Maredsous:
I currently dive the BCJ-5900 Imprex Pro 3-D Cubic, and Id have to say that it is an excellent product, especially considering the price and features. It's very stable, decends/ascends well, has a user-friendly inflator, and floats comfortably upright, for a back-inflation style BC. The other things I like about it are that it has two tank straps, plus a valve strap as well. It has an integrated back-plate with tank stabilizer runners. You can adjust the point at which the shoulder straps attach to the bottom part of the vest. It has D-ring attachment points everywhere, as well as rear trim weight pockets. The system fits me perfectly, and is very comfortable in every respect. I prefer back-inflation style BCs anyway, and this one is cool because the bladder is bungeed and tethered, and it also has four exhaust ports (one at each corner). The bladder has a high lift capacity, yet has a smaller profile due to the 3-D design. Despite all these features, it's also a minimalist type of setup, which I also prefer.
As far as negatives are concerned, I have a few:
1. The main weight pockets utilize an S shaped routing with Velcro closure over the pull-handles. While I have never lost a weight, this type of closure mechanism tends to sag when it is wetted-out under full load, and doesnt always feel secure. This situation could be easily remedied by the addition of a mechanical clip-lock setup, already used on some of their other systems.
2. The Ninja bag is difficult, if not impossible, to deploy if you have the weight pocket fully loaded. I dont typically use this feature, but if someone wanted to they might have to inter the water with it already attached to its mount points. For this same reason the usability of the zippered side utility pockets is also diminished when using a full load of hard weights.
3. The dual tank straps are the same length, but each strap is routed differently. One of the straps takes a much longer route, which consequently causes it to have a shorter usable length after the fact. This could be cause for some security issues when using a larger diameter tank
4. 2 Lbs. of inherent buoyancy.
I have yet to find any piece of equipment that is absolutely perfect in every respect. All things considered, this is a great BC. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a back-inflator with unique styling, nice features, and great performance at a resonable price.
Hope this helps!
In my opinion, Maredsous has really summed this one up very well! Just to add a few thoughts...I dove with the Tusa Imprex BCJ3900 for 9 years, the Tusa Imprex BCJ4900 for a couple of dives, and the Tusa Imprex BCJ5900 for one summer, which included instructor school (IDC). After 10 years of diving, I finally bought a BCD setup that I could custom build myself to whatever specs I want, so I bought the OMS IQ Harness and 32 lb. Travel Wing. However, it was an extremely hard decision for me to stop using the Tusa BCJ5900 because I liked it so much.
The only complaints I had about the Tusa BCJ5900 were:
1. The overall weight of the BCD completely empty seemed very heavy to transport, clean, and move around on the boat with. It was very bulky wearing when I was not in the water (like most BCDs anyway).
2. Even though the BCD is very heavy, it still has about 2 lbs. of inherent buoyancy, so I could not take off any weight. It just got even heavier with the weights inserted.
3. With the rubberized vertical tank stabilizing ribs, I could not put tanks on easily that had tank skirts (protectors) that covered the tank. I had to loosen the straps each time to use tank protectors.
4. Very limited pocket space, which I didn't use much of anyway. I left the "ninja" detachable pocket at home.
5. Sagging weight system that doesn't feel secure (haven't had any problems though).
Overall, I would still rate the BCJ5900 as a 9 on a scale of 1-10. It is very stable underwater and on the surface, it is very easy to use and maintain neutral buoyancy with, as well as the proper horizontal attitude while swimming, it descends and ascends easily with very little to no air needed to begin an ascent, the material is tough and feels very secure with no tank roll or movement, and it got me through a long and physically demanding instructor school without a single problem. It is such a stable platform in the water that it is the easiest BCD I have ever put back on in deep water. Just climb on backwards and slide in to. I always liked the way it rode low, on my waist, and never rode up on my abdomen or chest. The prices are also great on these.
BCDs are like masks and toothbrushes. All decisions are very personal and compromises have to be made on what you feel are the most important features you are looking for. One great have-to-have feature will usually be offset by some smaller feature you may not care for. If you can try them out before buying, I would strongly encourage you to do so.
I personally dive for recreational and instructional purposes, so I like gear that is proven to be safe, streamlined with little drag, back-inflated, weight-integrated, does not ride up on me, is open in the front and does not clutter or squeeze my chest, is as small as possible, has the least amount of lift as possible, requires the least amount of integrated weight as possible, has already been proven to be tough and reliable, easy to service, inexpensive to service, clean and maintain, and that has an acceptable level of short-term comfort. After all, I'm not going to be wearing my gear all day around the office! Just my 5 cents worth! Good luck with your decision.
