First BCD purchase - Aqua Lung Pro HD

[outofofficebrb]

BUMP:

I just got my open water certification today and I was using a school-supplied Aqualung Pro HD. It worked well enough but I have little experience diving and nothing to compare it to. I'd like to buy from (and support) my local shop...they only carry Aqualung and Sherwood.

My instructor is recommending I stick with the Aqualung Pro HD. He said it's high quality (for what it is) and that Aqualung provides excellent support when needed. I hope to get into spearfishing.

Thoughts?

Tipsy

@diversteve pretty much summed up everything I wanted to say! I agree, the Zuma is probably better for travel and warm water diving; however, if you decide to do anything cold water that might not provide enough lift for you so you want to keep the end in mind. Regardless of what you decide to go with and what your instructor says, it needs to fit you well. Are you able to try any of the Aqua Lung or Sherwood BCs to compare the fit and feel in the water?

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

@diversteve Regardless of what you decide to go with and what your instructor says, it needs to fit you well. Are you able to try any of the Aqua Lung or Sherwood BCs to compare the fit and feel in the water?

I haven't asked if I could try any of the other Aqualung or Sherwood models. I am considering a used Scubapro Glide-X (for about the same price as a new Pro HD) but it's not local to me and I'm a bit reluctant to buy used without being able to verify fitment.

I guess the OP of this thread was primarily a travel/vacation diver. I'll be diving locally more often than not, so suitability for travel isn't a primary concern.

I'm still leaning toward the Aqualung Pro HD, as I have't read anything as of yet to dissuade me from this choice.

Tipsy

 

[htatton]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I settled on the sherwood avid cqr 3. It's cheaper than the Aqualung Pro HD, Had a good scubalabs rating and I really like it for stability both under and on the water. The weight release system is the best I have tried..

 

[Colliam7]

Does anybody have any thoughts/reviews of the Aqua Lung Pro HD BCD?

My instructor is recommending I stick with the Aqualung Pro HD. He said it's high quality (for what it is) and that Aqualung provides excellent support when needed. I hope to get into spearfishing. Thoughts?

There is nothing particularly wrong with a Pro HD. There is also nothing particularly right about it either. It is simply a run-of-the-mill jacket BCD. I own, and use in the pool at times, an Aqualung Wave. Both units are well-made, and there are some interesting similarities in appearance and function (notwithstanding the difference in weight integration). Aqualung is a very good company, that stands behind their products, with a well-developed distributor network.

I have my personal preferences regarding BCDs, and any comments I make are necessarily biased, according to those preferences. Things about the Pro HD that I do not care for:

1. It is weight-integrated. Although that seems to be a popular direction in the industry, the problem is that the weight pockets on the BCD put the weight below the diver's physiologic center of lift (the lungs / thorax) which pulls the legs down a bit, and creates the poorly trimmed '45'er' - the diver who swims underwater at a 45 degree angle - and wastes air and energy. A diver does not HAVE to become a 45'er just because they are wearing one. But, most newer divers are still learning the intricacies of proper trim, and becoming a 45'er is a not uncommon result of the mismatch of the respective positions of physiologic lift and weight. That 45 degree attitude underwater is inefficient, and causes the diver to use more air than necessary.

2. It is positively buoyant (aka 'floaty'). It has completely unnecessary padding on the back, and the fabric, while strong, is also positively buoyant. What that translates to, for the vast majority of divers, is the need to add additional weight to compensate for the positive buoyancy of the BCD itself. It is somewhat ironic - the BCD is a 'buoyancy compensation device', intended to compensate for the loss of buoyancy at depth as the diver's neoprene compresses. Yet, it also becomes a 'compensator' for the additional weight that the diver has to add to offset the positive buoyancy of the BCD at the surface. I have no desire to carry a single ounce of weight that is not necessary. It is inefficient, and causes the diver to use more air than necessary.

3. Partly as a result of the need to add additional weight to compensate for the unnecessary positive buoyancy of the unit, the BCD is rated to provide more lift than is generally necessary for single cylinder diving. But, the higher rating translates into a larger bladder, and the greater possibility of a shifting 'bubble' underwater, which makes achieving good trim more difficult. That is inefficient, and causes the diver to use more air than necessary to compensate for the shifting bubble.

4. It has only one cylinder cam band. I prefer two. While having two cam bands is not a solution for failure to properly tighten single cam bands on shore during equipment assembly, having two in place does offer some additional support, and makes it a bit less likely that the cylinder will slip down and out of the band(s), below and behind the diver. Having two bands also adds to the over stability of the unit.

5. It is quite overpriced, at a MSRP of $499. Paying a premium price for an average product is particularly inefficient.

6. It really doesn't fold up well, and therefore doesn't travel as compactly as other BCDs. This leads to either larger luggage, or the need to leave other items at home, which is particularly inefficient.

As I said, none of this is particularly wrong, nor is it particularly right. It does appear to be particularly inefficient.

There are many other options that may offer greater efficiency, and comparable, if not better, performance.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

I appreciate the feedback. I realize it's just one man's opinion but if you were a new diver and planning to getting into spearfishing, diving locally most of the time, in warm water and interested in buying from your LDS, who sells Aqua Lung and Sherwood (though interested in suggestions for any/all brands), what would be your recommendation for a first BCD?

Incidentally, my instructor was pretty good about teaching us how to distribute weight using the trim pockets so as to achieve as level a position as possible.

Tipsy

 

[Michaelszippy]

FWIW, I had a Sherwood CQR2 and the tank supports tore out of the back of the BC. Sherwood replaced it with their latest CQR3 for $300 through my LDS. I just got the replacement. The build quality appears cheap. Flimsy zippers on the pockets; small quick release clips; thin material on all straps. Vinyl cover over the top half of the pockets will scratch easily. With zero use (just out of the bag), the belly strap doesn't secure properly, one side slips with the slightest tug. The revised weight system appears to have necessitated reducing the size of the pockets and moving them toward the back a bit. So, the pocket will no longer close with my safety sausage and finger reel in it, and the position of the pocket and the zipper make it difficult to access. For me, one of the benefits of a jacket style BC is having large pockets that reduce the amount of stuff I have to hang off d-rings.

My LDS carries the Aqualung Pro HD and we did a side-by-side comparison. The Pro HD is simply a heavier duty build. Better zippers with a more functional pocket design, heavier straps, heavier clips, no vinyl. I'm going to see if I can return the CQR and, perhaps, I will replace it with the Pro HD.

On the one tank strap vs two issue, while I have enjoyed the extra security of two straps, diving steel I find that I must perfectly align the tank in both straps to avoid a slight tilt to one side or the other. This is actually trickier than it sounds, particularly for the second dive when the changeover is occurring on a pitching boat. When securing the second band, I have to adjust for the very slight shift that occurs when I lock the strap down. It's a pain. Maybe not an issue with AL80s; an annoyance with my steel 120, which is a long tank.

Lots of advice to sift through. Good luck.

 

[Langsam]

Here's my standard response.

As new divers you probably took classes with a Jacket BCD. They're easiest to configure for your shop/training purposes and do a pretty decent job. Especially while floating you on the surface vertically. For actual diving though, a back-inflate model seems like a superior design since when horizontal the air bubble is completely on your back making it generally easier to trim out while actually diving. If you consider the 3 common types - Jacket, Back-Inflate or Backplate/Wing - 2 of 3 position all the air on your back. Must be a reason for that...A telling example is one of the low-end Jacket models - maybe a Mares or Cressi? - comes with a permanent barcode on the shoulder for inventory tracking purposes...

Also while the Pro HD is a good option for you she might like something cut for a woman instead. Both for the "girls" and also since they're generally shorter in the torso since most women are also. Which positions the integrated weights in the right spot.

For that reason, maybe consider a Pearl instead if you're set on an Aqualung Jacket. Or a Lotus if you decide back-inflate is a better option. Whatever you do - don't buy an I3. It takes a relatively simple, straighforward inflator design (schrader valve - there's one in your tires) that's been used for decades and needlessly complicates it so you can push a lever instead. And adds about 20+ failure points, custom dump valves, a custom lever system in the process. Making the only place you can get it fixed an Aqualung Dealer with a specially trained technician - and more importantly the only place to get repair parts. That's gotta cost more...

My anecdotal story is diving the 2nd day on a liveaboard trip a few years ago. The diver next to me powered up his gear and we both watched his inflator button fly across the deck. However the spring flew farther - over the railing into the water. The DM laughed, went below and came back with one he'd cut off a rental. Two cable ties later and the diver was on the same dive I was. Had it been an Aqualung he'd have been renting all week since the boat never touched land. Maybe an extreme example but it's why I stay away from anything proprietary if possible. I don't buy my own personal gear not to use it.

For only warm water, vacation diving the ZUMA is a much better option. You can add another pocket to the front strap to carry more stuff if desired, it's small, lightweight and rolls up into a bag that is small and light enough to carry on. Other similar options are ScubPro's Lighthawk or Zeagle's Covert - which at 3.9lbs. is among the lightest sold and designed to roll-up. 2013 Lighthawks are also selling for $250 at LeisurePro.com. The Covert is $439

My feeling is with your planned dive count - keeping it clean and rinsed you may never need to have it serviced. I do a lot more dives every year than you may total, abuse my gear slightly and in the last 12 years that I've owned my current BC - the only repairs it's needed was one $25 inflator hose. I more changed that also since the company has a new version for $50 with a removable inflator so you screw on a standard garden hose to flush it. It hasn't seen the inside of a shop in at least 8 years. I took it in once for a end of warranty check but not since.

---------- Post added January 1st, 2016 at 03:44 PM ----------

If you don't have a local shop anywhere nearby - consider Scubatoys options also. While they don't sell Aqualung they do sell a lot of other well-known brands. And have a very liberal exchange policy - they'll even swap parts on some modular lines like the Zeagle - till you get the right fit. Leisurepro.com also has a personal fit guarantee on a lot of their products. I do not know the details. I also returned a BC to Divers Direct once but they jacked me around for almost two months before issuing the credit.

The back flotation is a death wish. The safest is the horse collar. It floats you vertically with a bladder that throws your head back. Next is the jacket style. It floats you vertically but does nothing to keep your head out of the water.Next is the angel pack (back flotation). It was designed for photographers It will float you horizontally with your face in the water.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The back flotation is a death wish. The safest is the horse collar. It floats you vertically with a bladder that throws your head back. Next is the jacket style. It floats you vertically but does nothing to keep your head out of the water.Next is the angel pack (back flotation). It was designed for photographers It will float you horizontally with your face in the water.

I could not disagree more. We are not using life jackets at the surface. This is ridiculous. If back inflates and wings are death wishes, then many divers, including technical divers, wouldn’t be using them. Being vertical in the water column while diving is not the goal and being at the surface is a small period of time relative to the dive time. I have dived a back inflate or wing for about 800 dives and dived a jacket for about 30 dives. There’s a reason why I left the jacket behind long ago. Being trim in the water, which I achieved easily with a back inflate/wing reduced my effort and air consumption. You won’t be floating horizontally with your face in the water at the surface if you don’t overinflate the wing which a lot of people tend to do when they come from jackets. Inflate enough to get your head out of the water. Just relax and kick back like you’re in a recliner. No issues even in rough waters.

 

[lowwall]

The back flotation is a death wish. The safest is the horse collar. It floats you vertically with a bladder that throws your head back. Next is the jacket style. It floats you vertically but does nothing to keep your head out of the water.Next is the angel pack (back flotation). It was designed for photographers It will float you horizontally with your face in the water.

You bumped an 8 year old unrelated thread to post this nonsense. Why?

And your first post too.

If you want to start a gear argument, fine. But do it on its own thread or at least find an existing thread that's on that topic.