Dude, I got an Aqualung,

[agesilaus]

I have the Seaquest pro i3, and let me warn you. It took me 5 or 6 dives to really get adjusted to that lever instead of the standard inflator control I used during my OW class. Mine just takes the slightest tap up to put a burst of air into the vest. Now that I've been using it for awhile it has become natural, but I had a hard time at the start. Conversely it takes a solid press down to bleed air. When I took AOW the (jerk) instructor hated the i3 and tried to get me to use one of his standard BCD's but I kept telling him that I had the i3 and I needed to get used to it.

I needed a longer hose for the inflator from my first stage to the connector on the BCD. I'm using a 30 inch hose on that now. It's just long enough.

Now that I'm adjusted to it, I give it a tap up to shoot some air in and wait a few seconds and add another shot as needed.

Otherwise it's a very nice BCD. I just got a longer hose from Piranha for my aux reg so I can use the pocket. And I got one of the short aqualung knives so that I could take advantage of their mounting grommets. I tried using tie wraps on a standard knife thru the grommets but it did not work well.

BK

 

[kmurray719]

So excited. I Just finished playing with my brand new aqualung dimension I 3. Omfg! It's my first bcd and I love it. Can't wait to get it in the water! I love that it's feature loaded and I liked one feature even better then the next and then they kept on coming! Love all of the routings of the hoses, from the octo pocket to the sleeved location for the gauges.
I fact Im now willing to get a full triple console for spg, compass and depth because it's such a nice compact area to hold it and i think it will be well trimmed . I thought I was going to get just the single pressure gauge console and then a wrist or retractable compass so I wouldn't be so bulky but I think this solves that. It really seems tight.


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If you're routing the hose through the back of the Dimension and using the "holder" (for lack of a better term) for the gauges, it is going to be at the very best a huge PITA to take out of the storage spot to use a compass, and at worst impossible....most likely impossible. Unless you get a really long hose you won't be able to pull the gauges out in front of you far enough to get an accurate compass reading with the hose routed through the back of the BC. And if you do get a really long hose (which would flop around and defeat the purpose of the hose routing option) the velcro on that part of the BC is pretty tough to get undone. You'd be much better off with just the spg or an spg/depth gauge and a wrist compass.

 

[Nasser]

Congratulations - Aqualung makes some very nice stuff. Once you take the BCD for a few dives you will be able to fine tune the fit. Based on your size description Large should be fine for your frame, the key is to adjust the fit so that it's not too tight that it restricts your mobility and breathing and not too loose that you start to get a lot of shifting around and tank wobble. You need to find that sweet spot that gives you stability and comfort. This takes a few dives and some acclimatization to your BCD, but put in that extra time and you will be rewarded with some comfortable, secure, and enjoyable diving.

As far as consoles go - for me personally I used to have everything (SPG, depth gauge, and compass) all on a single large console but now I just dive with an SPG. The depth is taken care of on two computers or bottom timers. Compass is on wrist and computer, so I still get the redundancy but I feel more streamlined with just the SPG clipped to a D-ring on the side. This is my personal preference and is suitable for my diving... Go with what makes you most comfortable underwater and refine your set up as you go.

Just as a side note, I only take down what I feel I really need for any particular dive. Less is more... and the less junk I actually need the better.

Have fun with your new toys.

cheers,
nasser

 

[Nemrod]

Cool dude, I am down with that hipness, like totally tubular man, I can dig it:

N

 

[crosshairs]

I dive an Aqualung Axiom i3.....pretty similar..you're gonna love it in the water

 

[mikeb21072]

I dive the dimension in a size large, and I had to upgrade the length of the hose to my console. I replaced with a long braided hose and it made a world of difference in being able to check the guages. I clip it to the upper D ring to streamline it.
One thing I do like is that by losing the pocket due to the i3, it made me rethink if I really needed to carry as much gear as I did with my jacket BCD.
As said previously, it takes a couple of dives to get used to the BCD, but after that it is awesome.

 

[Zznola]

Thanks y'all for the replies. I fully expect to have a bit of a learning curve. The back inflate is new for me as well but that's ok. I'll do an easy week In pompano and take it slow to get used to it. Murray, I think you may be right. The octo and the oral inflator will pull out of the sleeve easily but Not the gauge so I'm going to see about that. I think the compass will be impossible to pull out for viewing. The pressure and depth just takes a glance so I think hat will work fine. All more reason to dive it and see what works best for me. Good points on the fit Nasser. It's gonna be fun tweaking it. I'm in no rush . They whole journey is fun!,!


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---------- Post added March 29th, 2014 at 12:37 AM ----------

And if I have to adjust a couple of hoses, no biggie. As long as it's right.


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[matt_w]

Rivers, I will definitely give them a chance to match. But again with that old argument? even going into the shop at all makes me a customer. I know they couldn't survive on me buying booties and only small items but I'm not sure selling bcds is their main business either. Now they'll also get my repair or maintenance business down the line as well so I'm not sure it's a p**sstake as you say. Lots of store owners would agree with me and hey I'm not in there every day bothering them. In fact when I just wanted to look around, they insisted on engaging me and I waved them off because I knew I was " just looking".

You might also consider Aqualung's position: http://www.aqualung.com/us/content/view/265/

You mentioned service, you should make sure you will have warranty coverage.

 

[ccx2]

You might also consider Aqualung's position: Leisure Pro is NOT an authorized Aqua Lung dealer

You mentioned service, you should make sure you will have warranty coverage.

I just read that link you put up,wow.
i just received AL products from leisure pro and hadn't seen that before my purchase.
how do suppose leisure pro gets the products to sell if they don't get them from Aqua Lung?
Does this Grey Market they talk about mean they are buying from someone other than aqua lung and then reselling them illegally ?.

 

[agesilaus]

Gray market means they probably buy the items overseas where AL is selling them at lower price. A lot of camera gear is sold that way. It is not illegal but AL-US does not have to honor the warranty. You'd have to send the item to where it came from, Hong Kong or some such. Not practical.

BK