I purchased a Genesis Tropic last Friday and test dove over the weekend. I purchased it as a travel BC. I looked at Sherwood's Tortuga, Cressi-Sub's Aqualight, Zegle Stilletto, Zeagle Escape, Aqualung Malibu, and Seaquest Balance. List got short when it came down to price. Big price range here. I considered a Sherwood Freedom but discovered Sherwood recently discontinued the line.
I had better bouyancy control with the Tropic than I have with my Seaquest Pro QD+. I was using 100cf PST steel tank. Tank was stable with the double strap on the backpack. I was surprised that I didn't get the face forward push on the surface I expected from a back inflate. It was comfortable on my back. Weight releases were easy to release and easy to grab. I liked the zippered weight pouches. The pouches are rated for 10 pounds each but it would be a tight fit to get two 5lb soft weight sacks in there. Inflator hose worked well. Inflator quick disconnect was larger than Seaquest's making it easier to disconnect if the inflator ever sticks. Pockets were small but accessible. It had less D rings than my Seaquest but , I didn't miss them even toting a UW camera on a lanyard. Sternum strap was in a good spot keeping the shoulder straps in place. I have an XL. I'm on the large side (46" W). Cunberbund was comfortable. I wish they would put a handle grip on their tank measuring strap on the back. It did fold up and pack well in my dive bag. Overall, I'm happy with it. For the money, I think it was well worth the investment.
