Has anyone seen or used the new Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD

[Bubbles McGee]

I'm going to knock on wood here, but after 40 dives and quite a few pool sessions, I haven't had any issues.

I do have to say, that for the price I paid if I knew what I know now when I got started, I would have gone the way of the BP/W right off the bat.

 

[Kalicocat]

@stuartv, thanks for all of your BP&W advice! I think I'm more of a single BCD person, I don't enjoy a lot of cold water diving, although I'm very interested in diving the Galapagos and Vancouver BC one day. I'll have to take a picture of my BC so that you can see how drastically it migrates to the left, I can center it out of water, carry it to another room, and it's migrated all the way back again. Mine is definitely very flawed.

I am going to a shop further away than my LDS to look at various BCs, he carries almost everything, Zeagle, Cressi, Mares, Scubapro, Aqua Lung and Halcyon, so I'll be able to try on almost everything, and hopefully be able to rent some of them for the pool before making my final decision.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I don’t understand the “migrating” part. What is it exactly that migrates?
The wing part?
The whole bc unit?

 

[Kalicocat]

@Eric Sedletzky, the entire bladder (wing) moves completely to the left until the bungees on the right are hitting the backplate and can't move anymore. So most of the air sits on the left and pushes me onto my right side in the water. It does this above water as well as under water.

 

[stuartv]

I don’t understand the “migrating” part. What is it exactly that migrates?
The wing part?
The whole bc unit?

The Hydros wing has bungees. All separate, not one long one woven around, like the bungee on a Dive Rite wing.

Each Hydros bungee connects from the outer edge of the wing on one side, through a tunnel in the back plate, to the outer edge of the wing on the opposite side.

They keep the right and left sides of the wing curled down and in when the wing has little air in it. The result is actually fairly streamlined.

The bungees don't have anything to keep them from sliding from side to side through the tunnels in the BP. So, you CAN maneuver yourself in such a way that the air all shifts to one side of the wing and that pulls the bungees over to the side. Then, when you roll back to flat, horizontal trim, the bungees are causing the wing to be lopsided.

Like I said earlier, when this happens to me, I just reach back and pull one side of the wing back out (possibly going somewhat head up or down at the same time to help the air shift and equalize between the sides) and it's fine. It doesn't happen to me that often, so while I noticed it, it hasn't bothered me enough to "fix" (e.g. with some zip ties around the bungees to hold them centered).

 

[W W Meixner]

@Eric Sedletzky, the entire bladder (wing) moves completely to the left until the bungees on the right are hitting the backplate and can't move anymore. So most of the air sits on the left and pushes me onto my right side in the water. It does this above water as well as under water.

Kal...

My dive partner had the same problem with a SeaHawk...it was sent back to Dan Humble at Shark-Bite a couple of times and was returned with a ''no problem found note''...I convinced him to go with a BP/H/W...assembly...I had some of the sub-components he needed on hand...which gave him a start...he has long since adapted his kit for doubles use...that was ten years ago...his kit has travelled the globe...still going strong...

Back in the day...I had a KnightHawk...I didn't have that ''listing'' problem...which seems to be chronic with some SP BCD's...

The ''Hydros'' looks nice...I'm suspect the monoprene components may not stand up to constant ''pulling'' stress...they used monoprene because it's light...but using monoprene for fins...is not the same as using it for a BCD...besides...the difference in price between a failed set of fins...and a failed BCD...is huge...especially as far as the Hydros is concerned...

It's also over-priced...like everything else ''ScubaPro''...

Money for value/performance and adaptability...a BP/H/W...is a much better ''long term'' investment...and it's adaptable...

For travelling/single tank application...I purchased a ''Sea-Elite'' modular ''TEC''...BCD from Divers Supply three years ago...it was a closeout sale...has a 55 LB lift wing...lots of s/s ''D'' rings...double cam bands...all black...integrated ballast pockets...tough as nails...fabulous BCD...it will last me as long as I want to continue diving...the wing has been holding air in my gear locker since last fall...$200...

There's all kinds of ''brand new product'' bargains in this industry...the problem is...most people don't bother looking for them...never shop when you're desperate...and never let your LDS think you've become dependant on him...

Just me...proceed as desired...

Best...

Warren

 

[Kalicocat]

Meixner, I will definitely look at the Halcyons when I am in that other shop, won't necessarily buy that brand but it will give me a good idea on how the BP&Ws fit/work. Thanks for the tips.

@stuartv, mine is much worse than yours. Yes, after I removed the trim weights I was able to adjust underwater a bit, but it was always the worst at the top of the BCD near my head/shoulders, and I have shoulder problems so the wings there were hard for me to reach. Maybe I'll try some zip ties, but honestly I hate this BCD and would rather not have to set eyes on it again. And I've decided I'm not going to pay Scubapro to get their design flaw fixed.

 

[DiveDay]

Did you ever dive the Hydros without a crotch strap? I'm asking because I'm curious if you did and you actually experienced a problem with it riding up?

I've only used it with the crotch strap. I think it does help at the surface, where I noticed it was actually taut. I got the crotch strap right away because one of the divemasters at my LDS has a Hydros and mentioned needing it.

Reflecting on your post, I may have been a bit harsh about the Hydros. I agree that the adjustability is great. I bought mine so I could use it with everything between a 2mm shorty and a drysuit.

Once I saw a BP&W in person for the first time it did make me realize the Hydros is really the same idea, but with proprietary parts. It definitely has nice convenience features, but I don't buy Scubapro's arguments about easy repairs given that they don't have an online store where I can buy individual replacements parts for it, it still has to go through a dealer. I'm certainly not going to sell it, but I am going to focus my future training efforts on the BP&W and keep the Hydros around for travel, and "lazy" single tank diving.

 

[lexvil]

@Eric Sedletzky, the entire bladder (wing) moves completely to the left until the bungees on the right are hitting the backplate and can't move anymore. So most of the air sits on the left and pushes me onto my right side in the water. It does this above water as well as under water.

Curious how much weight you are using?

 

[Kalicocat]

I wear a 5ml suit so I think it was 6.6 lbs (1.5kg each side) in the front pockets, no trim weight as that just made everything a whole lot worse. And, remember, the bladder (wing) migrates fully to the left OUTSIDE of water with zero weight in the pockets. Whenever I handle the BCD at all, the air in the bladder is always fully on the left side. Manually centering the bladder to the backplate does not last long, it seems to move back on it's own, quicker when you are handling it or carrying it around.