Dive Rite Travel Pac First impression of a newbie diver..... very cool !!

[KevWind]

First Full disclosure: I am a very new diver and have only very minimal experience with BCD's for comparative purposes. That said I am however older and a very experienced multi sports and rec. participant and know and appreciate the value of well designed equipment.

Luckily for me my current dive instructor is certified but non shop affiliated, and does not sell any equipment. So he is not only very knowledgeable but free to recommend any gear by any manufacture based on his experience and what he would choose for himself.

During a refresher course last month with him, I was able to try a Hollis wing and plate which was quit nice.
However he suggested that for my intention of mostly airline travel for diving, that I take a look at your Travel Pac . Which I did and after a lot of research of manufactures I purchased one .

For my OW dive training last year we used Aqua Lung Pro LT BCDs. and of course being new to diving buoyancy control was an issue. I managed sort of Ok with depth control but was constantly having to think about not rolling side to side, much less get a handel on horizontal trim.

The first and so far only time I have had the Travel Pac in the water it was a real eye opener. What an immediate difference, no rock & roll and because I could focus on trim, in less than 5 mins. I was able to actually suspend horizontal and stay neutral buoyant fairly well for a newbie , as well as work on a controlled back kick for eco friendly reef consideration . I was also able to swim off and maintain depth within a foot or so up or down. Very exciting.

I realize this is no way an endorsement from the voice of vast experience but is in fact the opposite, an observation on how easy your design it made it for an inexperienced diver. So kudos, I am so looking forward to a February dive trip to Roatan. Thanks for a great product, Kev

 

[Dive Rite]

Hi KevWind,

Wow, thanks very much for taking the time to post! Your kudos means a lot to the entire team at Dive Rite. So glad to read you're having a great experience as an new diver. That's exactly how it should be! I'm going to ping your post over to Facebook, too. I wish more new divers were keen to try our gear.

Cheers,
Kathleen

 

[KevWind]

Hi KevWind,

Wow, thanks very much for taking the time to post! Your kudos means a lot to the entire team at Dive Rite. So glad to read you're having a great experience as an new diver. That's exactly how it should be! I'm going to ping your post over to Facebook, too. I wish more new divers were keen to try our gear.

Cheers,
Kathleen

Your quite welcome, just a couple quick notes and another kudo to the very helpful gentleman at Dive Right who answered my research phone call and string of uninformed diver questions clearly, completely and politely. Then I was pleasantly surprised to find my size Lg. Travel Pac fits nicely (along with my reg & octo, spg, mask, computers, camera , dive light and 3.5 mm wetsuit ) into my 12 yr. old well travled, Eagle Creek Switchback 22" wheeled carry on. Very nice.

 

[fnfalman]

My first purchased BC was the Transpac (like the Travelpac but modular). I was a newbie to diving but I'm familiar with carrying heavy stuff on my body (a few years in the US Army infantry taught me a thing or two about being a human pack mule).

I knew that something just wasn't right with the jacket BC that I used for training. I made sure that the size was correct and all that stuff but it just wasn't right. Everything was just flopping around. After OW, I decided to buy my own gear and during talking with the shop owner, I eyeballed a Transpac and saw the way the harness was designed very similar to the different types of ruck sacks I've used. I bought it and five minutes in the water, I knew right away that the Transpac was "it".

Fast forward a year later, I decided that the bulk of my diving will be in California and so I went to the Transplate. Hard plate but with same harness. Fast forward a few more years, the Transpac now functions as my travel BC and I still take it out now and then to keep me afresh with it. Other than some slightly different feels, it dives just like my Transplate - buckles and straps are all at the same place. I dig it.

 

[Oldbear]

+1 for the Transplate...love it to death

 

[KevWind]

Good to know guys thanks, I think I'll go ahead and post a thoughts and impressions review after I get back from Roatan

 

[KevWind]

OK Back from Roatan after 15 dives I have to say I am very pleased with the Travel Pac BCD. First what peace of mind being able to pack my BCD, Regulators, Snorkel, Dive computers, Mask, full 3.5 mil Wetsuit, Booties, 2.5 Beanie, Swim suit, and Sealife 1400 camera, and I pad. All into my Eagle Creek roller carry on . All dive gear except for fins. Especially since my checked bag with clothes etc. was the second to last to appear on the conveyer belt in Roatan !!

In the water it was super. I am slender and was able to go with 12 lbs weight. 6 in the two tank strap pockets and 6 on the regular old fashioned weight belt. In use it's basically not even there until you hit the inflator hose. On the Travel Pac I have a small clip on fold up knife and a trilobite, a small 6 ft sausage and my snorkel attached horizontal on the bottom parallel with the bottom of the bladder. A real thumbs up to Dive Rite.

 

[gstrek]

...
In the water it was super. I am slender and was able to go with 12 lbs weight. 6 in the two tank strap pockets and 6 on the regular old fashioned weight belt. In use it's basically not even there until you hit the inflator hose. On the Travel Pac I have a small clip on fold up knife and a trilobite, a small 6 ft sausage and my snorkel attached horizontal on the bottom parallel with the bottom of the bladder. A real thumbs up to Dive Rite.

I just got a TravelPac and will be diving it in a few more weeks. I am going for 8 to 10 pounds (4 on cam and rest on belt). Got a size M rather than L as I have no hips and a runners build. Can't wait to get in the water with it! My question to KeyWInd is: how did you attach your sausage and snorkel on the bottom parallel with the bottom of the bladder?

 

[KevWind]

I just got a TravelPac and will be diving it in a few more weeks. I am going for 8 to 10 pounds (4 on cam and rest on belt). Got a size M rather than L as I have no hips and a runners build. Can't wait to get in the water with it! My question to KeyWInd is: how did you attach your sausage and snorkel on the bottom parallel with the bottom of the bladder?

It was just the snorkel on the bottom, I used velcro straps ( purple ) wrapped around behind the 2 " web waist band.

like so

Mouth piece faces in toward the back pad

Sausage is clipped to D ring with the plastic clip that came with it. Also there is 20 ft (orange para chord) wrapped up with the sausage black velcro strap and tucked behind sausage, this package is then strapped behind the 2 " webbing (red velcro) The other red velcro strap keeps the harness straps all tight and tidy for putting in my carry on

 

[gstrek]

Clever idea, thanks for providing pics as well (definitely worth a thousand words in this case). I will be clipping my camera to the front d- ring on the crotch strap. I'll use either a hip d-ring or possibly the partially accessible d-ring on the back of the crotch strap for my sausage. Since I can fold up my snorkel due to it having a very flexible tube that opens up other 'velcro' possibilities as well.

Thanks,
Gary