Jungho Kim
Contributor
the knighthawk is a very good BC... You will use it well for a long time. Had one myself before I went to a BP&W...
I'm a noob who just acquired a Scubapro Knighthawk...
- Thread starter ScubaDoo83
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the knighthawk is a very good BC... You will use it well for a long time. Had one myself before I went to a BP&W...
dvankirk
Contributor
Yeah, got one in the closet (size medium if anyone is interested). Dove it about a year before switching to a bp/w. New divers just love the warm and fuzzy feeling from being surrounded by a jacket bc. Now I love the simplicity of a simple harness.
I know people who have used a knighthawk for years, though.
Without meaning to be offensive, I have to comment that I always find it a little amusing when people go buy stuff and then come and ask if they did the right thing.
It isn't what I would have bought, but it's kind of too late to discuss that. It's a standard BC made by a reputable company, and if you paid $600 for it, you didn't get any kind of a deal.
It isn't what I would have bought, but it's kind of too late to discuss that. It's a standard BC made by a reputable company, and if you paid $600 for it, you didn't get any kind of a deal.
OP
ScubaDoo83
Contributor
Pardon my inquiry but what about it is amusing? Also, if I "did the right thing" or not will come in time, with use. I understand this. I wanted to train on my own equipment and repeatedly so. With that in mind I opted for what I saw to be highly rated gear and what my instructor, whom I trust, suggested.
I am more asking what other more experienced (doesn't take much) divers think of this item. A personal story or experience with it. The product's strengths and/or weaknesses. What kinds of diving is it most used for? Things like that.
I think you really have to take TS&M's first statement as truth. "Without meaning to be offensive"
I think it is commendable that you want to be in your own gear while learning and then while diving afterwards.
ScubaPro gear is good quality. I have a couple of issues with it as well. It is a rear inflate, which I think is the only way to go, but it is not a wing, instead it is then built into the shoulders. Not that big of a deal... The integrated weights though is my biggest concern. It is not a simple grab and pull. Instead you have to undo the plastic buckle and then pull. Not a huge deal, but make sure your buddy knows that. I am not big on the squared out D rings, but to each their own. I dive with several people that have this BC and other than that, I have no other issues with it.
I bought a similar quality BC after certification. Oceanic Excursion II. It is a rear inflate as well, but it is a seperate wing. The D rings are round and the integrated weights are just grab and pull. I have over 100 dives on it and it is still in great shape. A little fading on the neck piping, but all other is looking almost brand new.
I then built a BP/W over a year ago. I let is sit after that for quite a while. Only recently I adjusted it properly and started to dive it. I like it! I like my Excursion too, but I find I am diving the BP/W more.
I think what TS&M was saying was that instead of coming to get confirmation on what has already been purchased, new divers should come here and get advise on what to purchace.
There has been a saying here I have seen referenced several times. Buy your second gear, first!
But with all that said, what you have purchased is quality, and as you continue to use it, it should hold up well.
What is the difference between the "Seahawk" and the "Knighthawk"? It appears that the "Knighthawk" and "Seahawk" are both available in the US but only the "Seahawk" is available outside North America.
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OP
ScubaDoo83
Contributor
I have been using the Knighthawk for about 5 years. I have used it for everything from DSD intros to cave diving. It is a very nice all purpose BC. The only down side for me is lack of any real storage capacity....I hate the roll down pocket. The only time you will not find me wearing it is if I am diving doubles - in which case I'm wearing my Hollis.
00wabbit
Contributor
I think TS&M's comment comes from quite a lot of noobs (myself included) who get crazy excited about scuba and go out and buy the best tons of gear and then come to scubaboard to show off.
In time you will see that scubaboard in general has certain opinions about certain courses of action. A lot of us even joke about them. For instance, Split fins will kill you, suicide clips will kill you, you must dive DIR or you will die etc etc etc.
One thing us Noobs do over and over is rush out to buy a lot of gear without fully understanding the type of diver we want to be. Time after time "noobs" come to scuba and ask what gear to buy. And time after time they are told not to buy so much right now because they should get some more experience first and then they will learn what they need. No matter how many times they are told this they still rush off to buy the gear because for some of us the gear is a very cool aspect of scuba diving.
I am guilty as well. I bought all my gear from my instructor right after the pool sessions and before the open water dives. What did I buy you ask? I got the top of the line Scubapro Knighthawk w/ air2 of course. Along with a Cressi balanced adjustable reg and a cressi leonardo computer on a console.
2 years later what do I have left. I kept the cressi regs for my wife. They are no good for me because they are warm water regs and I found out that I really don't mind cold water diving and wanted cold water compatable regs. The leonardo in the console. I found out I hated the console and really wanted the computer on the wrist. For a while I took the computer out of the console and made a homemade bungie so I could put it on my wrist. Its a fine computer but I should have bought the wrist version. Now I have a different computer with a backlit screen that is better in lower light environments that I find my self in. The Air2 - Gone. I learned about hogarthian hose routing and really liked the concepts. I also found I didn't like the over complication of the power inflator. The knighthawk? Gone. Once I started diving with a drysuit I found that the weight pockets were too small and held the weight too high on my body. This put me in a head down attitude in the water that I was constantly finning to correct. If I looked down underwater the bc would ride up and make the situation worse. I sold it and moved to a backplate and wing set up with a DUI weight harness and almost instantly solved the problems I was having.
Fins - Had cressi reaction (good fins but basic) Got scubapro gorilla fins, looked cool and the dms had them. (Too stiff didn't care for them) Now for my drysuit I have hollis batfins. Nice and heavy to keep my feet down. I also have Mares Avanti Quattros for wet suit diving.
Oh and now I dive sidemount, so I might sell my BP/w or just keep it as backup. I'm also on my second set of tanks and looking at a third. The difference now is I buy most of my gear used or get really great deals when they pop up so if I sell something off later I don't really lose much money.
Now I'm not saying the gear I had was bad, but it wasn't right for me and the only way I could have found out was by diving more. Having my own gear allowed me to dive more and that was great, but I would have been better off buying used up front until I could get a better handle on my needs.
This story has repeated itself 1000 times on scubaboard and it's fun to sit back and watch.
Don't take offense. It is just the way of the community.
In time you will see that scubaboard in general has certain opinions about certain courses of action. A lot of us even joke about them. For instance, Split fins will kill you, suicide clips will kill you, you must dive DIR or you will die etc etc etc.
One thing us Noobs do over and over is rush out to buy a lot of gear without fully understanding the type of diver we want to be. Time after time "noobs" come to scuba and ask what gear to buy. And time after time they are told not to buy so much right now because they should get some more experience first and then they will learn what they need. No matter how many times they are told this they still rush off to buy the gear because for some of us the gear is a very cool aspect of scuba diving.
I am guilty as well. I bought all my gear from my instructor right after the pool sessions and before the open water dives. What did I buy you ask? I got the top of the line Scubapro Knighthawk w/ air2 of course. Along with a Cressi balanced adjustable reg and a cressi leonardo computer on a console.
2 years later what do I have left. I kept the cressi regs for my wife. They are no good for me because they are warm water regs and I found out that I really don't mind cold water diving and wanted cold water compatable regs. The leonardo in the console. I found out I hated the console and really wanted the computer on the wrist. For a while I took the computer out of the console and made a homemade bungie so I could put it on my wrist. Its a fine computer but I should have bought the wrist version. Now I have a different computer with a backlit screen that is better in lower light environments that I find my self in. The Air2 - Gone. I learned about hogarthian hose routing and really liked the concepts. I also found I didn't like the over complication of the power inflator. The knighthawk? Gone. Once I started diving with a drysuit I found that the weight pockets were too small and held the weight too high on my body. This put me in a head down attitude in the water that I was constantly finning to correct. If I looked down underwater the bc would ride up and make the situation worse. I sold it and moved to a backplate and wing set up with a DUI weight harness and almost instantly solved the problems I was having.
Fins - Had cressi reaction (good fins but basic) Got scubapro gorilla fins, looked cool and the dms had them. (Too stiff didn't care for them) Now for my drysuit I have hollis batfins. Nice and heavy to keep my feet down. I also have Mares Avanti Quattros for wet suit diving.
Oh and now I dive sidemount, so I might sell my BP/w or just keep it as backup. I'm also on my second set of tanks and looking at a third. The difference now is I buy most of my gear used or get really great deals when they pop up so if I sell something off later I don't really lose much money.
Now I'm not saying the gear I had was bad, but it wasn't right for me and the only way I could have found out was by diving more. Having my own gear allowed me to dive more and that was great, but I would have been better off buying used up front until I could get a better handle on my needs.
This story has repeated itself 1000 times on scubaboard and it's fun to sit back and watch.
Don't take offense. It is just the way of the community.
OP
ScubaDoo83
Contributor
Ok now this is just getting humorous how many times the word "offense" is being used. If anything, I'm getting DEfensive lol
If anyone comes to established forums to "show off" then they should get exactly what they deserve. To show off was not my intent as I am well aware I got middle of the road, but trusted, gear.
Anyway, thanks to those who shared their insights about the BC in question. I'll revisit this thread and post my findings after a couple of dives.
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