Need Help choosing a travel BC

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

coco240

Registered
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Location
Montreal, Canada
# of dives
500 - 999
I have decided to retire my cold water gear. I have been diving with a Mares Synchro Tech for 11 years. This is pretty much the only BC I have ever used. This thing is huge for travelling and with the new travelling restriction I decided to replace it with a light weight soft pack BC.

I will use it only for warm water diving.

My selection criteria were: lightweight, can be packed very small, equipped with a quick air dump on the right shoulder and weight integrated.

My final selections are as follows:

Cressi Travelight
Zeagle Stilleto
Scubapro Equator

I like the Cressi a lot but I am not to crazy about the weight system. The Zeagle is not as compact as the Cressi great quality but no right shoulder dump. The Scubapro is also a good contender.

Do you have any experience with these BC especially the Cressi Travelight.

Thanks
 
I just recieved My Oxycheq Mk V 18lb lift travel wing and ultralight backplate with speed harness from Scubatoys.com. I believe the cardboard box it came in was as heavy as the Backplate and wing. The plate only weighs 9.6 ounces.

As always the Oxycheq wing is very good quality. The wing does not require a single tank adapter (STA).

18 Lbs of lift may sound like not enough but the wing I replaced was only 20lbs of lift and I dove it with 15 liter high pressure steel tanks with no problems.

I don't have any experience with the BC's you mentioned so I can't comment on them.

I do own about ten BC's and have dove most of them. I personaly like the back plate and wing setups. I have 3 and this Oxycheq setup is the lightest by far.
 
BTW, the Oxycheq wing does not have a shoulder dump and quite honestly the only time I would use one is if a student was wearing it and overinflating during bouyancy skills like fin pivots. If your weighted properly with a BP/W setup you should be perfectly horizontal in the water and the lower bum dump is the one to use and the wing has one.

For integrated weights you can add the Oxycheq weight pouches on the waist straps and I would suggest adding two small weight pouches on the tank cambands as well so you can trim the rig dependant on steel or aluminum tank.
 
My selection criteria were: lightweight, can be packed very small, equipped with a quick air dump on the right shoulder and weight integrated.

Based on your selection criteria you should wait just a bit and check out a new dedicated Travel BC from Aqua Lung. It will blow you away!

- Freedro
 
I recommend the Mares Icon, thats what I dive. It has a right shoulder dump, folds up nice, trim weight pockets (on top tank band) and integrated weights, roll out zippered mesh pocket(held by velcro when not in use, right side). I'm new to the community but I love mine no frills really, lots of dumps both sides top and bottom, two tank straps, back inflation, love it :) Also this inside is very comfortable if you dive warm water with no suit.
 
I have no experience with your preselected "finalists", but I would recommend the Mares Pegasus. The thing is a beauty, fits like a glove, and has 44 lbs of lift (just in case you decide to vacation in say...England). Lots of dumps, integrated MRS weights, back inflation, crotch/leg straps for extra stability...I haven't found anything wrong with it yet!
 
I've been looking exactly the same thing and lightest so far hasn't been Cressi's travel bc. Flex in the sea was lighter at least compared on their own web page. I don't have any experience of eater of bc's, but both brand's has been at least decent, so I'm not too worried about the quality.

Cressi: FLEX IN THE SEA
Weight: 1.690 kg (XS), 1.730 kg (S), 1.820 kg (M), 1:870 kg (L) 1.900 kg (XL)

Mares: Vector Origin
Weight: 2,9 kg-6,4 lbs
 
Thank You all for the input.

After looking at the design of the weight system, I chose the Zeagle Stilleto because of the fact that their weight system does not rely on a plastic clip.
 
i think you will be most pleased with the zeagle rock solid and built to last ...enjoy have fun
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom