2008 budget BCD review

IST Imperial £249.95

Weight (kg): 3.48
Lift (lb): 52
D-rings: 6
Pull dumps: 2
Pockets: 2
Integrated weights: Yes
Trim pockets: Yes
Extras: None
Contact: www.sea-sea.co.uk

Martin: It’s got lots of features, both integrated weights and trim pockets, and it looks sturdy. The pockets are a nice size and the integrated weights work well. The power inflator sits nicely in your hand, and there’s lots of lift. I like the upright position it gives you on the surface. A nice BCD.

Dave: The spine is well padded and it’s quite good looking; sturdy too. There’s plenty of D-rings and intergral weights is a plus point. Even John thinks this is big for a size large, so it must be! Spend time setting it up and it pays dividends as the cummerbund is adjustable. It’s got plenty of lift, and a good clip system on the integrated weight pouches, although they are a little small. A good BCD.

John: There’s lots of lift and it holds you in a good position on the surface. It performs well in all positions underwater. It’s a BCD for extra large people who like to try and fir into a large! I like the dolphin logo too.

Stewart: A strong looking BCD, and it has everything you need. I like this, it’s a bit large but a good design. The weight pockets are good and the pockets are easy to get in to.

Simon: It has a good long inflator hose, and looks good. It has plenty of buoyancy on the surface, the integrated weights are easy to find when kitted up, although the pockets are tricky to find. I like the power inflator.

Tony: This has lots of extras, and looks good for your money.

Oceanic Reefpro £195

Weight (kg): 2.66
Lift (lb): 42
D-rings: 2
Pull dumps: 1
Pockets: 2
Integrated weights: No
Trim pockets: No
Extras: Two octopus clips.
Contact: www.oceanicuk.com

Martin: I’m not keen on the Velcro pockets, although they are deep. I would prefer a kidney dump too. The power inflator is great, and sits in your hand really well. The pull dumps work pretty well. A good performer for the price.

Dave: A pretty basic BCD, well made and under £200. The cummerbund is quite tight, but the ergonomic inflator is very comfy. It holds a good position on the surface. This is a good, solid, hardwearing jacket, but would benefit from having a kidney dump.

John: Looks basic, but it’s a good price. It has a very short cummerbund, and the chest strap is too high for me. It’s good on the surface, but tended to roll underwater. Needs a kidney dump.

Stewart: A good jacket for the price, and would be ideal for clubs and schools. The power inflator is good, and I like the trim position underwater. I found the pockets tricky to get into.

Simon: Looks wise it’s ok, a pretty basic BCD. The power inflator is excellent but I couldn’t get to the pockets. It’s a bit tight for a large.

Tony: I wouldn’t buy it on looks alone, but it’s a good price. The cummerbund is a bit short, but overall it fitted well. It wasn’t the best position on the surface, however underwater it was a good performer. I found the pockets awkward to find.

Seac Sub Comfort Plus £229

Weight (kg): 2.5
Lift (lb): 42
D-rings: 5
Pull dumps: 2
Pockets: 3
Integrated weights: No
Trim pockets: No
Extras: Material D-ring loops
Contact: www.beaversports.co.uk

Martin: The backplate is well padded and the pockets are nice and big. The jacket wraps around your body nicely which makes them easy to use. The dumps work well, although overall the jacket is a bit big for me. A good, mid-priced BCD in this range.

Dave: The backplate is well padded, although I’m not sure about the elastic loops on the outside of the pockets. You can adjust the height of the cylinder strap. The pockets are easy to get into and there’s plenty of lift. You can get into any position underwater , although I would prefer a positively buoyant kidney dump. An average BCD.

John: An average looking BCD, with a sturdy feel to it. The zips are chunky. The surface position is good and it’s comfortable enough. Underwater it never let me into the position I wanted to be in.

Stewart: It feels quite light and the zippered pockets are good. It’s a bit big for me, but performed well enough. Lots of lift on the surface and a good position in the water. I rate this one.

Simon: Good zippered pockets and metal D-rings. It holds a good position on the surface and the pockets are easy to access. Not as comfortable as some; not the best here.

Tony: It looks good quality. It’s nice and upright on the surface, but in the water I never quite got comfortable. The pockets are easy to get into though. Overall okay.

Seaquest Wave £199.95

Weight (kg): 2.94
Lift (lb): 42
D-rings: 2
Pull dumps: 2
Pockets: 2
Integrated weights: No
Trim pockets: No
Extras: None
Contact: www.aqualung.co.uk

Martin: This looks fairly basic, but it’s got a well padded backplate. You get a shoulder and kidney dump which is good for the money. The pockets are a good sized but they’re Velcro, however they’re easy to get into underwater. It holds a good position on the surface and the dumps are easy to find, and effective. Good value for money.

Dave: I like the adjustable cummerbund; which you alter using Velcro on the spine. I don’t particularly like the position on the surface, and the power inflator doesn’t sit that well. It’s a bit large, but a very good BCD. This is a solid BCD for a reasonable price.

John: It looks bland and I’d like a couple more D-rings – the ones here aren’t in the best place. On the surface it’s excellent and leans you backwards slightly. It dumps ai well and the pockets are easy to get into. It’s comfortable, and overall I’m impressed.

Stewart: It looks basic for good value for money. The pockets are easy to get in to, while the kidney dump was not so good; the others were fine though. Not the most comfortable for me.

Simon: It feels quite heavy. Not as much lift on the surface as some, but okay. The pockets are okay. This is not bad overall.

Tony: The pockets are nice and big and easy to get into. On the surface it’s excellent, and leans you slightly backwards. It’s very comfortable and good in all positions underwater. This is a very nice BCD; basic, but very good value.

Scubapro T-One £199

Weight (kg): 2.64
Lift (lb): 52
D-rings: 2
Pull dumps: 2
Pockets: 2
Integrated weights: No
Trim pockets: No
Extras: None
Contact: www.scubapro-uwatec.com

Martin: This is the best fitting jacket here for me; it is very easy to adjust to your size. The pull dumps all work well and I do like the Scubapro power inflator, which has a deflate button on the side, rather than the end of the hose. I think zippered pockets would improve it. However, this is a very light BCD and excellent for traveling.

Dave: It holds your head well out of the water on the surface and it’s very comfy. Pockets are easy to get in to and it’s extremely well made with the usual Scubapro build quality. It’s an absolute bargain at that price; I’d quite happily buy one.

John: If you were looking for a budget BCD this would catch your eye. It holds a good position on the surface and the power inflator is good. The dumps are easy to find and it performs well in the water, however the pockets aren’t the best.

Stewart: It has plenty of lift and is a good performer. I’d like a couple more D-rings. For the price this is very nice; a bargain.

Simon: I’m not a fan of the Scubapro power inflator. The pull toggles are easy to find and it’s very nice and comfortable. The pockets were tricky to get in and out of.

Tony: I like the power inflator, everything just works well and fits well. It’s an excellent position on the surface and the pockets are easy to use. For an entry level BCD this is really good, I like this one a lot.

Tigullio Seaborn £229

Weight (kg): 3.54
Lift (lb): 32
D-rings: 6
Pull dumps: 2
Pockets: 3
Integrated weights: Yes
Trim pockets: Yes
Extras: None
Contact: www.beaversports.co.uk

Martin: This looks a good quality BCD. The pockets expand and are cavernous, and you also get integrated weights. The D-rings are large and easy to locate. It’s comfortable and has a good position on the surface and underwater. A good performer.

Dave: You can adjust the height of the cylinder strap if you want. I would prefer it if the weight pouches were clips and not Velcro. It tips you back slightly on the surface which is nice. The dumps are excellent and the pockets are large and easy to use. A nice BCD.

John: It looks good and has a substantial carry handle. You get two dump valves and it’s reasonably comfortable. Underwater it doesn’t move about and I could get into any position I wanted for photography. I found the power inflator a bit slow.

Stewart: This looks okay, but the pockets are not the easiest to get into. This is a comfortable BCD, although I’m not a fan of this type of integrated weights with their Velcro fastening.

Simon: The pockets and D-rings are both good. It’s quite heavy and not the best for surface position. I don’t like Velcro for integrated weights and the pockets aren’t the best. I found this comfortable to wear.

Tony: You get both integrated weights and non-dumpable weight pockets, which is good. It fits okay and was quite comfortable, although not the best. Fully inflated I found it dug in a bit. The dump valves work well; this is a good performer at the price.

Tusa Liberator £248

Weight (kg): 3.46
Lift (lb):
D-rings: 4
Pull dumps: 1
Pockets: 2
Integrated weights: Yes
Trim pockets: Yes
Extras: Removable carabina clip
Contact: www.cpspartnership.co.uk

Martin: This has plenty of features and looks the most well-equipped; it’s very good for under £250. It’s very comfortable but lacks a shoulder dump. The integrated weight system is good and there’s minimal roll underwater. One of the better BCDs.

Dave: The integrated weight system is very good, it’s the best in the price band. This is a solid, well made BCD. There’s no shoulder dump, which is a shame, although there’s lots of extras – I like the removable carabina clip. The power inflator is very good and I was tilted slightly backwards on the surface. This BCD is up there with the best – you can spend a lot more money on a worse BCD.

John: It has lots of features you’d expect on a more expensive BCD. It has a good integrated weight system and it looks good. The surface position is excellent and it dumps air very well. A very good performer.

Stewart: The best looking BCD for me. It was very comfy but the pockets were quite hard to get into. Overall I liked it a lot.

Simon: Looks good, and has nice integrated weights set-up, although the pockets are a bit small. Lift at the surface is very good, it’s comfortable and the D-rings are accessible. The inflator dumps air very quickly, but it lacks a shoulder dump. Overall very nice.

Tony: This is a substantial BCD and the best looking here. On the surface it had support all round, and was the tightest fully-inflated. A nice fit. Pockets were difficult to get into, and the extra large D-rings on the right hand side were very easy to access. Could do with a shoulder dump.

CONCLUSION

It was clear throughout testing as each diver surfaced with their opinions, that not one BCD stood out for the wrong reasons. All were very good for the money, in what is a very competitive price bracket, and it was genuinely very difficult to pick a winner. It was noted that there has been a clear improvement in budget BCDs since we last conducted a group test in 2006.
Some testers were initially sceptical about some models’ lack of basic features – D-rings, zippered pockets, dump valves etc, but having dived them all agreed that these are all budget BCDs that work well. With three coming in at under £200, there’s hope for us all during the credit crunch!
So how did we pick the two winners? There were four that were up for consideration: IST, Seaquest, Scubapro, and TUSA. The IST and TUSA went head to head for the Choice award, with both having an impressive array of toys. Before we even got in the water most of the testers liked the looks and features on both the IST and TUSA. In the water the TUSA edged the IST thanks to an excellent integrated weight system, despite criticism of its lack of a shoulder dump valve. A quality BCD at a great price.
The Seaquest and Scubapro were neck and neck when it came to price and features, with the latter a touch lighter if you’re going to be traveling. Testing was also very close, with both putting in a very strong performance. However the Scubapro had fewer negative comments made about it, was more comfortable, and the power inflator found favour with most testers. Both are excellent value for less than £200, but we’d choose the baby in the Scubapro range.