Aqualung Rogue BCD Review -- Major Issue

[jeffsky29]

I need to buy one trim pocket to offset my pony. Do they only sell them as pairs? I figure I need 3 to 4lbs for my 30Al Pony.

 

[happy-diver]

 

[Rick Brant]

happy-diver you posted an ad. Is there a message in there?

 

[YSU]

I have a couple of fixes I'm considering. The easy one I already mentioned, simply using a weight belt. That might not be a bad approach as I often pull the weights when entering or exiting. With a weight belt the whole weight drop on land thing gets way easier.

Two other things I'm considering are to simply use some epoxy to glue the two junctions together. I think the right glue would readily bond the joints and I would know quickly if a joint ever failed, as the belt would start to rotate. The other thing I am considering is putting a small square of rubber under the depressible latch / tongue. I think that latch is somehow getting depressed when torque from the weight pockets causes the waist belt to twist. If it was harder for it to depress, it would be harder for things to fall apart.

The bolt option sounds too invasive to me, but I'll take a look. The bolt does not actually have to support the weight of the belt, it just needs to keep everything aligned during any brief periods where the snap is open.

I do plan to keep the BCD since this is not an underwater issue. It's by far the most comfortable BCD I have used and it is very easy to transport. I wish the snaps were "snap once, never open" though as there are no circumstances where I would undo the snaps.

Rick, the attachment for the weight belt is identical to the attachment point for the shoulder strap — a single pivot. The difference is the shoulder straps have a 2nd element, the bit of folded over webbing you pass through a D-ring-ish hard loop.

If you are modifying your waist belt, make THAT modification. It keeps the rotation ability mostly intact and adds a second attachment point. Probably should have been in the original design…

Tomorrow will be dive 100 with my Rogue - never had an issue, best BCD I’ve ever had, and I disassemble it for each trip / storage etc. Maybe no issues because I never put more that 5lbs on each side of the waist belt?

 

[Rick Brant]

I ended up purchasing the rear weight pockets, which have two plastic snaps and can't rotate. The waist belt just has two empty slots now but without the weight it does not lever off. AL should not sell the waist-mount weight belt IMO.