ScottCocoaBeach
Guest
- Messages
- 27
- Reaction score
- 0
I have been reading messages on back inflate bc's for some time now and had narrowed my choices down to the Scubapro Knighthawk or Zeagle Stiletto.
I finally had a chance to go have a pool session at a dive shop with the Zeagle.
First, for those who say a back inflate bc throws you on your face, I have to say that is nonsense. With the BC fully inflated I would say the BC gently begins to move you towards a horizontal position - exactly what you want when you are diving. In no way did the BC "push" me forward. I inflated it all the way until air came out the lower dump valve. All I had to do was lean back and float on my back. It was so much more comfortable on the surface than my jacket BC I couldn't believe it. No more dreaded squeeze and it's much more comfortable to be on your back then bobbing up and down vertically as you do in a jacket bc.
Underwater the BC was a pleasure. Any attitude I wanted was perfect, head down, sideways, on my back. The BC was great any way I tried it.
My main concerns were:
Only the pull dump/inflator and one lower dump valve, versus lower right and extra shoulder on the Knighthawk. The pull dump is a little slow, but works fine, and you can always just dump from the end of the hose, no problem there. The lower valve worked fine, I would prefer it on the right, but there are probably those who prefer it on the left. I don't think it matters too much. It took me a few tries to get used to the location of the lower dump valve, but now I can go right to it.
Trim - the dive shop set up the tank a little lower than what I used with my jacket BC and we put 2lbs in each of the rear trim pockets. I went with 4 lbs in each of the front pockets wearing a 3mm full wetsuit. Trim was perfect and horizontal position under water was great.
Soft back versus a hard plastic back. No concerns there, extremely comfortable. I got out of the pool and walked around some just to check the comfort. The lumbar pad works great. Comfort out of the water was great. In the water you hardly know you have a BC on.
Pockets work just as I would want. Left one holds my apollo folding snorkle - just the right size. The right one will hold my backup flashlight and the D ring by that pocket will take the lanyard for the light.
Weight system - I like that you can put just about any size/shape weight in there. Sometimes on a dive boat you are stuck with some pretty oddly shaped weights. Hard or soft weights are no problem. Good dump system and no $70 pockets to replace should you ever need to dump in an emergency. No big deal to re-string and I can't see any reason I should ever need to anyway unless I do have an emergency in which case restringing the BC will be the least of my concerns.
Carry/positioning strap. I had read in an article that there was one, but the first time I looked at it in the store I didn't see it. Turns out it was tucked in. I like this a lot for consistent tank positioning. I went ahead and adjusted this so next time out I will have the same settings as my trial dive as it seemed about perfect.
Overall I am just thrilled with this BC. Great warranty should I ever need it. Super comfortable, good travel weight, durable, low drag, and great performance.
I was really worrying about making the right decision. I am glad I took the time to try it out in the pool. I spent a little more buying it from my local dive shop. But they were great about letting me try it out in their pool and taking as much time as I needed. They covered all the features of the BC and really took a lot of time going over it. They had great things to say about Zeagle and their warranty. The shop is Hatts in Melbourne, FL.
I will also thank Scott Zeagle for taking time with me on the phone to answer some questions about the BC a few weeks ago. It's great to have a company that makes themselves so available on this board and otherwise.
There are not a lot of opinions on this BC on the board because it is so new, and there seem to be a couple from people who may not have had it set up right. I would say to anyone considering this BC it is an excellent choice and you won't be dissapointed.
Thanks Zeagle for making this product! I am sure I will be a customer for a long time.
I am diving it for real Sunday and will add any additional comments when I return.
I finally had a chance to go have a pool session at a dive shop with the Zeagle.
First, for those who say a back inflate bc throws you on your face, I have to say that is nonsense. With the BC fully inflated I would say the BC gently begins to move you towards a horizontal position - exactly what you want when you are diving. In no way did the BC "push" me forward. I inflated it all the way until air came out the lower dump valve. All I had to do was lean back and float on my back. It was so much more comfortable on the surface than my jacket BC I couldn't believe it. No more dreaded squeeze and it's much more comfortable to be on your back then bobbing up and down vertically as you do in a jacket bc.
Underwater the BC was a pleasure. Any attitude I wanted was perfect, head down, sideways, on my back. The BC was great any way I tried it.
My main concerns were:
Only the pull dump/inflator and one lower dump valve, versus lower right and extra shoulder on the Knighthawk. The pull dump is a little slow, but works fine, and you can always just dump from the end of the hose, no problem there. The lower valve worked fine, I would prefer it on the right, but there are probably those who prefer it on the left. I don't think it matters too much. It took me a few tries to get used to the location of the lower dump valve, but now I can go right to it.
Trim - the dive shop set up the tank a little lower than what I used with my jacket BC and we put 2lbs in each of the rear trim pockets. I went with 4 lbs in each of the front pockets wearing a 3mm full wetsuit. Trim was perfect and horizontal position under water was great.
Soft back versus a hard plastic back. No concerns there, extremely comfortable. I got out of the pool and walked around some just to check the comfort. The lumbar pad works great. Comfort out of the water was great. In the water you hardly know you have a BC on.
Pockets work just as I would want. Left one holds my apollo folding snorkle - just the right size. The right one will hold my backup flashlight and the D ring by that pocket will take the lanyard for the light.
Weight system - I like that you can put just about any size/shape weight in there. Sometimes on a dive boat you are stuck with some pretty oddly shaped weights. Hard or soft weights are no problem. Good dump system and no $70 pockets to replace should you ever need to dump in an emergency. No big deal to re-string and I can't see any reason I should ever need to anyway unless I do have an emergency in which case restringing the BC will be the least of my concerns.
Carry/positioning strap. I had read in an article that there was one, but the first time I looked at it in the store I didn't see it. Turns out it was tucked in. I like this a lot for consistent tank positioning. I went ahead and adjusted this so next time out I will have the same settings as my trial dive as it seemed about perfect.
Overall I am just thrilled with this BC. Great warranty should I ever need it. Super comfortable, good travel weight, durable, low drag, and great performance.
I was really worrying about making the right decision. I am glad I took the time to try it out in the pool. I spent a little more buying it from my local dive shop. But they were great about letting me try it out in their pool and taking as much time as I needed. They covered all the features of the BC and really took a lot of time going over it. They had great things to say about Zeagle and their warranty. The shop is Hatts in Melbourne, FL.
I will also thank Scott Zeagle for taking time with me on the phone to answer some questions about the BC a few weeks ago. It's great to have a company that makes themselves so available on this board and otherwise.
There are not a lot of opinions on this BC on the board because it is so new, and there seem to be a couple from people who may not have had it set up right. I would say to anyone considering this BC it is an excellent choice and you won't be dissapointed.
Thanks Zeagle for making this product! I am sure I will be a customer for a long time.
I am diving it for real Sunday and will add any additional comments when I return.
