Mares Limited Edition Morphos question?

[somewhereinla]

I am about to get my 1st BCD, I was going to go for the Dragon AT until I found the Mares Limited Edition Morphos Metal on sale. However I read from someone on a Forum that one of the valves was defective and was given a Dragon as an exchange.

Should I be concerned? Has this problem been fixed? Was it a single case?
And last, which of the 2 are better built, the Dragon or the Morphos LTD?

I want my 1st BC to be a great experience.

cheers.

 

[DiveTub]

I want my 1st BC to be a great experience.
cheers.

Then I would suggest stop mucking about with second rate over egineered gimicky "limited edition" jacket style BCD's and get a simple clean Backplate and Wing from
Zeagle
DiveRite
OxyCheq
or similar.

Cheers
Chriso

 

[Packhorse]

Ha, the old BP/W is better than the poodle jacket debate starts.
I would have to agree. Could be cheaper too. esp in the long run.

 

[tracy_from_oz]

Go to some dive stores in Los Angeles, try some jackets as well as some wing design bcd's out in the pool and see what you like.
Try the dive store in Burbank on Magnolia, or there is also Lubordis (spell?) down Costa Mesa, Hollywood divers I have heard are ok but I have not had a chance to go to that shop. Just depends where you are in LA. There is also one in Beverly Hills, Reef Seekers.
Go to www.mares.com to check the local Mares stores.

Me I like Mares bcd's but that is me.

If you like the bcd, it fits and you are comfortable in that bcd diving then that is the bcd for you, no matter what anyone else says.
If it makes you happy then go for it, and myself I love the Mares bcd. I am actually going to get another one when I am stateside, the Aliikai (the mens version is the Icon).
Mares make different styles so try out a couple bcd's from the dragon with and without Air Trim, see if you like it, try out the Icon as well. At the end of the day the only opinion that counts is yours and what you like to dive in.
If you like the jacket style go for it, if you like a wing style go with it, it is what you like to dive with that counts.

I have no doubt Phil and Zak from Mares will be around soon to answer any questions you may have about any of their products.

Mares makes some great gear that is why I have been slowly switching all my gear to it. I just seem to like it more than other brands.

 

[Puffer Fish]

I have the limited addition, as does my wife..absolutely love it. Also have a BP/W, but for comfort it would be hard to beat.

The valve is completely replaceable, so any issues (we have had none, by the way) should be fixable.

It is a back inflate, by the way.

Roughly, we have about 60 -70 dives total with them (I tend to used the BP/W more).

Only silly part about it is the cover and how it was supposed to be held closed... we removed ours.

Why not just use a BP/W? Well for starters, it is far more comfortable if you have to carry a tank any distance, and you are not wearing lots of suit. it is also far more adjustable for different sizes of suits.

The down side is that when a lot of weight is needed, the SS back plate sure comes in handy.

 

[Phil Mintz]

To answer your question, there has been no defect issue with the LE BC. I am not familiar with the one you mentioned, but as stated above a valve can be replaced. If it was replaced with a Dragon, it may have been an agreement between customer and shop.

Quality should be equal on both, they are different styles and you should try on both to see which one you prefer. Personally I think the Dragon is much nicer.

Phil

 

[CODMAN]

I agreee 100% with Tracy! I have a morphos pro, and love it. The airtrim works great and I prefer it to the regular hose routing. And it was a killer value (since no longer in production)! The dragon also looks great, but more $$.

There is nothing wrong with these BCs or the airtrim system. Keep it maintained well and it will work well I'm sure! If it fits, and you like it, it will be a great BC for you! Up to you to analyse your needs properly (if you really need/should go wing, I know I don't need/want to...)!

Just my 0.02$

 

[somewhereinla]

Thanks for all the suggestions and for taking time to respond. There are 2 reasons I now favored the vest style BCD.
First, I am fairly new to diving and feel comfortable in how they fit and feel. I may change my mind as my experience grow, but I believe that one should feel comfortable and safe in which ever equipment one chooses. The second reason is I intend to use an underwater camera and at some point a video camera. After talking to a few people that have experiences in that field, most pointed out that a vest might be easier to move around in the vertical and horizontal planes as oppose to the non vest style that emphasize a swimming (horizontal) position.

 

[Cummje]

If anyone sees this: check the sizing on the morphos if you can. I just sent mine back to Scubatoys because the things was too big in a medium...and I'm 6 foot 2. It wraps around, which is nice, but I guess I'm skinnier than the test models they used. I'm going to try and get a Vector 1000 instead.

 

[CODMAN]

yeah, they are built big! I have a medium and am 6foot, approx 185-190 lbs and I have room to spare. Before you send it back, make sure you try out all the different adjustment options, such as the shoulder straps attachment at the plastic backplate... I didn't even know there was an adjustment there, untill Zak pointed it out...

Luego!