BC question and Zeagle NiteRunner

[Ari]

I have read carefully a lot of the posts with regard to Back Inflation vs. Jacket Style BC's. It looks like even for a beginner diver (that's me) a Back Inflation/Wing is the way to go, in order to have room for growth (in skills, that is). I was offered a good deal on a Zeagle NiteRunner and due to the fact that Zeagle is highly regarded in this forum, I am seriously looking at it. The problem is that I didn't see any reference to this model. Does anybody know it? It has 44 lbs. of lift, so it might be useful for some tech as well (in the near future hopefully).

Another option is an IDI, which is a jacket style, but good performenr for both styles of diving.

I will be happy to hear what you think.

Ari

 

[miked]

Ari,
First, "Welcome from NJ."
You are at the best board for scuba info to ask and share.
Regarding your comments and questions,you are correct. Many people on this board speak very highly of Zeagle BC's. ( I have a Concept 2 pro,which I really like, and many others have Rangers.)
I also have not heard of the "Niterunner"-and did not see it mentioned on the Zeagle website (www.zeagle.com). Perhaps you can contact Zeagle there for more info.
Additionally, if a product exists, somebody on this board has had experience with it, and will post a more specific answer.

A few questions to help get a more informed reply:Is this "deal" from a dive shop, or private individual - is the BC a new model, or a used one that has been around for a while and is no longer in production?
Finally, a word of advice that is sure to be repeated by others who reply to your post: regardless of who says what the most important factor, after quality and reliability, in purchasing a piece
of equipment is "is it right for you". (Not everyone on this board is in favor of Zeagle BC's, or back flotation, or....actually, almost anything. In other words,you can get a variety of differing opinions on almost any topic.)
The important things are: Do you like the way it fits, feels, works-is it right for the diving you do, or plan to do (you mentioned "tech" in the future).

You indicated you have done the research,and have posted your question here with the hope of getting even more info. Bravo!- that's the smart way to begin building a set of gear.The only additional suggestion I could make is to "look and, if possible, try before you buy". Can you rent the type of BC you want, or will the dive shop let you have a "pool session" to get the feel of it?
In other words, take all the input you get, evaluate it, and go for one more informed opinion-yours!

Please let us know what happens.
Once again, welcome and good luck,
Miked

 

[Ari]

Thanks Miked

The deal is from the Importer of Zeagle to Israel, so I guess it is legit. It is brand new and with warranty. Some more web surfing I did today suggests that his is a variant of the concept BC from Zeagle. This might help to get answers.

Ari

 

[TexasMike]

A big Texas HOWDY!!! from me and the others of NDI's Texas Swamp Diving Team! You be sure to drop into the "Introduction & Greets" Forum and let everyone know about you so that the rest of the crowd gets the chance to get to know ya!

Like MikeD, This was the first time I had heard of Zeagle "Nightrunner". I also didn't think that Zeagle was into changing the names of their products for certain international markets. And for warranty considerations, I'm kinda leery of this "name change". Zeagle customer service is usually very prompt with responding to inquiries, so you might take a few minutes to e-mail them.

I dive with a Zeagle Ranger BC and am a big fan of it. While it did take me a bit to sort it out (u/w balance and where/how I wanted to stow some things in/on the BC), once I got that down, I have been very happy with it. About the only other BC I would advise a "new gear purchaser" to investigate would be a backplate/wings setup like the Halcyon, Dive-Rite, or OMS (these are often classified as Tech BC's, but they will cover the recreational realm just fine as well).

Again, Like MikeD, I also advise that you ask the shop if you can do at least a pool dive with the BC you are considering. Until you get the chance to "test drive it" underwater, you won't be able to evaluate the performance and determine if this is the one for you. Something will proably come up during the test dive that will either totally sell you on this BC, or turn you off of it.

Finally, be sure that the dealer in question is willing to help you size the BC to fit your shape. One really nice feature of the Zeagle and the BP/Wings is that it has a modular construction, allowing you to swap out components to achieve a near custom fit. So if your dealer is willing to swap out components to fit you accurately, you know you got a good shop to work with.

As far as the Zeagle Concept, I have had not any direct experience with it, but I think Dee has. I will make sure to send her this way.

Glad to have you hear and we look forward to your contributions.

 

[Iguana Don]

ARI,

From my understanding and with a conversation from the local Zeagle Dealer here's the poop. The Ranger and the Niterunner are the same the only difference is the Niterunner has some reflective tapes and the panels have some reflective tape on them as well as the Zeagle logo.

It is a good piece of equipment and would not hesitate to recommend it to you. I own a Zeagle Ranger myself.

Hope this helps

ID
.