Hi,
I actually have one of these excellent BC's and cannot recommend it highly enough. I cannot help with the exact production run dates (but see below) however I can give you a few pointers on the jacket itself.
First and foremost, it is essential that the jacket is not too large. The reason for this is that being a rear bladder design, the jacket does not grip you when inflated like a stab does and if the fit is too large, you can find yourself 'swimming in the jacket'. This is not good (trust me on this!), so make sure it's snug out of the water.
Secondly, check the shoulder dump operation, especially for leaks. The main way to dump air is to pull on the inflator hose and if done too hard, the integrity of the valve may be compromised.
Thirdly, see if the removable weight pouches are in the side pockets and that they both have a white nylon 'cord' coming off them. This cord is the locking device for the pouches and is prone to snapping. The inclusion of the pouches is a bonus as they were an optional extra as well as being very functional.
And lastly, remember that being a rear bladder, the jacket does not hold you upright in the water like a stab. To maintain this position takes effort. The upside to this is that the swimming position is excellent as you are literally suspended horizontally under the bladder.
As long as it is in good condition and fits OK, I would heartily recommend it. I tend to chuck my kit around quaysides quite a lot and although the Chute is battered and scuffed, it hasn't given a moments trouble.
Thinking about it, my Chute is about three years old and was available for a year before I bought it and it didn't appear in last year's Oceanic catalogue, so that narrows it down.
Hope all this is of help. Any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.
