I just received my Zeagle Stiletto LTD this week and gave it a spin in the pool.
Overall, it is a delightful BC.
Adjusting it to fit perfectly took a few moments as I detached, moved, and reattached the cummerbund to fit. A few tugs on the straps and everything was in order. The hose from my Knighthawk's Air2 snapped right into the Octo-Z without an issue.
Definite pluses is the quick weight releases. Pulling the rip cord was a fast and easy method of dumping weight fast. The back trip weights dump pretty easily, but not as cleanly as the rip cord system. I pulled down on one of the trim pockets and was not sure anything fell out.
The shoulder straps are out of the way, giving a vast amount of freedom to move around. The metal d-rings on the shoulder straps are slightly bent, making them easy to access. Moving them around takes a bit of work, but they can be placed anywhere on the strap.
As for pockets, the front one in the cummerbund will be handy on warm water dives to pick up small trash in the ocean. It's a bit too difficult to get to it in drysuit gloves. The side pockets are small: too small to hold my three AA battery dive light. It does hold my 4 AAA (side by side) dive light.
I was hoping to enjoy the LTD zippered accessories. The safety sausage is easy to find without any effort or searching. It comes out of its pocket easily. On the other hand, I picked up a flat pocket for the other side so I could keep my dive slates in it. Filling the pocket is easy with a top opening. The bottom pull for getting the items out works fine as well, once you find it. Because of the zipper's location near the pleated bottom of the BC, finding a flat piece of fabric amongst the flat fabric of the pleats was a constant guessing game. It's lack of convenience is disappointing. Perhaps I will change it out for a spare air.
When comparing the Stiletto LTD to the Ranger LTD, the Stiletto looks like a miniature version of the Ranger. The shoulder straps are a little more narrow, the d-rings are smaller and the pockets and bladder are smaller. The Ranger LTD's bladder can be made in any of a number of colors, while the Stiletto only comes in black bladders. The Stiletto is a one tank BC.
In the water, the BC is very comfortable. It does not try to ride up, and if it did try, there is a connection point in the back to add a strap to keep it down. The wide open shoulder straps made taking the BC off and on underwater very simple.
This is a pleasing BC: something I would recommend to others looking for a good recreational (one tank) BC.
Overall, it is a delightful BC.
Adjusting it to fit perfectly took a few moments as I detached, moved, and reattached the cummerbund to fit. A few tugs on the straps and everything was in order. The hose from my Knighthawk's Air2 snapped right into the Octo-Z without an issue.
Definite pluses is the quick weight releases. Pulling the rip cord was a fast and easy method of dumping weight fast. The back trip weights dump pretty easily, but not as cleanly as the rip cord system. I pulled down on one of the trim pockets and was not sure anything fell out.
The shoulder straps are out of the way, giving a vast amount of freedom to move around. The metal d-rings on the shoulder straps are slightly bent, making them easy to access. Moving them around takes a bit of work, but they can be placed anywhere on the strap.
As for pockets, the front one in the cummerbund will be handy on warm water dives to pick up small trash in the ocean. It's a bit too difficult to get to it in drysuit gloves. The side pockets are small: too small to hold my three AA battery dive light. It does hold my 4 AAA (side by side) dive light.
I was hoping to enjoy the LTD zippered accessories. The safety sausage is easy to find without any effort or searching. It comes out of its pocket easily. On the other hand, I picked up a flat pocket for the other side so I could keep my dive slates in it. Filling the pocket is easy with a top opening. The bottom pull for getting the items out works fine as well, once you find it. Because of the zipper's location near the pleated bottom of the BC, finding a flat piece of fabric amongst the flat fabric of the pleats was a constant guessing game. It's lack of convenience is disappointing. Perhaps I will change it out for a spare air.
When comparing the Stiletto LTD to the Ranger LTD, the Stiletto looks like a miniature version of the Ranger. The shoulder straps are a little more narrow, the d-rings are smaller and the pockets and bladder are smaller. The Ranger LTD's bladder can be made in any of a number of colors, while the Stiletto only comes in black bladders. The Stiletto is a one tank BC.
In the water, the BC is very comfortable. It does not try to ride up, and if it did try, there is a connection point in the back to add a strap to keep it down. The wide open shoulder straps made taking the BC off and on underwater very simple.
This is a pleasing BC: something I would recommend to others looking for a good recreational (one tank) BC.
