Aeris BC Report
As promised, here is the report on my new Aeris BC:
For those of you who don't know it, the Aeris is a hybrid BC that gives you back and some side or "wrap wound" inflation. Since my previous BCs have all been the standard jacket type, this was a new design for me.
PROS:
- excellent lift.
- good upright position on the surface. Negligible body squeeze when fully inflated.
- crisp LPI, easy to identify inflator controls. Three dump mechanisms.
- very adjustable: I am not a big person (5'4", 135 lbs). Add to this the fact that I have various exposure suits, and you understand why this is important. I found the BC fitted properly with both wet and drysuits. Even though I could "snug it down", the BC did not bind or hinder my movement.
- weight integrated or not: your choice. Wts easy to dump from BC. (As it happens, I ultimately went back to my weight belt; the BC was just too heavy for me to manage on land when fully weighted for drysuit diving.)
- zippered pouch built into cummerbund: great place to put the car key!
-smooth profile: easy to doff & don on land and in the water. No odds & sods to get stuck on.
CONS:
- pockets: I need more! Or at least larger ones. Right now my UK SL4 light JUST fits in my left one. I would also prefer a clip inside at least one pocket to secure a light lanyard.
- LP inflator is VERY long. If it's going to be that long at least put the velcro guide higher on the shoulder so that you can do the standard LPI purge easier. Because of this I found that I had to dump air by pulling the LPI hose. Otherwise the BC had a tendency to retain air because I couldn't get the LPI hose high enough above my shoulder for the air to release. Maybe this was home only a "problem" because of my size? Something to think about.
SUMMARY:
I can live with the "cons"... I like the BC. It seems to give me the best of both worlds (jacket vs back inflation) with great lift at a reasonable price.
~SubMariner~
As promised, here is the report on my new Aeris BC:
For those of you who don't know it, the Aeris is a hybrid BC that gives you back and some side or "wrap wound" inflation. Since my previous BCs have all been the standard jacket type, this was a new design for me.
PROS:
- excellent lift.
- good upright position on the surface. Negligible body squeeze when fully inflated.
- crisp LPI, easy to identify inflator controls. Three dump mechanisms.
- very adjustable: I am not a big person (5'4", 135 lbs). Add to this the fact that I have various exposure suits, and you understand why this is important. I found the BC fitted properly with both wet and drysuits. Even though I could "snug it down", the BC did not bind or hinder my movement.
- weight integrated or not: your choice. Wts easy to dump from BC. (As it happens, I ultimately went back to my weight belt; the BC was just too heavy for me to manage on land when fully weighted for drysuit diving.)
- zippered pouch built into cummerbund: great place to put the car key!
-smooth profile: easy to doff & don on land and in the water. No odds & sods to get stuck on.
CONS:
- pockets: I need more! Or at least larger ones. Right now my UK SL4 light JUST fits in my left one. I would also prefer a clip inside at least one pocket to secure a light lanyard.
- LP inflator is VERY long. If it's going to be that long at least put the velcro guide higher on the shoulder so that you can do the standard LPI purge easier. Because of this I found that I had to dump air by pulling the LPI hose. Otherwise the BC had a tendency to retain air because I couldn't get the LPI hose high enough above my shoulder for the air to release. Maybe this was home only a "problem" because of my size? Something to think about.
SUMMARY:
I can live with the "cons"... I like the BC. It seems to give me the best of both worlds (jacket vs back inflation) with great lift at a reasonable price.
~SubMariner~
