I don't see anything wrong with Zeagle's new Tech BC / BP offering... unless it's more expensive than Halcyon's or OMS's rig. Then that would probably be it.
Honestly... it's a piece of metal with a balloon bolted to the back... how complicated can that be??? :lol:
Metal grade (resistance to corrosion)
Cordura nylon grade
Urethane coating grade
and basically over-all build quality should determine the rest... all the BP wing rigs should perform about the same... minor differences in hydrodynamics and streamlining shouldn't make THAT big a difference unless you're using an oversized wing.
IMO (remember, MY OPINION ONLY) as much as manufacturers want you to believe that hydrodynamics plays a big role in our diving, it doesn't. That huge thing we call a tank negates almost all our ability to slice through water.
Just like those Honda Civics people see with huge-a$$ tail wings... these wings do work... ONLY AT HIGH SPEEDS. Fact is Aero & hydrodynamic efficiency usually kicks in LAST in over-all performance... which means that at the speeds we divers swim at... hydro dynamics probably makes very little over-all difference.
(keeping your junk from dangling around, wrecking corals, and getting tangled however...that's another story)
Swimming at olympic speeds, maybe it'll save 1/10 of a second... at diving speeds... hmm... maybe 1/100?
Anyway... if you like the way the Zeagle (Tech or BP) looks and it's priced fine, then why not?
If you're really after the Ranger (This way my 'dream' BC way back as well) ...I might have a few comments... now that I've learned a bit more about them.
First... Rangers are expensive. They usually are within the Halcyon/OMS price range already... so why not go for the real tech rigs? They aren't uncomfortable at all... and I wear a 1mm suit..no additional padding.
Second... the soft pack of the Zeagle... way back then, this was something I wasn't too fond of...it packs well for travel... but a hardpack always keeps your tank more secure.
Third... (R.I.P.)cord system... it's a neat idea... I actually give them an "A" for effort. But it's not very safe since it actually doesn't take much to tug the cord and accidentally release your weights... the handle is a T-bar that can get tangled...now if you're not going for the ripcord system... their other velcro weight thing isn't that great either... it's like Halcyon's weight thing too..which I'm not too fond of either.
Forth... oversized bladder, well, unless you really NEED 45# of lift. More lift is NOT always better... If you're properlly weighted... then you won't need a lot of lift. This being said, a small bladder actually is safer since a runaway inflator will never make you shoot up since you don't have that much lift to begin with. AFAIK, the US military uses Zeagle as well as Halcyon... soldiers do need more lift... hmm... guns...ammo... explosives... communications...etc... you get the point. And remember, none of their equipment is made for JUST DIVING. So they do NEED the lift. The nice thing about BP is that you can just change the wing to suit your diving needs. For most divers, around 30# of lift should be enough. Again, check your buoyancy... you'd be surprised at how much easier your dives get once you get it down! You move faster with less effort, use less air, lug less gear, have a lighter rig over-all, and don't have too much clutter while diving!
Fifth & last... too many pockets... although, BP are the extreme opposite and have no pockets as standard... the Ranger just has too much gunk dangling around... the weight pockets... the roll-up pocket... the Ripcord weaving throughout the thing...etc..etc..
Unless you're doing a job underwater and need a lot of equipment... one pocket should be enough... standard pockets can usually hold a slate, spare mask, finger spool, and dive tables. The roll-up pocket is the most annoying one..if you use it, the thing just dangles around like an old sock... if you don't use it... then why have it? You'd be better off with a small canvas bag and a lift bag.
I have nothing against Zeagle or any other BC for that matter... I have a few gripes about Halcyon's designs as well... this just proves that you can't please everyone.
Like I said, the beauty of a BP rig is the modularity... you can mix and match MOST brands (please check the parts first before buying though) and put together a real CUSTOM BC.
There's nothing special about the Halcyon AL plate I got... except it has the H logo... and I'm the type who likes matching stuff... but honestly, I could get by with any AL plate that fits the wing.
I personally like the "O" shape wing over the "U" shaped ones... for the simple reason of air-trapping. It's not really a big issue... I was just happy that the lift size I wanted came in an "O" shape. No other wing maker had an "O"... at least not here anyway...OMS's "O" wing isn't out yet.
I was gonna get the OMS IQ pack to mate with the Halcyon wing... but it cost more than the Halcyon harness... and when I finally got to try the Halcyon harness, it wasn't as bad as I thought... in fact, it wasn't bad at all... I even cancelled my order for the neoprene shoulder straps since I found that I didn't need them!
But remember, what works for me, may NOT work for you... try on as many styles as possible... borrow some rigs if you can as well. I borrowed an AL plate before buying one since the dealer was telling me to get the heavier SS plate (6# vs 2#)
Since I was able to borrow a lot of rigs before buying mine, I already knew what worked for me! I now dive with just an AL plate... no STA, no weight belt, 2# tank trim weights, and a sausage balloon stuffed in the MC storage pack. Feels like heaven to me... compared to the jacket BCs and my friend's BP rig (which had a lot of D-rings, and other stuff clipped to the straps)
Oh, another tip... don't judge comfort in the shop!!!! What's comfortable in air, may flop around underwater. Things are usually tighter in air... so just cuz something feels tight doesn't mean it'll feel that way underwater... conversely, something comfy on the shop will usually be loose underwater.
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