Genesis Recon BC

[Rick2]

I'm a new diver. Does anyone have any opinions on the Genesis Recon-B.C.? : :

 

[H2Andy]

welcome aboard, Rick...

i moved your question here to keep things streamlined... like a good BC

 

[Tamas]

I have been diving with the Recon since day one, and I just love it. It is a very strong, very well designed BC with an awesome array of options to suit all diving needs.
The bladder is large enough for all body sizes (me being close to 300lbs) and has plenty of lift at 75lbs, there are ample of d-rings to use, excellent weight integration and trim weight pouches. Being a back inflate BC it has great trim and offers excellent movement. The only thing you will have to remember is not to over-inflate the bladder, because it will put you on your face at the surface......but other than that I love it.

 

[Boogie711]

Um - I would argue that a new diver definitely does NOT want a BC with 75 lbs of lift. Actually, I don't know why ANY diver would want 75 lbs of lift. If you get a stuck inflator on that thing with an AL80 you can imitate a Polaris missile. What do you do with all that extra wing material anyway? Does it just flop around back there?

 

[Tamas]

Um - I would argue that a new diver definitely does NOT want a BC with 75 lbs of lift. Actually, I don't know why ANY diver would want 75 lbs of lift. If you get a stuck inflator on that thing with an AL80 you can imitate a Polaris missile. What do you do with all that extra wing material anyway? Does it just flop around back there?

Yes correct, perhaps for a newbie diver a 75lb lift might be bit overkill, but for me it has worked out just fine, no stuck inflators just yet or problems with having to contact Huston!

The wing is actually held back with bungee cords that do a pretty good job keeping it small and compact when not inflated.

Overall a good BC, but it might be the best choice for a new diver for the above mentioned issues - thanks for pointing them out.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Um - I would argue that a new diver definitely does NOT want a BC with 75 lbs of lift. Actually, I don't know why ANY diver would want 75 lbs of lift. If you get a stuck inflator on that thing with an AL80 you can imitate a Polaris missile. What do you do with all that extra wing material anyway? Does it just flop around back there?

At the risk of getting into another argument with you I'll address your concerns since you have apparently have never dove a Recon and don't have an opinion based on direct experience with a Recon. (Which begs the question of why you even responded.)

75 lbs of lift is nice for a cold water diver on the surface in rough water. It is nice to be able to get real positive and higher out of the water while waiting for other divers etc. It's a personal choice that non DIR divers are free to excercise.

75 lbs of lift is arguably overkill and 45-50 lbs will serve about as well in most situations. But the idea that you are going to ICBM up from depth is a fallacy for a couple of reasons.

A knowledegable diver with good skills will notice a stuck inflator immediately and will just disconnect it. It's why they come with a QUICK disconnect. With proper action on the part of the diver, the runaway inflater will consequently not have time to fill a 30-45 lb wing let alone a 75lb (or 100lb) wing so the wing size is really a moot point unless you are really asleep on the inflator.

Even assuming the wing did fully fill, if the diver flares in the water into a horizontal skydiving type position they will increase their drag immensely over the drag in a vertical position.

Given that drag increases as the square of the velocity (which means four times the thrust is required to produce twice the speed) another 30 lbs of lift contained in a 75 lb wing is going to result in ascent rate only slightly faster than the lift in a 45 lb BC given the high drag position maintained by the diver. Again, you would need 180 lbs of lift to double the ascent you would have with a 45 lb wing. Consequently, 75 lbs will produce only a very slightly higher ascent rate.

In case you have not figured it out yet, the ICBM with a big wing thing is largely an urban legend unless the diver is totally clueless and inept.

This position also allows the wing to be dumped easily and the dump rate of modern wing mounted dump valve will easily exceed the expansion rate of the air in even a 75 lb wing meaning you are going to quickly halt the descent in virtually the same amount of time and distance that you would with a 45 lb wing that experienced the same degree of over inflation.

If a diver with a fully inflated 75 lb wing in a flared position starts next to a diver with a fully inflated 27 lb wing in a vertical ascent postion, the diver with the small wing is still going to beat the diver with the large wing to the surface. It's just a matter of being smart and using drag to control speed.

So a larger wing does carry the theoretical potential for a faster ascent rate, but the risk is both minimal and manageable if the diver thinks and uses his head for something other than a polaris nose cone.

The Recon has a nice but conservative bungee sytem that keeps the extra fabric contained but yet still allows oral inflation at the surface. The two bungees are also located under the wing where they present a minimal entanglement hazard. They are also easily removed if they bother you.

In answer to the original question:

The Recon is a very heavy duty well made BC with well positioned D rings. There are some extra D-rings but a set of bolt cutters will quickly eliminate them if they offend you.

The weight system is well done and the whoel system is very comfortable with singles or doubles. The bungees keep the wing under control with a single tank and are readily removed if you use doubles and decide you don't want them.

The Recon works very well with doubles but will require the addition of the SS backplate to mount them. The back plate is well finished with perimiter holes similar to an OMS backplate but is a little expensive at $190 (but this includes the STA. Everything is done on 11" centers so it mates well with doubles set up with 11" band spacing.

With doubles, (and the SS backplate) the Recon will not put you face forward even when fully inflated. With a single tank, you have to stop at around the 50 lb mark, so the benefit of the extra lift is questionable unless you just cruise around on your back in which case the Recon is about as comfortable and stable as being home in bed. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

The downside is that it is a little heavy and a little bulky to pack and is a little expensive compared to a BP/wing with the same capability.

Genesis also sells a redundant aircell and inflator for it for about $270 but I have never seen the need for this.

 

[theskull]

I like mine, too! Yes, the 75 lb lift is way overkill for a single tank dive, but can also come in handy. As already stated, you can float like a raft on the surface. And the extra lift is also appreciated when diving with stages and setting or retrieving weighted descent lines. The cummerbund is very generous and wraps around a drysuit with great comfort. The D-rings are indeed in handy places, and there is a nice pouch right in front to keep your snorkel in should you need one (or be required to carry one on training dives). You can also add a crotch strap to it . . . now they call it the "underbody attachment strap," and the integrated weight system will hold a lot of weight if you need such with a dry suit.

I prefer my Balance BC for wet diving in tropical temps, but do enjoy the Recon for dry diving in cold water.

theskull

 

[Rick2]

Thank all of you folks for your replies and information..Exactly what I was looking for; friendly, Experienced comments. Now the decision doesn't get any easier, Zeagle Ranger, 911 or the Recon. I'll let you know how I make out, if you have any further comments, I welcome them.
Thanks Again-Safe Dive Rick2

 

[Boogie711]

Rick - what are your future diving goals? Where do you do most of your diving?

 

[Rick2]

Rick - what are your future diving goals? Where do you do most of your diving?

The lions share of my dives will be on the E. coast,(Ma.,R.I.,N.H. and points south on less frequent outings. Warm water dives are a rare and very special treat for me.
General goals are to continue my scuba ed.,fine tune my skills, stock up on scallops and lobsta's. Longer term would be wreck dives (non penetrating for now). Just have a good time in a very peaceful and serene setting, I'm not really interested in pushing my limits, just letting them develop.