Hi all, new diver on the stick!
Just came across this board, found some good info and after lurking for a bit, I thought I might try to contribute a little. A little about meself: I'm 22, from Canada, I dive mostly cold waters (Gulf of the St-Lawrence, Brockville-Cornwall). I'm currently advanced level with a few courses (drysuit, wreck) but I want to do rescue/DAN soon. My diving "high-time" was the opportunity to dive on the "Elizabeth and Mary", a 17th century 45-tun barque while Parks Canada divers were working on it. I now study anthropology as a minor, and my specialization is, quite logically, maritime archeology, so I had a blast writing my first term paper.
But enough about me, I wanted to share my impressions about Zeagle's Escape back-inflation BC. It is my third BC, I started with a Dacor Nautica jacket, then moved on to a Seaquest Raider. Just to know where I come from, the Nautica was great to learn with (I started age 13, so I had no need for a lot of weight, thus little need for a lot of lift either) but I outgrew it. The Raider was very comfy but it was bulky as hell and I always had air pockets stuck in the most awkward spots which somewhat impeded my stability. It also had the nasty habit of building up momentum quickly due to its bulk, forcing me to make very careful movements on the horizontal axis for fear of tilting face-up. Anyway.
I just bought Zeagles Escape jacket and so far, I couldnt be happier. I tested it with both dry and wet suits, and it lives up to the brands reputation.
-Fits like a glove. Its flush, snug and nice, yet unrestrictive (the only thing better Ive experienced is when a friend loaned me his OMS BP/wings rig). I think I gained in stamina just from the drag reduction compared with the Raider. The bungees that hold the wings down do their job very well.
-Packable. Its advertised as a travel rig, and it is. I flew it to Anticosti island for diving, and it takes next to no room in my kitbag compared to my old rig. Lightweight, relatively small. Lovely.
-Stable. Underwater behavior is perfect as far as Im concerned. The bungees that hold the wings down do a surprisingly good job at keeping the wings straight and the air well spread out. I was afraid it might create pockets, but it doesnt. The weight pockets (I have the Ripcord system on it) are a bit high, but it didnt bother me too much. Its still better than my first rig with weight belt that shifted incessantly. It took me about five minutes to find my comfort zone with the inflator and the bladder capacity(which provides a plentiful 35 lbs. which is enough for me, not a tech diver here) regarding neutral floatation. Surface stability is pretty good too. Provided my weights are well-placed and the bladder not too inflated, it holds me upright perfect. Surface swim is great too, although the massive padding of the Raider made it more comfortable. But overall, its a good trade-off.
-Construction: Only time will tell, but so far, Im happy and I think Zeagle jackets have a good reputation for durability. The fabric looks tough enough, and the stitches seem A+. I wish I had stainless D-rings, but those I have now are up to it (mind you, I dont use them for hardcore duty, like spare tanks and the like, like cave divers sometimes do). The little mesh pockets are neat, although I dont really use them, and the straps give me plenty of real estate for my shears and my strobe. Also, it has all the little details we have come to expect from BCDs, like low-position purge, etc.
-Weight system: Heres my only (slight) gripe. I really hope I never have to use this thing in a real-world situation, because I read the manual and tried it to be sure, and its a pain to close back. It looks very efficient (which is good=safe) but very complex too. Also, Im not a fan of shot weights. The drop system on the Raider allowed me to stick my square weights in pouches and velcro them into place. After trying out the mesh pouch/shot weight system in my Escape, I found them too shifty. Besides, I know exactly how much I need with both my suits (15 wet, 25-30 dry, incl. ankle weights) so the flexibility advantage is a bit lost on me. So I took square weights, zip-tied them together, shrink-wrapped them with VS-17 cutouts for visibility and took the whole rig to the pool for separation testing. It drops freely, no snag, and it doesnt shift around. Problem solved, but its not my favorite part of the rig.
Finally, but significantly as I am on a student budget, I got it new for roughly 450$CAN, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than many jacket-type BCDs out here (not to mention other back-inflation BCDs), and a downright bargain for a wings setup of this quality.
So here goes, feel free to comment, I hope I didnt you bore you to death with my long post, thanks.
Cheers and be safe.
Just came across this board, found some good info and after lurking for a bit, I thought I might try to contribute a little. A little about meself: I'm 22, from Canada, I dive mostly cold waters (Gulf of the St-Lawrence, Brockville-Cornwall). I'm currently advanced level with a few courses (drysuit, wreck) but I want to do rescue/DAN soon. My diving "high-time" was the opportunity to dive on the "Elizabeth and Mary", a 17th century 45-tun barque while Parks Canada divers were working on it. I now study anthropology as a minor, and my specialization is, quite logically, maritime archeology, so I had a blast writing my first term paper.
But enough about me, I wanted to share my impressions about Zeagle's Escape back-inflation BC. It is my third BC, I started with a Dacor Nautica jacket, then moved on to a Seaquest Raider. Just to know where I come from, the Nautica was great to learn with (I started age 13, so I had no need for a lot of weight, thus little need for a lot of lift either) but I outgrew it. The Raider was very comfy but it was bulky as hell and I always had air pockets stuck in the most awkward spots which somewhat impeded my stability. It also had the nasty habit of building up momentum quickly due to its bulk, forcing me to make very careful movements on the horizontal axis for fear of tilting face-up. Anyway.
I just bought Zeagles Escape jacket and so far, I couldnt be happier. I tested it with both dry and wet suits, and it lives up to the brands reputation.
-Fits like a glove. Its flush, snug and nice, yet unrestrictive (the only thing better Ive experienced is when a friend loaned me his OMS BP/wings rig). I think I gained in stamina just from the drag reduction compared with the Raider. The bungees that hold the wings down do their job very well.
-Packable. Its advertised as a travel rig, and it is. I flew it to Anticosti island for diving, and it takes next to no room in my kitbag compared to my old rig. Lightweight, relatively small. Lovely.
-Stable. Underwater behavior is perfect as far as Im concerned. The bungees that hold the wings down do a surprisingly good job at keeping the wings straight and the air well spread out. I was afraid it might create pockets, but it doesnt. The weight pockets (I have the Ripcord system on it) are a bit high, but it didnt bother me too much. Its still better than my first rig with weight belt that shifted incessantly. It took me about five minutes to find my comfort zone with the inflator and the bladder capacity(which provides a plentiful 35 lbs. which is enough for me, not a tech diver here) regarding neutral floatation. Surface stability is pretty good too. Provided my weights are well-placed and the bladder not too inflated, it holds me upright perfect. Surface swim is great too, although the massive padding of the Raider made it more comfortable. But overall, its a good trade-off.
-Construction: Only time will tell, but so far, Im happy and I think Zeagle jackets have a good reputation for durability. The fabric looks tough enough, and the stitches seem A+. I wish I had stainless D-rings, but those I have now are up to it (mind you, I dont use them for hardcore duty, like spare tanks and the like, like cave divers sometimes do). The little mesh pockets are neat, although I dont really use them, and the straps give me plenty of real estate for my shears and my strobe. Also, it has all the little details we have come to expect from BCDs, like low-position purge, etc.
-Weight system: Heres my only (slight) gripe. I really hope I never have to use this thing in a real-world situation, because I read the manual and tried it to be sure, and its a pain to close back. It looks very efficient (which is good=safe) but very complex too. Also, Im not a fan of shot weights. The drop system on the Raider allowed me to stick my square weights in pouches and velcro them into place. After trying out the mesh pouch/shot weight system in my Escape, I found them too shifty. Besides, I know exactly how much I need with both my suits (15 wet, 25-30 dry, incl. ankle weights) so the flexibility advantage is a bit lost on me. So I took square weights, zip-tied them together, shrink-wrapped them with VS-17 cutouts for visibility and took the whole rig to the pool for separation testing. It drops freely, no snag, and it doesnt shift around. Problem solved, but its not my favorite part of the rig.
Finally, but significantly as I am on a student budget, I got it new for roughly 450$CAN, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than many jacket-type BCDs out here (not to mention other back-inflation BCDs), and a downright bargain for a wings setup of this quality.
So here goes, feel free to comment, I hope I didnt you bore you to death with my long post, thanks.
Cheers and be safe.
