Mares Kaila AT - BCD - questions

[tredelua]

Hey,

I'm a new diver with about 50 dives and would like to buy my own BCD now. About time!!
I quite like the look the Mares Kaila AT but here in New Zealand no one stocks them and even trying to find a shop that sells the normal Kaila is proving a little hard.

So I was wondering if you guys could answer some questions for me.
First of all I am wondering how you could potentially self-inflate the vest if you run out of air. I remember that being a part the exercises when doing the open water, though I never had to use that technique since then.

How good is the air trim system? Is the worth the extra pennies?

In general if anyone has seen any reviews they'd like to point me to or let me know their own opinion/ experience - good or bad - about this BCD or the Kaila is general, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks heaps,

Jess.

 

[Davidstealey3]

sorry you are not able to find the bc where you are at.

anyway the air trim is nice for new diver because you can dump air in any position. when you push the dump button its has an air powered system that opens all the dump valves making it posiable to lose the air without haveing to turn around an get in a heads up position.

you can covert the shoulder dump to a ERGO inflator system. i have just finished a service tech course with mares, but cant remember off hand if it will still work with the AT if you do this.

while i have never dove a mares bc, i must say that i liked the idea of the AT system for new divers. i think it would be worth the investment.

 

[Damselfish]

you can't really tell from the look of a BC whether it will fit you and feel right. If at all possible I would try to stick with BCs that are locally available and you can actually at least try on.

 

[CODMAN]

The Airtrim systems have a small oral inflation hose that is neatly tucked away near the left pocket. It is out of the way unless you need it and it works pretty well. personally, I love the airtrim system and I don't believe it,s nice only for new divers... I think it,s nice for any diver who is interested in what it brings (like me!). What it brings to the table is:
1- Inflation device is always at the same place
2- Deflation is very fast and efficient and as said above, works in almost any position. So when you are taking a photo of a pygmy seahorse, and need to micro adjust your buoyancy, no need to change positions in the water.
3- I find the inflator is a bit slower than most corrugated hose systems I've tried. This lets me micro-adjust air volume in my BCD better (at least more to my liking).

I've had a Morphos pro with AT and now a Dragon AT. I simply love AT and won't dive anything else unless I don't haveb a choice...

There is a downside though. Not many people know the AT! So if ever you buddy up with a new Buddy, or a new DM, that doesn't know you have this, in an emergency involving you, they might not be able to inflate/deflate your BCD for you! This is a major consideration, but easily remedied. You simply brief any new buddy or DM on your system and how it works! It takes a minute and a simple precaution that will let you safely enjoy the other advantages of the AT.

The AT isn't for everyone. And as Damselfish said your really should try on a BCD before buying to make sure it fits well. But if the perks of the AT I described interest you, AT might be for you!

If you have any specific questions about the AT, feel free to ask!

 

[tredelua]

Thanks guys for all your replies!
It's good to hear from someone who's actually using an air trim vest too and is very positive about it..

Decisions decisions decisions ..

Thanks again!
Jess.