wheezy
Contributor
everybody has to learn for themselves.....
Balance or Knighthawk?
- Thread starter greyface
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I use my SeaQuest Balance everywhere I travel. By now it is faded but the back inflation, holster intergrated weights, back weight pockets and easy to adjust harness is the best I ever had. I have found that the Transpac II with the heavy but stiff harness very difficult to don with out help at times. Especially on a boat with no room! The Trans Pac II weight pockets are great but they have to be positioned at the rear of the harness and this adds to the difficulty of donning this rig unassisted.
I dive a single 120 steel HP with a dry suit and the 36 pounds of lift (SeaQuest) is more than adequate. As to the swivel rings, I never use them. Just unbuckle and slide out (or back in) easily.
My dive buddy (and long time mate) ditched her Trans Pac II for the SeaQuest Libra (women's version of the Balance). In the small size it has 30 pounds of lift and does very nicely with her 100 steel HP and dry suit.
The Balance and Libra are excellent recreational BCD's and can be anything a back plate can be except mount doubles (although the Balance claims to have an adapter).
Did I mention that the weight pockets are the best design on the market? I usually remove them between dives and then don my tank and other gear first. Then simply slide in the pockets , secure the velcro flaps and tighten the waist belt (not a cumberbund). the weights are form fitted around you waist and this means you hardly notice your are wearing weights. Never, lost a pocket either.
I dive a single 120 steel HP with a dry suit and the 36 pounds of lift (SeaQuest) is more than adequate. As to the swivel rings, I never use them. Just unbuckle and slide out (or back in) easily.
My dive buddy (and long time mate) ditched her Trans Pac II for the SeaQuest Libra (women's version of the Balance). In the small size it has 30 pounds of lift and does very nicely with her 100 steel HP and dry suit.
The Balance and Libra are excellent recreational BCD's and can be anything a back plate can be except mount doubles (although the Balance claims to have an adapter).
Did I mention that the weight pockets are the best design on the market? I usually remove them between dives and then don my tank and other gear first. Then simply slide in the pockets , secure the velcro flaps and tighten the waist belt (not a cumberbund). the weights are form fitted around you waist and this means you hardly notice your are wearing weights. Never, lost a pocket either.
Tommer
Contributor
I had the same debate myself about a month ago when I purchased my new BC, most of my dive buddies are telling me to purchase the balance, I have tried both of them on, Knighthawk is the choice for me, it just feel more solid and rugged, I just wish Scubapro make ML size other than just M or L, M is a bit small for me, L is way too big for me, I ended up purchasing the medium size instead.
tommer
tommer
MOUNTAIN MAN
New
I'm about to purchase a Seaquest Balance or Scubapro Knighthawk. I am a warm water recreational diver . Any comments on how these compare. Has anyone dove both?
ZenSquirrel
Guest
The main difference that I saw between the two when I was shopping was that the Balance only has a dump from the inflator hose and a rear right dump. The Knighthawk has an upper right dump and I'm not sure which side its rear dump is on. I like the Scubapro cam band system much better than the one on the Balance. I got a good deal on a Balance though so that is what I bought. I usually only dump air from my inflator hose (not pulling on it) so extra air dumps are not a selling point to me.
ZenSquirrel
Guest
I guess I should detail the difference between the cam band system. The Balance has a single loop with a plastic buckle. The Scubapro cam band is two pieces that join in a stainless steel buckle. I like the Scubapro system because it is easier to get them on a tank when you are on a boat. You don't have to mess with getting slack in the band and slipping it over the tank then trying to tighten it down. With Scubapro you just wrap the bands around, join the buckle and close it down. Most Scubapro BC's have an extra loop that goes over the valve of the tank and holds the BC at the right height where you want to buckle the main band.
IHMO, for warm-water recreational diving, the Balance is a better choice. It is lightweight, packs well, and is minimalist but perfectly functional and comfortable.
The Knighthawk is also excellent, but is over-engineered and more suited for cold-water or tech diving with its very sturdy construction heavy-duty D-rings.
theskull
I own the Balance for warm-water, and the Genesis Recon (very similar to Knighthawk) for cold/tech. And of course BP/Wings/doubles for serious tech.
The Knighthawk is also excellent, but is over-engineered and more suited for cold-water or tech diving with its very sturdy construction heavy-duty D-rings.
theskull
I own the Balance for warm-water, and the Genesis Recon (very similar to Knighthawk) for cold/tech. And of course BP/Wings/doubles for serious tech.
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