Mares Kaila Vs Zeagle Zena

[JessiLynne]

Hello there everyone. I just read back few some of the threads on here and I am curious to know what the ladies out there think of the Kaila and Zena.

I am in the market for my first BCD and these are the two that I am looking at. I have not tried either on and here in NS, Canada is the unlikely that I will be able to try the Zeagle on as the dive shops don't carry it and will only get it in if I buy it.

I am going to try the Kaila on sometime in the next few weeks.

I am drawn to the Zeagle for it's very adjustable styling. I am very small and so I found the BCD I rented for my training to be too large (my bust is 36" and waist is 26"). (I cannot remember what model it was but it was either Mares or SeaQuest (black w/silver) - it may have been a men's model.) I liked the look of the size S Kaila as it actually seemed to be quite small. Obviously I will have to try it on to know.

I am just wondering what the general user thoughts would be on each BDC. To help me decide between the two.

Review #1 - Zena
My mom like the Zena because it is simple to take on and off, doesn't have a lot of doodads and is fully adjustable. She prefers the back inflate since it doesn't put pressure all around her torso when inflated.

What are your thoughts?

 

[texgal@heart]

I began with a jacket style BC. I got the Zena and have about 7 dives with it. I like the fact that it is modular. It has a back section, shoulder section and a front section. I am fairly broad in the back and narrower in the front. I have a lg back and med for both the shoulders and front. I got mine from Scubatoys. They did a great job working with me to make sure it fit properly. I like the freedom of movement and not so much "stuff" surrounding me.

 

[JessiLynne]

Thanks Texgal. I have a feeling that I will feel that way too once I start trying them on.

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[DiveMaven]

I have over 100 dives on my Zena and everytime I dive it I love it more. Besides being extremely comfortable, I find that once I adjust it on my body, it never moves or shift no matter what position I take while diving.

You can easily work with ScubaToys to give them your measurements and have them build a custom fitting Zena for you. It'll be fully returnable after you've had a chance to try it.

The only caution I would have is that if you're going to dive in a drysuit, you might look at the Zeagle LaZer instead. The Zena isn't really a cold water BC and the corset design may even interfere with drysuit valves.

 

[JessiLynne]

Ill be diving all warm water. I'm going to be going to Bonaire for a few months in '08. I don't get along well with cold water!!

I will check out the scubatoys site and see what they have to offer.

I'm glad you mentioned about Zena staying put as the rented BC I used in Curacao shifted around on me a lot. That is definitely an important factor.

 

[crystalight33]

I recently got a Zena for my birthday (from my wonderful boyfriend!) and I LOVE it! After years of terrible rental jacket bc's with a weight belt, the integrated weights are great. My favorite feature of the Zena is the corset style. If you're doing a shore dive and have to walk to the water, the corset distributes the weight of the tank over a much bigger area. With a cumberbund, I always felt like the entire weight of the tank was pushing on my diaphram, so walking any distance was very uncomfortable. Also, when boat diving, all you have to do is zip up and you're good to go.

I don't have any experience diving with the Mares, but I've seen it in a shop and the materials didn't seem as durable as my Zeagle. I didn't try it on, but that was just my first impression.

P.S. My Zena came from ScubaToys. They're the best!

 

[From_Arizona]

I only have 4 dives on my Zeagle Zena but am absolutely pleased with it. I have no waist, short torso and hate when something pinches me around my ribs. I used a BC that was way too large for me for certification and OW dives, was in Mexico and they dod not have a wide variety. I do have experience wearing an SCBA as a firefighter. I can say that the Zena is comfortable and very easy to adjust. I purschased useing ScubaToys - they were a delight since I had to exchange the shoulder and back to get the proper fit. We were close to our departure date and they really helped get what we needed before our trip, they even said I could wait to return the larger piece until afetr we returned. Of course I was promtp in getting it back, but nice to know they were so willing to make it all right for me!

 

[NTSilver]

I recently purchased a Zena Zeagle and love it. I bought from LDS because I wanted to try it on before buying. It was so comfortable I didn't want to take it off. I think it is a S/M. I have small shoulders, somewhat busty and small waist. I have over 40 dives with it and would not trade.

 

[fishdelasol]

You guys are so lucky! I really love my Zena, but Divers Direct wouldn't work with me on mixing the sizes for the different components....it still fits, but not absolutely perfect. I wish I had gone through ScubaToys. For me, the zip up component (corset) is really comfortable compared to a cumberbun.