Ladyhawk stiff straps?, Diva LX

[mer]

Hey ladies,

Hoping to incite some advice. I recently ordered a Ladyhawk sight unseen and when it came in I found the over-the-shoulder straps where the quick release buckles are to be very stiff, especially laterial. It seems at there is a plastic stiffener inserted into the strap. They dig into my chest and shoulders when I bring my arms forward, as if hugging something, even over a 7mm suit. I tried different combinations of shoulder and sterum straps... but might have missed somethig. Again, it just might be the curse of the big-breasted. Otherwise, the Ladyhawk fit me well and supported weight and tank well (out of the water at least). Fortunately, my LDS has not made me committ to the BC yet.

So... I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this specific feature/issue with the Ladyhawk.
Have you found it to have stiff straps?
If so, did they soften over time?
Any suggestions on what to tighten/losen to elivate this?

I really want the Ladyhawk to work b/c all my other life support is ScubaPro, price concerns, positive locking weight pockets, better tank strap, and a more streamline aircell. !!But is just doesn't seem to fit me!!! ;-0 The other (more expensive) option is the Diva LX. (As a cold water diver I need more lift than the Diva QD can offer).

I know there has been considerable conversation about the LX, but anyone with experience on these specifics:
Any hints/problems with venting air from the Diva LX?
Duriability?
Any horror stories or reassurance about the velcro weight pockets?
Tank stabilitiy?
Anyone have a Seaquest BC with their alternate/inflator "Air Source"? I'm familiar with the ScubaPro AIR2 and am looking for first hand experience with Seaquest's version.


I thank you in advance for any advice you can provide. It's been a long process of researching gear and I'm getting antsy to get wet with my own (therefore non-abused and broken) schtuff.

mer

 

[scubababe]

I hope you get some good advise.

I personally haven't tried the ladyhawk but I do own a Diva LX. I love the little extras it provides but it is true that there have been some times that it is slow to vent air, particularly on the surface. The pull dump in the inflator is even slow for my liking, so I use the dump on the right shoulder to release the air when I am about to descend.

I can't say if this is a Diva issue or just a my bcd issue. Maybe someone has some great wisdom.

 

[Viv]

I have a Seaquest Diva QD with the "Air Source" on it and I love it. The Air Source "breathes" very well under water and it dumps very well (because of the wider opening?). The velcro on the weight pockets have never caused a problem - but I am also very compulsive about cleaning them after each use.
Since I don't have much experience with other brands I can't really make a comparison.
Hope the info helps.
Good luck!

 

[JustJules]

I tried on the LadyHawk about a year and a half ago before I bought my Diva QD (later wished I had bought the LX, but that's another story). I thought that it was really comfortable in the LDS, but its lack of pocket space made me decide against it. They must have changed the model since I tried it on, since I don't remember positive locking weight pockets. Maybe they changed the quick release buckles, too. Ultimately, the most important thing is that you're comfortable and able to freely move around in the BC. If you're not, it's not the right BC for you.

I have a friend who dives with the LX, but I don't have personal experience with it, only the QD. The pull dump on the QD is a little slow, but the actual dump valve (at the bottom) vents the BC very quickly. the LX has a right shoulder dump valve, so that should empty the BC pretty quickly.

My friend's LX has a double tank strap. I was commenting on it the other day with a great deal of jealousy... Once I got through the "break in period" of about three or four diving days where the tank strap does its intiital stretching as it gets wet, I haven't had a problem with my tank going anywhere.

As for velcro weight pockets... I haven't had a single problem, including when I made a very ungraceful belly-slide entrance onto the boat in Cozumel during hurricane Isadore last month. My velcro weight pockets have 70+ dives on them, and I figure if that didn't tear the well-worn velcro loose, it's pretty secure. You just have to make sure that the velcro is properly attached. I suspect that a lot of issues with velcro weight pockets come from people just slapping the velcro shut and not paying attention to lining up the fuzzy side and the teeth side. If you don't have them properly aligned, not as many square inches of velcro are sticking to each other, so your weight pockets are less well connected.

Like I mentioned above, I have 70+ dives on my Diva QD and am very satisfied with it. It's in good shape (the LX is made of higher-grade material, so it should be at least as durable), and I think it's going to serve me for some time to come. When I'm ready to replace it, I'm planning to pick up a new LX, mostly becuase I'm interested in the extra (and more durable) D-rings and larger pocket space. I am primarily considering another Diva because of the good fit and the comfort factor.

I hope this helps!

 

[WaterWalker]

I think fit is the most important issue here. I have the Ladyhawk and love the fit. But that's me and my shape. I didn't find the straps stiff, but I like a snug fit, so I tighten chest strap quite securely (I have a small chest, making this easy, and still comfortable), and this has the side-effect of bringing the shoulder straps in and giving me a lot of arm mobility.

The things I don't like about the Ladyhawk are the lack of adequate pocket space (for me), and the quick-release clips on the weight pockets (which are not so quick when your hands are frozen).

Best of luck shopping.

-WW

 

[Sepia]

Hi there,

I also use a Diva QD (150+ dives in past 8 months) but unlike the others I have had problems with the velcro weight pockets. I try to wash them properly after each dive yet the velcro has torn away from the material. Also, the pockets have fallen out on me a few times. This is probably because I am often scraping against the substrate trying to catch fish in small caves etc for research. If a pocket does fall out I've found that the weight of the other is enough to hold me down long enough to put it back in.

Still, its an improvement on the weight belt, which must have sent me floating to the surface once every two dives!

Cheers,
Emily.

 

[Nudibranch]

Hi,

If you are worried about the velcro pockets, the new (2003) model of the Diva LX is equiped with clips. If they did this because of problems or just an improvement I don't know. You can check it out on seaquest's web site.

 

[EBdiver]

I have a ScubaPro Ladyhawk as well, and I absolutely love it. I feel comfortable in and out of the water, no problems with straps or anything. It's a well-balanced BC, and I recommend it to anyone. It sucks that it hurts your shoulders, though!

 

[mer]

Ladies,

Thanks for all the info and advice on Diva LX vs Ladyhawk. I did end up going with the IDiva, much to the shagrin of my wallet.

The day after I wrote the intial post, the bruises from trying on the Ladyhawk with wetsuit, tank and weight developed. And I only had it on for 5 minutes. I really wanted it to work, but I guess it is just not the BC for my body proportions.

In case anybody cares.... the Diva LX has been nice to me. I now have 10 dives on it -- out of the rental fleet at my LDS. My BC just came in yesterday - I can't wait to christen it!!! Even though the built-in sports bra looked fooffy when I first saw it, I feel that it isn't there to support the breasts, but rather to spread the weight of the unit across the torso and keep it from rolling around.

My venting problems went away, but I'm still getting used to how fast the pull dumps vent air.

The tank is very stable once some integrated weight is in the BC, even with my heavy! 13 lbs negatively buoyant Steel 88s.

I even decided to get the velco weight pockets instead of waiting 4-5 more months for SeaQuest to release the LX with the Quick-Loc buckle release pockets. IMHO the velcro is probably easier to dump in an emergency situation. I'm nice to my equipment and will just be more conscious of my weight pockets when I do surf exits. If the velcro wears down in a couple of years, then I'll get the BC retro-fit with buckles. I've also decided that I'm gonna keep the amount of weight I integrate into the BC to a minimum - just enough to counter the weight of the tank and make the BC stable underwater. I'll put the overage (probably 4-6 lbs) on a weight belt. This way I get the best of both worlds... a light weight belt isn't a pain in the ass, and the less stress I put on the velcro, the less likey they are to fall out. I do admit, right now I'm diving with it all integrated... but I only have 6 or 7 lbs in each velcro pocket. <sorry rambling>

I decided against SeaQuests integrated Air Source, since the parts are specific to just this reg, and can be hard to find in some places. I went with a ScubaPro octo since my primary is ScubaPro.


So thanks again for all the advice and testimonials. I look forward to seeing some of you underwater soon!

Mer

 

[arcticcat]

My wife tried on a ladies sherwood BC. Then did a few dives with a ladyhawk.

Then at the dive shop she tried on a dive rite transpac 2. Wore it around the shop a bit with a tank on her back. Bought it on the spot and is pleased. Dive rite has a great web site and they email right back any any answers to questions. Its a unisex BC. She was looking for a ladies BC after bad fit in mens rental BC's.