Scubapro Knighthawk or Zeagle Ranger?

[xidex]

I had a Ranger, it is very well made as with all zeagle stuff. I ended up selling it due to it being to bulky for the boat diving I usually do, It is just too wide and too hard to pack. I think I would have been happier with the Knighthawk from the start.

I now dive a OMS bp/w and probably would have ended up with a bp/w anyway!

 

[Chad Carney]

billvb,

I also used an At Pac in the late seventies, then switched to Zeagle in the early eighties.

Now I'm the Florida Zeagle rep.

A better Zeagle BC to compare to a Night Hawk is our Stiletto. They are both tough single tank BCs and more streamlined than the Ranger or the old At Pac.

The Stiletto is a Tester's Choice travel BC, and has quickly become Zeagle's best selling BC. (The Lazer is the ladies version of the Stiletto.)

I'll bet Underwater Sports can arrange a demo dive.

Thanks for considering Zeagle.

Chad

 

[427Dave]

Hi all,

We just came back from a trip to the Caribbean and I had a terrible dive experience with shoddy gear that has steeled me to getting our own regulators and BCs and schlepping them to all future dives. I'm really partial to BCs with the inflatable bladders on the back - I bought an At Pac in the late 70's, the original integrated backpack/weight/back-mounted inflation BC. There was some controversy about these, but I loved it - the balance and stability in the water is perfect; I sold it and all my other gear during a long land-locked, non-diving stint (nearly 20 years ago...).

So, I'm looking at getting a pair of BCs with back inflation for my daughter and myself. I like and trust Scubapro equipment - with my own gear and all of the rental gear I've used I've never had a bad experience - and some folks on the 'net seem really happy with their Knighthawks. On the other hand, the Zeagle Ranger has some serious fans, and I'm always happy to buy stuff that was made by folks working here in the US. Does anybody have experience with both of these? Any strong preferences?

Thanks for the help!

-Bill

I also bought a Watergill AT-PAK in the early 70's. I also was certified originally by NASDS and I believe the NASDS dive shops promoted the AT-PAK. I loved it and sold it in the early 90's. Then just rented. I missed the AT-PAK and did some research. I did not like the jacket type BC's that I was renting. I ended up purchasing a Zeagle Ranger LTD and love it. It has almost the same lift as the AT-PAK (44 lbs), It is a back inflate wing like the AT-PAK, It does NOT have the HP hose running inside the inflate hose (only thing about the AT-PAK that was bad), It has integrated weight system, instead of the 00 buckshot loaded in the back plate you can use regular weights or the soft weigths and they go into pockets on the side. The Zeagle does not have a back plate like the old AT-PAK that was made of plastic. It has two tank cam bands and that is what makes the back ridgid. The Zeagle has a cumber bun and a better fitting harness than the AT-PAK. The LTD has a back support pad that I like. Look at the Zeagle website to see all the different models that may fit your requirements.

http://www.zeagle.com/

Course the Zeagle, nor does any other brand, have the fiberglass housing that AT-PAK offered.

Check out the old AT-PAK
http://groups.msn.com/SKINANDSCUBADIVING1950s-1980s/buoyancycompensators.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=47

Have fun and safe diving

Dave

 

[billvb]

Wow - thanks for all of the feedback, everybody. This is really helpful and greatly appreciated!

-Bill

 

[Live2Dive22]

I Love My Ranger. I have a Ranger LTD and I have dove it here in the North east off the coast of NJ with Doubles as well as with singles. I have had stage bottles attached to it. It is very adjustable, going form drysuit diving to diving in a 3mm wetsuit in warm water fits just as well. As for your daughter. Zeagle also has 2 women's BCD's, the Zena, which is more for warm water diving and the Lazer which is more robust.. Check them both out and good luck in your gear search.

 

[drew52]

KnightHawk...

For me it has better weight integration, better tank buckle and I prefer the power inflator.

Both have excellent customer service. However ScubaPro can be found every where. Zeagle not as common. If you are travelling and have issues it is more likely that your issue will be resolved with ScubaPro.

 

[dimitrik]

I have the Zeagle Stiletto which is a great all around BC. Prior to that I had the Seaquest Balance which was also a great all around BC that packs very well for travel. I have also looked at the knighhawk. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the BC's listed so far. The Ranger is a bit bulky though.

 

[BioNerd]

i have the Ranger LtD and love it!. For me, it was between the Nighthawk and the Ranger ltd. I went with what looked like it was built with stronger (military based) material. double stitching vs. the weaker stitching of the nighthawk. Now before i get flamed by nighthawk users, i think they are equal in everything else. however i dont like the powerinflator, I think a ranger with an atomic ss1 will outlast any bc. just my bias 2cents

 

[Rich452]

Is it the harness portion of the Ranger BCD or the bladder that makes it bulky? I have been thinking of getting a Brigade, to use for midwest diving and warm water travel. With the smaller bladder, I had hoped that it would pack better than a Ranger. I don't really want to buy two BC's, and the inter-changeable nature of the Brigade made me think it would fit most needs going forward. Am I on the right track on this? (sorry, not trying to hi-jack the thread, but it seemed pretty well related.)

 

[djanni]

Both are solid choices. It's a tough decision between the two if you have ready access to local shops that service both.

If you ever need support in the Caribbean, however, ScubaPro might be a better choice, due to their extensive international network.

On the other hand, the Zeagle warranty is much better, assuming you have access to warranty service when you need it.

Oh, obligatory bp/w recommendation: Have you considered a backplate and wing instead of a bulky BC? Just something to ponder. www.deepseasupply.com

If an extensive international support network is an advantage why the obligatory recommendation for DSS?