Sea Quest QD with i3 BC Question

[old gaffer]

I will echo what Vixtor says about the i3. I have not used one but everyone I know who has used them loves the lever for deflating. No more trying to locate rear dumps or angling your shoulder to vent from the inflator. For inflating I do not see it being any advantage over a regular hose inflator but for deflating from all ports at once has got to be nice.

Gaffer

 

[4sak3n]

Not bagging on the concept of the i3 because I don't have experience with one but what is with this whole 'I don't have to figure out which dump to pull' thing? It ranks up there with the whole 'eliminating a LP hose will improve streamlining enough for me to notice a decrease in drag' silliness.

If you are in control of your buoyancy (i.e. predicting when you'll need to add air or release air ahead of time) then its trivial to know which dump to use. It should be automatic based on your position in the water anyway.

I personally prefer only having one dump beyond the power inflator (and I am NOT talking about one of those that you pull on the corrugated hose to use) which works perfectly fine for any trimmed out diving position you will ever find yourself in.

That said, if you are thinking about buying a QD you should look at the BC and make a decision based on the BC (the QD part) rather than the inflator (the i3 part). So check to see whether it fits you well and whether you like how it feels underwater.

I have always had good experiences with SeaQuest BCs. They make excellent BCs and the QD is no doubt as good as their rest.

 

[Coelacanth]

I find the lever much easier to use with 5mm gloves than the standard button. Very easy to add or dump small amounts of air.

I agree, though, MAKE SURE your buddy knows where the lever/dumps/weights are. Us newbies seem to love this BC though so you may get a buddy who also has one