Aqualung Dimension I3 review

[helgo]

Bought this BCD recently and did 9 dives with it. I do not have a lot of experience, but here are my thoughts and observations:

1. The build quality seems top notch, very sturdy.
2. Very comfortable, good padding in the lower back area.
3. 2 D-rings on the left and right chest.
4. i3 controller is GREAT. one less hose to worry about, very convenient and worked flawlessly.
5. back inflate FAR better in my opinion than jacket style.
6. Good adjustable straps.
7. weight integration: the way to go.
8. one pocket lower right, not the largest I've seen but functional.
9. Grommets on left lower area accept DeepSee knives, very convenient.

Hope this helps someone else interested in buying this item.

 

[chile7236]

yes, it's a very nice BC but i prefer the pro qd i3...the cons i had with the dimension are not so evident with the pro qd version and i have found (or should i say "re-found") that a proper fitting jacket bc can be just as comfy (for me anyway) as a back inflate.

 

[helgo]

which cons did you have ?\

 

[chile7236]

just nit picky ones...the non-removable trim pouches, the low tank strap, no carrying handle...little things like that.

 

[amoney]

I started to get interested but then saw that odd low tank strap. The Aqualung demo video of that particular piece made me quickly rethink things. I have older Seaquest BCD's that have the tank cradle that I always found great for the back.

Whats ironic is the video on the Aqualung site actually shows the tank valve bashing the back of the divers skull (when in water)... per the recommended tank strap positioning, geesh.. and if you lower the tank, the upper strap will not compensate for the tank tilt out of the water. Again the old Seaquest style of a tank cradle really worked well.

To be fair I've also seen other marketing departments also like to demonstrate their belief that the first stage belongs banging the back of ones head...


EDIT Ooops, sorry did not catch that this was an OLD thread.

 

[andrethediver]

I have Dimension i3 and see no issues with tank strap nor do i think it is any different from any other BC. My con with this bc is that i cant seem to find a mounting point on the plastic backplate for my zeagle SMB pouch. Somehow it was not a problem with my Knighthawk.


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[cb5150]

I have Dimension i3 and see no issues with tank strap nor do i think it is any different from any other BC. My con with this bc is that i cant seem to find a mounting point on the plastic backplate for my zeagle SMB pouch. Somehow it was not a problem with my Knighthawk.


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My buddy unscrewed the bolts on the plastic backplate and mounted a mesh pouch. I guess it depends whether or not the holes will line up with your Zeagle pouch.

 

[andrethediver]

Thanks for your suggestion. Just checked and I see two metal screws attaching plastic plate to the wrapture harness. Are these the ones? I dont think they are long enough...

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