Best overall BC made Period

[immersed]

I looked hard at the Ranger as well, but there was something about the weight system that gave me some doubts - I don't remember if it was something a reviewer said or what. I don't remember it being a big thing, but it was just enough to tip me.

I wound up with a Black Diamond and couldn't be happier with it. It's very durable and versatile for my needs - it seems like the d-rings are well placed insofar as anything I've tied off has a handy spot available. I like the double-sized weight pockets and every part of it seems well designed. I've only done basic recreational diving, so I can't comment on its suitability for other types of dives.

It does have quite a hefty price tag associated with it. I feel that I've gotten my money's worth, if that helps at all - the shop salesmen are fond of reminding you that you're going to have your gear for many years and when divided out.....

With all that said, if I were BC shopping today I would be very sorely tempted to try out that triple-L.biz place. More than a couple of regular SB posters speak highly of the place's pricing and quality. Their Orion BC looks like it would be close in function to a Black Diamond, and it's priced at $182.10.

Two hundred bucks is two hundred bucks any way you look at it, but my reasoning for going that route would be that if I didn't like it I could probably get at least a hundred for it on eBay and then chalk up the other eighty as 'rental fee'. In general, I prefer to support my LDS, but when you're looking at $200 vs $550, good intentions take a pretty rough beating...

 

[diversteve]

I am looking very hard at a ZEAGLE RANGER LTD BC

Its a bit Pricey But it seems that its a Great BC ........

Always Tough to make the Right decsions in Scuba.

Mrstein

I have a Ranger LTD, I've dove it for two years now. I'm a rec diver who generally does 15-20 dives in a week of warm water diving.

Pro's/Con's as I see them:

It's a very well made BC, I've never had any trouble with it. And it's extremely comfortable, especially the Lumbar Pad, when you GS off the boat it's a nice cushion. And Zeagle includes a little padded strap that goes around the top of the tank to keep it from banging against your back, although I use it as a handle sometimes to hand up my BC at the ladder.

The whole unit is well padded in the shoulders and anywhere that it needs to be. And the straps are very adjustable and the jacket sides can also be repositioned. The whole system is modular, I changed bladder sizes while buying mine in the store for the same price.

The tank bands have slipped a little when not properly fastened until they get wet, then nothing's going to dislodge the tank. Zeagle puts a rubber pad on the inside of the bottom strap which rubs up against the tank. This could be my fault though of course. I've considered adding an Apollo lock.

For me, the zipper system has been useless since I don't have anything to zip on. But since it's on the inside of the flaps, it's not in the way. I did attach my short click knife to the outside of one of the flaps, it's always within easy reach. You can also buy the matching zipper if you have something to mount there w/o buying the pricier Zeagle accessory pockets.

I like the weight pouches, I use lead shot so I can finetune my buoyancy on location. My buddy who has a regular Ranger uses regular weights in his. The Ripcord system is a positive dump system, however it's not the easiest to re-thread until you've done it a couple of times. My previous BC had a similar system so I was already familiar with the concept. I've never had my weights drop inadvertently. I did see a woman once whose standard practice was to dump her weights as soon as she was up the ladder onto the dock, so hubby could carry them to the rinse tank.

The back weight pockets for me are kind of hit/miss. Sometimes I've put up to 4lbs. in them, other times I keep all my weight in front, since the BC rides low, almost to your hips, the balance is good. I am able to hold most positions in the water, I like to be a little vertical as I shoot video while ascending or descending vertically down reef faces. The inflator control is such that I can stop and hover effortlessly.

Once you've geared up and have the tank strapped in, the front pockets are a little too tight to be accessible when you stand up. It's not one of those BC's that allow you to add your weights just before you jump off - they go in before you put it on. I wouldn't put anything in there that can't get stressed. Once you hit the water, they're easier to access. My buddy keeps his p/s camera in there most of the time.

One of the best references I have for the Ranger: Last summer in Bonaire, at our diver-oriented condo, we went shore(dock) diving one afternoon. Afterwards at the rinse tank were a couple who were Bonaire regulars from NC, a videoographer from NY, his wife, my buddy and me. 5 out of 6 of us had Zeagle BC's, 4 were Rangers.

For a possibly better price, see Scubatoys.com, they're a Ranger dealer.

Steve

 

[herman]

One other consideration I have not seen mentioned is the size and weight of the BC. If you intend to travel with it, this is a big concern or at least it is for me. I own a Ranger but for me, its too bulky to be used for travel. At 9 lbs and taking up 1/2 of my big suitcase it was just too big for me to travel with. Off shore here where I drive to the boats, it's fine. Fact of the matter is that you can't actually wear out any quality BC in normal diving so buying a BC made with lighter materials is not a problem. If you are traveling with the BC I would suggest you look into one of the lighter BC's. In the Zeagle brand, the Escape is a good choice. I was looking for something very small so I ended up with the Scout.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Zeagle?!?!? Come on now people, he asked for the best, not the ugliest....he he he he he :11:

 

[jagfish]

I had the Balance and Black Diamond before moving to BP/Wings.

For warm water diving like you describe, I'd recommend the Balance. You'll never need the weight capacity of the Black Diamond unless you dive dry. It will be overkill for you in that setting...

 

[OE2X]

Despite Stryker's advice I would recommend a lightweight AL backplate for warm waterd diving and a heavier steel backplate for coldwater diving.

A BP&W doesn't take up much space when you are traveling. You won't have to worry about anything getting broken on it either when you are far from home and can't replace some important doodad...

 

[D_O_H]

I dive a Ranger LTD too and sjspec has given a very good summary of the pros and cons of the BC. The only thing I'd add is that the BC is pretty large and takes up a lot of space when traveling. If I had it to do over again, I would buy a Zeagle Brigade (only available at Scubatoys). It's the Ranger with a smaller bladder which, in my humble opinion, would be the ultimate BC.

I have a Ranger LTD, I've dove it for two years now. I'm a rec diver who generally does 15-20 dives in a week of warm water diving.

Pro's/Con's as I see them:

It's a very well made BC, I've never had any trouble with it. And it's extremely comfortable, especially the Lumbar Pad, when you GS off the boat it's a nice cushion. And Zeagle includes a little padded strap that goes around the top of the tank to keep it from banging against your back, although I use it as a handle sometimes to hand up my BC at the ladder.

The whole unit is well padded in the shoulders and anywhere that it needs to be. And the straps are very adjustable and the jacket sides can also be repositioned. The whole system is modular, I changed bladder sizes while buying mine in the store for the same price.

The tank bands have slipped a little when not properly fastened until they get wet, then nothing's going to dislodge the tank. Zeagle puts a rubber pad on the inside of the bottom strap which rubs up against the tank. This could be my fault though of course. I've considered adding an Apollo lock.

For me, the zipper system has been useless since I don't have anything to zip on. But since it's on the inside of the flaps, it's not in the way. I did attach my short click knife to the outside of one of the flaps, it's always within easy reach. You can also buy the matching zipper if you have something to mount there w/o buying the pricier Zeagle accessory pockets.

I like the weight pouches, I use lead shot so I can finetune my buoyancy on location. My buddy who has a regular Ranger uses regular weights in his. The Ripcord system is a positive dump system, however it's not the easiest to re-thread until you've done it a couple of times. My previous BC had a similar system so I was already familiar with the concept. I've never had my weights drop inadvertently. I did see a woman once whose standard practice was to dump her weights as soon as she was up the ladder onto the dock, so hubby could carry them to the rinse tank.

The back weight pockets for me are kind of hit/miss. Sometimes I've put up to 4lbs. in them, other times I keep all my weight in front, since the BC rides low, almost to your hips, the balance is good. I am able to hold most positions in the water, I like to be a little vertical as I shoot video while ascending or descending vertically down reef faces. The inflator control is such that I can stop and hover effortlessly.

Once you've geared up and have the tank strapped in, the front pockets are a little too tight to be accessible when you stand up. It's not one of those BC's that allow you to add your weights just before you jump off - they go in before you put it on. I wouldn't put anything in there that can't get stressed. Once you hit the water, they're easier to access. My buddy keeps his p/s camera in there most of the time.

One of the best references I have for the Ranger: Last summer in Bonaire, at our diver-oriented condo, we went shore(dock) diving one afternoon. Afterwards at the rinse tank were a couple who were Bonaire regulars from NC, a videoographer from NY, his wife, my buddy and me. 5 out of 6 of us had Zeagle BC's, 4 were Rangers.

For a possibly better price, see Scubatoys.com, they're a Ranger dealer.

Steve

 

[SeanQ]

The best BC is the BC that best fits your needs. Period. (Except the HUB )

I use an Oxycheq backplate and wing system. It's strong, it's stable, it works well with the diving I do and does work with the diving I wish to pursue.

 

[KidK9]

The one that brings you back up.....

In all seriousness, for my rec purposes, I wouldnt part with my Seaquest Balance.

 

[TostitoBandito]

I've been diving a Ranger LTD for over a year now and love it. No problems whatsoever. I use it for cold water diving and for tropical warm water diving. As long as you have a big gear bag to pack it in for travel you'll have no problems.


-Eric