has the characteristics of a good design, with a bottom wider in both dimensions than the top. This helps make sure that air is routed towards either of the two dump valves rather than getting trapped elsewhere.
However, when you decide to ascend, or at your deco or safety stop, you put your hands into the slot behind each side pocket, where you will find a strap and buckle. Releasing the buckle allows air into the front lower part of the BC under the pockets, just like a conventional BC, so losing any tendency to push you on your front as might happen with some wings.
We found it very comfortable in use, with good maximum buoyancy available and adequate mouth-to-water height at the surface.
There are six D-rings and a key pocket, but we found the two main pockets hard to get into once it was out of wing-configuration. £299
OCEANIC TOUR APS We were fascinated by this one. It's the first of the new dragonfly-wing designs that we have managed to get our hands on, and looks like two wings one behind the other, though these are in fact one linked air cell.
Like other Oceanic BCs looked at here, this is a very lightweight product which we would imagine is likely to be admired for its portability and comfort rather than its longevity.
The absence of a handle was a surprise but it was easy to put on in the water and, as expected, exceptionally comfortable to wear. Quite a lot of maximum buoyancy available was translated into only a modest surface performance, because so much of the inflated wing was out of the water.
Two D-rings and no pockets made it rather minimalistic, and the solitary shoulder dump, operated by pulling on the corrugated hose, required the user to twist about to expel all the air.
Having said all that, I can't wait to take it on a trip for Diver Tests. £299
Intro | Table | £150-199 | £200-249 | £250-299 | £300-349 | £350-399 | £400-500 | Conclusions
Appeared in DIVER - May 2000
