Aqualung Soul i3 people's experience please

[Dive Sitnalta]

Like with everything, personal preference matters.
Couple of priority questions to ask yourself when purchasing a BC:
1. How does it promote good balance and trim? (Jacket style is harder to maintain trim than Back Plate and Wing)
2. How easy is it to maintain and find parts? when traveling? (i3s are less common than traditional sets)
3. Does it lend to easy emergency actions, or does it have a special procedure? (i3s require your rescuer to know i3s)

Sum it up... I've used i3s. They're neat. But I can't recommend them. Plus they're not any cheaper than a decent Back Plate and Wing set up. I recommend you spend a few minutes and research the BP and Wing. Pick your brand, but find a continuous piece of webbing through a stainless BP (or aluminum) with a few D-Rings and 30-40# lift wing... a set up that will serve you well from open water through advanced and even some tech diving.

Good luck. Stay clear of gimmicks. i3... its a neat feature, but it doesn't make you a better diver, or a safer diver.

 

[mjan]

I have about 300 dives on an Dimension i3 I've had for about 5 years. I originally bought it when I moved to Maui. It was a great BCD for diving there. No problems whatsoever. I then moved to Southern California and dove it there, primarily the Channel Islands. No problem there either. I now live in North Idaho. Over the summer the valve had to be replaced. I feel like the mechanism is a bit delicate. If the BCD gets serviced annual, including an i3 rebuild kit, you shouldn't have any problems. I have had a few issues diving colder water/weather. Once the mechanism freezes, it seem like it take a long time for it to thaw, much longer than a standard BCD inflator/deflator. The dump mechanism of the i3 also remain sluggish in colder environments. (Water temps in the mid 30's) The oral inflator hose on my i3 is junk. It kinks easily, making oral inflation a pain. I just ordered a new BCD with a standard inflator.

As as side note. I have been diving since the early 70's. I have owned several BCD's over the years, as well as a BP set up. As far as BCD's go, the Dimension has been the most comfortable.