Traveling Light

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My wife has a "one dive bag limit" for vacations. I can take two bags if I take my scooter because, as a former diver, she likes to snorkel with it! As a result I purchased a back inflate Seaquest Balance with the Sure-Locks for travel. Mid priced and light. I replaced the Seaquest tank band with a Scubapro tank band (holds better and folds flat) and now it packs down small enough to allow me to get everything, including a 3mil wetsuit into one bag. Works for me.
 
SterlingDiver:
Scuba Diving is pretty good entertainment but most of their articles are extensions of their advertisers. They could not be described as unbiased.

FYI,

Zeagle has not advertised in Scuba Diving in a longgg time, yet we have never had better reviews on BCs like the new Stiletto, or regulators like the Flatheads, Envoy & Envoy Dlx., and accessories too.

Years ago while running some big expensive ads I remember getting mostly fair reviews, and an occasional testers choice or poor rating.

Sure, IMO I've seen Scuba Diving make some flaws in articles, but tell me what other publication has better and less biased equipment tests?

Chad
 
AEIOU:
I live in Indiana so I dive dry most of the year, back plate and doubles with a dry suit. I have an Oceanic chute 3 but it seems like overkill for tropical diving.
Mark Vlahos:
You did not indicate if you use a one piece webbing harness[/url] or some other type of harness with your plate when diving doubles. If you are using the one piece harness...
The Oceanic Chute 3 is a backinflate BC, configurable to hold banded doubles.

SterlingDiver:
Scuba Diving is pretty good entertainment but most of their articles are extensions of their advertisers. They could not be described as unbiased.
In the latest regulator review issue, not one of the manufacturers that received the "testers choice" or "best buy" for their regs had *any* advertising in that issue. Not just no *regulator* ads, no ads whatsoever. The whole Rodale/advertiser/bias claim doesn't seem to correlate to reality very well. Which is funny, when you consider the manufacturers know the results of the tests in time to place ads if they so choose. The lions share of the ads for Scuba Diving mag seem to be either national/regional tourism boards, resorts, or liveaboards which makes sense when you consider resorts have a harder time getting word of mouth recommendations than equipment companies do.

At least Scuba Diving publishes their scoring methodology so you can make up your own mind if some categories are more important to you than to the reviewers.
 
"In the latest regulator review issue, not one of the manufacturers that received the "testers choice" or "best buy" for their regs had *any* advertising in that issue. Not just no *regulator* ads, no ads whatsoever."

I agree. Rodale's may not go out of their way to dump all over somebody who advertises a lot in their magazine, but I don't see any correlation between apparent advertising dollars and their "tester's choice" or "best buy" recommendations. I think they do a pretty good job of calling it the way they see it. I can still disagree with them, but if I do it isn't because I think their evaluations are biased or dishonest.

If there is a bias in that magazine, it is because of the *readership* - they have to appeal to beginning / inexperienced / infrequent divers, and they write mostly about the issues and the equipment that will appeal to those readers. Their coverage of more advanced diving issues is limited by their readership, and maybe by concerns about liability if they try to cover higher-risk activities in a brief column or article.

I have just started looking for a rig that I can travel with easily, and am looking at the DeepSeaSupply kydex backplate and LCD 30 wing, as well as the OxyCheq travel plate and Signature wing. Both look like they would pack and travel well, and both have heavy duty fabric shells that I want as much for protection from rough handling by the airlines as from rough treatment or sharp objects on a boat or in the water.
 

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