Has anyone seen or used the new Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD

[Scratch_Monkey]

FYI, I also travel with just the tec or travel strap with my Hydros Pro and have only dived tropical waters. I just put 6 pounds in my back trim pockets (three each pocket) and don't use a weight belt. If I needed to use more weight, I just use a weight belt which I've done before, but I only had 2 one-pounders (with 2 threes in the back trim pockets). I have never used the integrated weight straps. I have some friends who both got Hydros Pros (husband and wife) and do use the integrated weight pockets and love them. You have a choice. If I ever dive in Lake Michigan, I at least have the integrated weight pockets for more weight if I need it.

I've' done about 50 dives on my Hydros and traveled with it three time and, so far, so good with regard to durability. I did notice the air balance/bladder issue when I first used it, but have never noticed since. I take that to having very little air in my bladder at depth.

Also, I did take my Hydros back to my dealer and they sent to back to Scubapro to update the straps at no cost. Mine wasn't broken, I just did it because Scubapro said I could. At least they SAID they updated the straps!

I've really enjoyed mine so far fwiw...

 

[tridacna]

I was recently in my local SP Platinum Dealer, all the BCs on the floor still had the slip & slide wing bungees. ? @tridacna

I finally saw a Hydros with the modified bungees..

In order to see it, you have to remove the wing and look at the backplate. The “mod” is recessed into the BP. I repeat - this cannot be seen without removing the wing. It is really not obvious. The only way to tell is by tugging gently on one side of the bungee and seeing if you get a corresponding movement on the other side. You cannot retrofit this into an old BC. And there is no free upgrade from SP.

 

[BoltSnap]

if you get a corresponding movement on the other side.

If "you get a corresponding movement on the other side," does this mean this an upgraded/improved version of the BC or does mean that it isn't?

 

[scubadada]

I finally saw a Hydros with the modified bungees..

In order to see it, you have to remove the wing and look at the backplate. The “mod” is recessed into the BP. I repeat - this cannot be seen without removing the wing. It is really not obvious. The only way to tell is by tugging gently on one side of the bungee and seeing if you get a corresponding movement on the other side. You cannot retrofit this into an old BC. And there is no free upgrade from SP.

Hi @tridacna

Can't you tell whether the bungee is allowed to move freely for the entire range vs. being limited by some stop?

 

[tridacna]

If "you get a corresponding movement on the other side," does this mean this an upgraded/improved version of the BC or does mean that it isn't?

The mod isolates the bungees, so: NO movement indicates new.

 

[tridacna]

Hi @tridacna

Can't you tell whether the bungee is allowed to move freely for the entire range vs. being limited by some stop?

Free movement is old design. It’s pretty obvious when you tug (gently) on the modified Hydros.

 

[FezUSA]

I didn't see the update to this thread until this morning, so I have not removed a wing. My wife and kids leave tomorrow morning so I was helping pack last night and took a closer look at her Hydros. Pulling on a bungee has no effect on the the bungee on the other side ,so hopefully that means a modified version. I did try and take a couple of pictures, with the wing on though. Below is what the camera could see.
Maybe this weekend I'll take a closer look at mine!

This is the bottom bungee, it passes though some white plastic guides, and has a metal "straw" in the middle of those white plastic guides.

This is the side of the middle bungee, you can see the white/grey guides and there's also a metal "straw" that the bungee passes through.

 

[Scratch_Monkey]

For what it's worth, I purchased my Hydros Pro in late March 2018 and just checked my bungees and they look similar to the pictures @FezUSA posted. What is interesting (but a mystery based on comments in this thread) is that I did have the "air move in the bladder causing me to have trouble keeping trim" problem when I first used the BCD. But I have NOT noticed it at all since. I wonder if they did update the bungees on my BCD when I sent it in for the straps? Or, maybe because it was new I over-weighted myself requiring more air at depth causing the problem to manifest itself? But if I always had the updated bungees, why was the air problem so noticeable on that first week of diving?

To be clear, my straps have not ever had problems, I sent my BCD in pro-actively based on this thread.

 

[scubadada]

It seems like the bungee cords will either move back and forth freely for their entire free length (old style) or they will be limited in their movement (the fix). The ones I have seen move back and forth freely

 

[stuartv]

First, let's be clear. @tridacna noted that you can't SEE the update without removing the wing. Don't be distracted by that. You don't need to SEE it to know if it's there. As tridacna also noted, if you just pull gently on the wing on one side, if it does not have the update, it will pull away from the back plate and the opposite side of the wing will be pulled towards the back plate. If it DOES have the update, when you pull on one side, the other side will not move.

Second, I think any wing - even a wing on a Back Plate and Wing rig, will let you create problems for yourself if you don't demonstrate some basic competency with using it. When you are in horizontal trim, the air cell on ANY BCD is going to float up at the sides and duck down under the tank at the front/top and rear/bottom.

That means that air cannot move freely from one side to the other. When you are horizontal, air is not going to shift from one side of the wing to the other by running down to pass under the tank. Air in your BCD is always going to go to the highest point.

So, if you do a barrel roll, or just roll to one side and back, or put air in your BCD while you are rolled slightly to one side or the other, you can end up with more air in one side of your BCD than the other. It's not going to balance out until and unless you do something like go vertical, to get it all to the top of the wing and let it balance itself from side to side.