Thoughts on AquaLung BC's?

[shakespear]

I rented a Pro HD this weekend and felt kind of pitched forward.

The shop recommended Axiom to help with that.

This is what the local shop carries and may be the brand I go with. Leisure pro seems to be sold out though.

 

[tbone1004]

try to keep everything in the thread that you had already started, will keep it all consolidated for you

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The shop is offering a gear solution to a skills and knowledge problem. If you are correctly weighted and the weight is properly distributed any BC can be used to remain neutral, in trim, and at the same time be comfortable at the surface. Except one that doesn't fit properly and wants to ride up around your ears.
All shops and instructors know how to weight divers. Not enough know how to do it right. Your BC is not a life vest. It only needs to keep you chin out of the water. Then you just lay back and relax.
Back inflates will push a diver forward if they are overweighted requiring too much air in the bladder. If your weight is all in the front where do you think you are going to find yourself if you put all the air in the back? Simple physics.

 

[shakespear]

Good company? Quality materials?

 

[diversteve]

I rented a Pro HD this weekend and felt kind of pitched forward.

The shop recommended Axiom to help with that.

This is what the local shop carries and may be the brand I go with. Leisure pro seems to be sold out though.

Leisurepro is Not an authorized Aqualung dealer. So the prices are better but the warranty is thru LP only.

Leisure Pro is NOT an authorized Aqua Lung dealer - Aqua Lung US - Personal Aquatic Equipment for Recreational and Professional Use

You should be warned that consumers who have bought Aqua Lung products from Leisure Pro in the past have found out after their purchase that certain rights to warranties and other value added support benefits could not be obtained.

So no FPFL and I believe your dealer can even refuse to service it per his dealer agreement - or do everything at full retail prices if they do.

I rented a Pro HD this weekend and felt kind of pitched forward.

There should have been weight trim pockets on both sides of the tank band. Did you use them?

Instead of an Axiom which is just a more expensive (featured?) Jacket, see if they have a Dimension you can demo. You may like the trim better because inherently while diving you're mostly trying to attain a horizontal position. Having all the air on your back plus most of the weight in front allows this to happen normally. They also come with rear trim pockets, my ideal weighting is 70/30 which floats me vertical with no sense of being pushed forward or back. 60/40 also works and makes it a little easier to lean back on the surface since I do some of that also while shore diving.

my .02

 

[shakespear]

Interesting

 

[runsongas]

Good company? Quality materials?

quality ok albeit still a jacket bc, but the price is too high due to dive shop markups. DGX 25lb bpw is better at less cost.

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package | Dive Gear Express®

apeks bpw is worth a look if you can find one on clearance or in good condition used.

zeagle express tech used to be worth a look till they stopped selling the basic harness version that was cheaper.

 

[Sevenrider860]

I am curious. The Pro HD and Axiom are both wrap-around jacket style BCDs and I would expect them to feel similar in the water. I would not expect you to feel pitched forward. The difference is that the Pro HD is a $499 BCD and the Axiom is a $599 BCD. The Axiom is a quality BCD but I would not expect it to feel much different in the water than the Pro HD.

 

[shakespear]

The shop also carries zeagle

 

[pinshootr]

Axiom is way more comfortable, but you should try as many as you can to compare the differences