Scubapro Hydros BCD. WOW

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grtday

Registered
Messages
19
Reaction score
7
Location
Katy, TX
# of dives
500 - 999
Just returning from a week aboard the Roatan aggressor with my new scubapro hydros BCD. Seems like this BC is of the most expensive on the market, but after diving with it, remarkably well worth it! Everywhere I looked at on this somethingBC, I found something even more cool! More the review coming but I must say, I just
loved it.
 
I purchased one for my 2 week trip to CoCo View in March. Did 45 dives with it. Only complaint was the hard weights (12 pounds) dug into my ribs. The 5th day I located some lead shot soft weights. Problem solved. Been diving for 53 years, NAUI Instructor and cave diver so I’ve used literally all types of BCDs. Would I use the Hydros in a cave? No. But open water recreational diving. A big thumbs up.
 
Heartily agree with dog diver! The folks at ScubaPro really thought this design through.
Light. Easy to adjust. Barely know you are wearing a BC. Amazing compound does "mold" to ones body! The Air2 V 5.0 came installed and worked perfectly.
Any negatives? Perhaps the straps in the XL/XXL are a bit too long. NO Pockets. Available as a $34. per side add-on. Not enough places to hang stuff. (Coming from a Seaquest Black Diamond and ScubaPro KnightHawk.) I like to affix CetaCea corded reels to my BC and there are no places to screw them on....Yes, I can use the clip-on hangers, but I like em' screwed on.
And when Giant Striding into the water, the BC sometimes get shoved up between ones back and the harness.
Big money, but this BC really is a quantum leap in BC material and technology.
 
Any negatives? Perhaps the straps in the XL/XXL are a bit too long.

I normally wear XL or XXL in everything.

I tried on the XL Hydros and thought the same thing - straps are maybe too long. Then I tried on a Large and it is perfect (for me). In my drysuit and thick undies, the straps are almost all the way as long as they'll go. I.e. almost no "extra" strap. In a thin wetsuit, I have a few inches of extra strap, which is not bad at all.
 
I'm 6' 2" and about 180 lbs and M is just about right for me. I found the straps too long on L.

If you can get away from the integrated weight pocket by using the travel harness and trim weight pockets at the back, the BC is very good.
 
I have Hollis bp/w and a hydros. My Hydros gets 95% of all my dives. Unless I have a need for my wing, which is incredibly rare.
 
Being the first BCD I got and the only one I have for now, I'm very satisfied with it. I only wish scubapro included all the accessories for that price... I guess someone's gotta pay for all that research.
 
Okay, I'm going to be a bit critical on one point--ditching weights. It appears (correct me if I'm wrong) that ditching any weight is a two-hand operation, one to release the webbing's buckle and one to pull out the weights. And, this just releases one side.

I still dive a weight belt, and can ditch it in one motion. This used to be the standard by which we judged weight systems.

Any thoughts?

SeaRat
 
You can ditch one - handed, but in 2 motions. 1) unclip the red squeeze buckle; then 2) pull the weight pouch which has a short strap and pull ring by the squeeze buckle. One hand on each side means you can do both at the same time. Think of a cowboy gunslinger with a gun on each side, squeeze to unclip and draw!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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