opinions...Zeagle Zena, Zeagle Express Tech or Oceanic Biolite...

[Christina0701]

Hello, I am new here and never posted before. I am interested in buying my first BCD and interested in the these three....Zeagle Zena, Zeagle Express Tech, and Oceanic Biolite. I would like something that is easy to travel with and suited best for warm water temps. I would love to hear any/all opinions of the three I've narrowed it down to. I thought I was sold on the Oceanic Biolite, but after reading a couple reviews that felt the tank wasn't secure enough scared me away a little. Is either or a "better" brand? Also, I am 5'5 and curvy...large C cup. Thanks so much!

 

[DiveMaven]

You'll definitely want to try before you buy since what works for one person may not be right for you....FIT is everything in a BC!!

Personally, I've been diving a Zeagle Zena for 8 years and not only does it look as good today as when I took it out of the box brand new, but I still love it as much as I did then. I also really like having 2 tank bands as I've never had a tank come out and the tank feels very secure on my back. Once I've properly adjusted my Zena at the start of a dive, it never move on my body regardless of the position I'm in!

One very important thing to know about the Zena is that proper fit and adjustment is crucial to comfort and performance. I have a little "tutorial" that I've given here forever, and last year had the opportunity to give it twice on a dive boat. The first time, the other diver came up from the dive and was raving about how much better everything fit. The second time, the diver told me she couldn't follow my directions because her shoulder section was too small, so she was never able to get the right adjustment. I strongly suggested she buy a bigger shoulder section.

Since most Zeagle BCs are modular, if your LDS doesn't know how to properly fit a Zena, do yourself a favor and contact Scubatoys with your measurements and have them custom build you one to try on. Keep in mind that the MIDDLE strap sits at your waist level. Too many women make the mistake of putting the bottom strap at the waist level, which is a huge mistake.

Oh, and I'm 5'7" tall with a full D cup....and since the Zena has no chest strap and once adjusted properly the shoulder straps are simply lightly snugged down, I never feel pressure on "the girls."

 

[decompression]

Wife loves her zena, very easy to fit as it can be custom fitted, light and packs well. She says it's super comfortable, we did a trip to thailand awhile ago and it was great.

 

[Lorenzoid]

My wife loves her Zena, and I love my Express Tech. She bought a Large, but ended up substituting the shoulder component with a Medium to get the whole thing to fit just right. We travel a lot, often combining diving with touring around (and dragging our dive gear around with us) and the Zena and Express Tech pack really well.

 

[Christina0701]

Thanks for the responses! I'm going to try my hardest to figure out how I can "test drive" a couple of the options....also I've been on a diet/exercise kick so I should not rush into buying until I meet my goal weight for proper fitting.

 

[DukeAMO]

I also love my Zena because it *will not move* once it's snugged down under water, and I'm also curvy (D cup, size 14). Having a nice secure BC really helps you relax and stay in control under water. I was also surprised that I ended up with parts in Small, XSmall, and Medium, and I still have a few inches of extra room in each strap. Trying it on or at least sending in your measurements is key.

Plus, when you special order one, you can choose any color for the center corset piece for free. ;-) And pay extra if you want special colors on other parts.

My only objection to the Zena is that it doesn't have pockets, but I've compensated by adding a D ring to the back tank straps for my SMB (thanks to a suggestion here). Everything else slides onto one of the horizontal straps or clips onto one of the D rings.

 

[Chris Brown Tech]

Hello, I am new here and never posted before. I am interested in buying my first BCD and interested in the these three....Zeagle Zena, Zeagle Express Tech, and Oceanic Biolite. I would like something that is easy to travel with and suited best for warm water temps. I would love to hear any/all opinions of the three I've narrowed it down to. I thought I was sold on the Oceanic Biolite, but after reading a couple reviews that felt the tank wasn't secure enough scared me away a little. Is either or a "better" brand? Also, I am 5'5 and curvy...large C cup. Thanks so much!

Halcyon Traveler BC. Cant go wrong. Based on a world beating BC called the 'Eclipse' Halcyon have come up with a fantastic system that has a light plastic backplate (same pattern as the tec stainless steel and aluminum plates) with some lighter hardware and bladder.

Its absolutely awesome. Top quality, perfect buoyancy and trim, it would serve you well for years and years.

 

[Laurie S.]

I've had my Zeagle Zena for almost three years now and love it. I do need to get a smaller shoulder section, but never seem to get around to doing it. I added a pocket to the lower strap and that's a big improvement. It's a great travel BC, too.

 

[Christina0701]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I ended up purchasing a Zeagle Zena!! I found a place here in CT that sold and had multiple sizes to try on and even though it was an hour and a half haul...I took everyones advice and got sized by a professional. Ended up with a M back S shoulder and M front. I told them I was concerned with my weight loss (and possible future weight loss) and the shop owners said if it was a problem, I could always order just the front panel in another size down the road. So I'm assuming the back and shoulders would never change with weight loss? My husband ended up also purchasing a Zeagle Stiletto. We are both very excited and October can't get here soon enough to go to Turks & Caicos!

 

[DukeAMO]

Turks & Caicos - I'm so jealous. ;-)