Zeagle Zeus and Zena couple: opinion?

[Shark Bait!]

The Express Tech is an excellent choice. I got one for my son, and i cant stop praising how well it works and it is very close to a BP/W. The crotch strap isnt uncomfortable at all, you more then likely wont ever notice it, and it keeps your rig nice and secure along with the 2" webbing shoulderstarp.

It is good for everyday diving to, not just vacation diving. Just add a D-ring to each shoulder strap, a D-ring on each hip and a 2" crotchsterap and you are good to go. I am a big advocate of a BP/W system, but this is a close second IMHO.

 

[Lorenzoid]

So, is nobody going to tackle my question above regarding why, if recreational divers are now raving about minimalist BCs like the Express Tech, almost all recreational BCs have for decades been designed like 1950s Cadillacs?--hugely padded, tank-like behemoths, with wing-like cummerbunds that might as well be Cadillac tail fins because, judging from all the positive comments about BCs that lack them, they apparently serve no real purpose. How can a minimalist BC that's made of bare webbing and a rigid back plate possible be as comfortable and fit as securely or accomplish whatever other goals are the goals of BC design as those traditional jacket-style BCs that presumably evolved over decades? Now, suddenly, many divers are saying "we don't really need any of that"?! If so, then foisting these presumably grossly over-designed (and expensive) traditional BCs on the recreational, warm-water diving community--and new divers in particular, who just need a plain old BC--has been one big fraud. Please tell me I am missing something in the equation here and that there are valid reasons for both styles of BC that people should consider in choosing a BC. I mean, even the idea of a "travel BC" aside, why would an average recreational, warm-water diver who has no special needs ever choose a bulky jacket-style BC if a minimalist BC like the Express Tech fits all the requirements of such as person?

 

[Lorenzoid]

<tap tap tap tap> Hello? <silence>

I think I'll call Scubatoys today and get yet another opinion. I need to make a purchase ASAP in order to receive it in time for my trip. I had fairly well decided on the Zeus (for reasons stated in my initial post regarding structural/operational similarity to my dive buddy's (wife's) Zena)) until I read the threads and glowing praise on here for the Express Tech. And now I am completely confused by two radically different styles of BC being equally recommended for casual warm-water dive use. Until now, despite all the hype on SB touting the BP/W for non-tech divers, I had never thought anything approaching a techie BP/W would be something I wished to consider in view of the kind of diving I do.

 

[Damselfish]

I've had 3 BCs over the years - waist strap only, cummerbund only, and combo. I like the combo best.

I find a cumberbund more comfortable than a plain strap/buckle, and it does provide friction that helps keep the BC from riding up. (Yes I know a crotch strap can do that too but some of us have no desire for such a thing and prefer this solution.)

Having the buckle also is good because the velcro on your typical cummerbund is not really secure enough once it starts to wear a bit. (I used to have a BC with velcro cummerbund only, and once it got worn it would occasionally pop open when hitting the water, not good.

 

[DiveMaven]

I would say that the answer to your question is that ScubaBoard is not necessarily representative of the average diver you'll meet at dive sites. Also, there's an extremely vocal bunch who strongly promote the BP/W as the next best thing to sliced bread, and IMO anyone who recommends anything but a BP/W gets drowned out by the BP/W folks. Thus those of us who do not prefer a BP/W simply keep our opinions to ourselves 99% of the time.

In my experience of 300 dives in various warm locals throughout the Caribbean and Maui, most people I see dive traditional jacket BCs or back-inflate BCs. I could easily count on two hands the number of times I've seen a diver with a BP/W.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about there being an unusually large and vocal group of BP/W proponents on SB, DiveMaven. I can just see the DMs at the fancy dive resort setting up our gear for us and looking curiously at the BP/W, asking what's up with the tech-diving rig. But on the other hand, perhaps the minimalist BC that's basically along the same lines as a BP/W is the way of the future??

 

[DiveMaven]

Frankly, I don't see how a BP/W is really less minimal than the Zeus or Zena.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Frankly, I don't see how a BP/W is really less minimal than the Zeus or Zena.

The basic Express Tech has no padding at all--just webbing for a belt and shoulder straps. That's pretty basic. There is an Express Tech Deluxe that has more padding and a few other features, and I suppose that starts to approach the Zeus/Zena configuration, though it still doesn't have a front panel or as many releases, D-rings and other hardware that the Zeus/Zena does. The Zeus/Zena is considerably more heavily padded, especially with the lumbar pad option. If I get the Express Tech, I will get the Deluxe with the padding, as I can't imagine doing a shore entry (though admittedly something I don't do often) with those straps digging into my shoulders.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As a follow up to my original question and the helpful replies here, I can report that I ordered an Express Tech Deluxe plus a padding kit and weight system.

With respect to my original question about the Zeus, my conclusions were that the Zeus has its fans (including a "Testers' Choice" in last year's BC review in Scuba Diving mag), but it doesn't seem to have hordes of loyal followers urging others to buy one. Also relating to my original question, I found out that the Zeus really isn't constructed all that similarly to the Zena--it doesn't even have the ripcord weight system like the Zena. Part of my original question was whether having a BC that worked the same way as my wife's (Zena) might be useful, i.e., releases work the same way, same replacement parts, etc. But from the lack of opinions on that point, apparently nobody thinks that's any big deal. Apart from the DIR people, most of us don't have the same setup as our buddy.

In the end, quizzing fellow divers for input only goes so far. Really, the only way to know if one likes a BC is to dive with it. I'm hoping to get a weekend road trip to FL in before my big trip so I can familiarize myself with the Express Tech, but I may or may not have time.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Just to conclude this thread, I ended up buying the Express Tech Deluxe. After a quick weekend familiarization with it in a Florida spring, I packed it up and took it on a month-long journey with my wife in Southeast Asia, including dives on Sipadan (Malaysian Borneo) and Lembeh Strait (N. Sulawesi, Indonesia). It packed compactly, and I managed to keep my gear bag (Stahlsac Jamaican Smuggler) right at the 20 kg limit imposed by some airlines.

The Express Tech performed fine as a travel BC, but it did take quite a bit of getting used to because I had never dived with a BP/W-type setup. It felt weird having one strap that is both shoulder harness and belt and thus not being able to adjust shoulder length and belt independently. Also, before I left home I had to make a lot of strap adjustments and cut quite a bit of extra strap off the ends, since this is a one-size-fits-all BC and I am a medium-sized guy. The Express Tech, even the Deluxe package with the back and shoulder pads, was not quite as comfortable as the Aeris BC I had been using for the past several years. I'm not sure of the benefits of this BC style for me, but as a travel BC the sacrifice in setup time, comfort, and ease of use was offset by the low weight and small volume in my bag.