Icon Manual

[chuck e]

when are you going to publish this manual either book or on website? I called Karen in June and she said she would mail it when available.

 

[Zak OHara]

Chuck,

We are working on the manual as we speak. We will send as soon as we have something tangible. If you have any specific questions please feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to help you out.

Best,

 

[scuba_guy62]

I have just ordered one of these as my Mares Southern Exposure BC has never really fit right in the over 10 years I've had it and I felt like treating myself. I am 5'10" and around 198lbs with a 34 waist and around a 44 chest. From what I have seen/read I think I would be a Med. but there is some wavering with my dive shop (they think I'm in between Med. and Lge.) Any sizing charts for this BC or what should I be making sure of as it is a dramatic difference from my jacket style Souther Exposure. The old BC is still in very good condition despite the age and mileage...lol. I was also wondering about how inherently buoyant this rig would be over my old BC. Thanks, and keep the great products coming, if you made a wetsuit I liked I'd be a walking Mares add. Cheers.

 

[Zak OHara]

Hi Scuba guy,

Sorry for responding late, I've been travelling last week and just saw this. Thanks for your interest in our products. We would love to have a picture of a walking / diving ad for all Mares equipment. To address your questions, I would go with a large (most likely). I think you are right on the cusp of a med and large. With the large you will be able to comfortably tighten up the straps for a great fit, yet it will also give you the latitude to expand should you ever find your self in colder waters. Of course nothing can beat actually trying them on for fit.

I am not familiar with the Souther Exposure BC, but I assume the Icon will have less bouyancy than what you are currently using. The Icon is very low profile, and all back inflate. Especially with the bungee system in place to help extract air from the bladder when venting. With these two combined characteristics, it has very low bouyancy.

Hope this helps and thanks again for your support!

Best regards,

 

[scuba_guy62]

Thanks Zak and no worries on the reply...it was plenty fast for me. I have tried the large and am now just waiting for some mediums to come in for comparison (there were three ordered by phone enquiries while I was in the shop). I had suspected it would be a lot less buoyant than my older, yet still in great shape, jacket style BC.
I have to admit that Mares products have served me very well over the past decade and I am looking forward to entering the realm of back inflate and integrated weights.
I am also thinking of getting a Nemo Wide as a second computer to back up my Airlab, which I think is the best thing since cheap flights to Cozumel, and for use by my girlfriend when we are both away. The dive store I deal with has been a long standing Mares dealer and great advocate for your products.
I have to say though that your recent wetsuit lines just haven't done it for me but pretty much everything else is or has been a Mares product for almost 15 years of worry free diving. (I did have a Dacor Darwin which had some problems but Mares swapped it out with the Airlab with no problem).
I am still amazed at the quality and features of the Ikon for the price and look forward to putting it through its paces. Cheers, and although being photo shy I will keep the photo thing in the back of my mind, perhaps a novel idea for an ad campaign to get people to show "Where in the world you Mares gear takes you?" J>H>

 

[chuck e]

I have just ordered one of these as my Mares Southern Exposure BC has never really fit right in the over 10 years I've had it and I felt like treating myself. I am 5'10" and around 198lbs with a 34 waist and around a 44 chest. From what I have seen/read I think I would be a Med. but there is some wavering with my dive shop (they think I'm in between Med. and Lge.).

I'm a 44 chest and 38 waist and I have a large Icon. With weights in pockets I have to tighten the straps almost as far as they go to get a reasonable fit over a 1 mil wet suit. I originally bought an XL which I was fortunate to return and exchange for the large. The shop had no medium for comparison. Both BCs seemed to fit in the store when I first tried them on but sure fit differently with weights and a tank. Consider the wet suit you'll be using it with too. Try the Med first and see if you have sufficient strap adjustment room.

Zak: Where's the manual?

 

[scuba_guy62]

Thanks Chuck, I dive either a 3mm or a 5mm at the moment as I usually only dive warm and mostly warm locations (getting soft in my advancing years).
I do plan on trying both on for size with a tank and weights in place in the shop.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I have a Mares Icon. My sizes, if it helps anyone in deciding on a size.......I'm 5'11" 215 Lbs. 44" chest , my pant size (Levi's 34" waist X 32" inseam).
I was between a Medium and a Large Icon. I went with the Medium, it was a better fit, and the shoulder strap adjustment is in the middle of it's adjustment range, the waist belt is in the middle of it's range also. The large left a lot of excess straps hanging when everything was adjusted to fit. Both were workable, but the Medium is a better fit.

Hope this helps someone.

take care.
Mitch

 

[scuba_guy62]

Great info. guys and I should be trying the BC tomorrow if they are in. I suspect that the Med. will be the better fit and I plan on having a tank on it with a weight load in the pockets. Thanks.