Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
Contributor
Marek K:
I don't think you mean the Orion...it doesn't have an elastic strap over the cummerbund.
FWIW, here's my experience so far with Triple-L products:
Wetsuit - I got a 7mm jumpsuit, no hood. It shipped and got to me in relatively short order. Unfortunately, I didn't get to use it for a while due to the unpredictable North Coast weather this time of year. When I did go to put it on, the zipper on the right leg fell apart
I was bummed and had to rent a suit. It looked like the zipper was broken from the get-go. The little slider piece was split and literally fell apart into two pieces when I touched it.The good news - my brother got the same suit and has used it on at least 6 dives with no problem. I wore his suit in 52 degree F NorCal water yesterday and it was great.The other zippers on mine seem fine, and all the zippers on his seem great, too. I'm pretty sure the faulty zipper just took a good rap during the manufacturing/shipping and was cracked through when it got to me. No biggie. Just an accident.
The better news - I contacted Triple-L, got an apology and was asked to fill out a RMA request. I did, and within one day got an email that said they would be shipping a replacement wetsuit to me this week. No fuss. No muss. I don't have to return the one I have first. Replacement just ships now. Very cool.
FWIW, I have been dealing with Jack Cummins, who some on this board have given a hard time. He has been a great help to me, and I have zero complaints with the wetsuit or the way the problem was dealt with. I think these are great wetsuits for the price, and I'm sure it'll last me many dives. Jack has provided great customer service and very quickly.
weight belt- I got XL. My bro got L. I should have gotten L. I thought the pockets were removable. They are not. I am about a 36 waist and can just barely cinch down the XL to my size, but it works. Also, strangely, his belt came with a metal buckle, but mine with a plastic one. I don't know if one or the other is standard, or if they are moving from one to the other. But that's what we got. I would have rather had an L with a metal buckle, but no biggie. My bad.
Orion - I've taken it out on one dive. It's a seriously comfortable, configurable, adjustable BC. I loved diving with it. I don't have much to add beyond what others have said. It's built like a truck. And I really prefer the back-inflation to traditional stab-jacket, but on that issue, to each his own.
It has enough D-rings, but not too many, as others have said. 3 of them are for the crotch strap. (I used and liked using the crotch strap, though when I break the plastic clips on Triple-L's I'll probably build a replacement...it's simple gear, but at only $3 from them, no complaints). 2 metal D-rings on each arm strap. The plastic D-rings people refer to are really just on the end of the straps you pull to tighten the shoulder straps. I wouldn't attach anything to them, but I did find them helpful for adjustment.
The dumpable weight pockets hold in very securely with multiple layers of velcro. Easy to pull out.
Inflator/deflator was great. I had trouble finding the rear dumps when I wanted to, but that was probably me and my clumsy gloves. The rear deflators are very appropriately located. A right shoulder dump would be a nice addition.
Tank straps are very rugged, and with two of them, the tank is going nowhere. We cinched them down dry having never been wet and the tanks didn't budge.
A couple of side pockets would be nice, as others have noted. But then maybe I'd be saying it was too bulky on the sides. One of my favorite things was the lack of clutter and bulk. I have enough bulky things to deal with when getting in the water up here
All in all, I have no complaints with the Orion. It was easily the nicest BC I have dove in my limited experience (bunch of rental stab jackets and one ScubaPro KnightHawk). It has a rugged feel, is adjustable, comfortable, back-inflate (which I love), and a fantastic value in my opinion.
Happy holidays, everyone
Gregg
