Scubapro S-Tek Line Impressions

[happy-diver]

I love my Scubapro Buoyancy Control Pack

It also comes with a handle and a stainless single band with quick release handle

which you remove to bolt twins with bands, with a bridge

and also an AIR II ha ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha which I love, or used to love, now I carry neither that nor occy

 

[Posinator]

I ended up removing the hip pads as useless and they got in the way of my weight pouches, then the shoulder pads made fine tuning the D rings a pain so I pulled those and put the hip pad on the shoulder.

Cool idea. Hadn't thought of that. Must say when I set it up my first thought was "these hip pads are nice but they take up a lot of real estate."

 

[chrisjur]

Thanks for the review. I bought the same exact setup and plan to get it in the ocean in a couple of weeks. 100% agree on the videos comment. That gave me a great idea of what I was getting in to and pro vs. pure, etc.

Good luck with it! Would love to hear your impressions.

 

[chrisjur]

Thanks, I like those shoulder straps buckles, if I can buy them I may dive my X Tec pure setup more often, it's been dry for a year.
It is just a pain getting in and out of the harness with my 'bung' shoulder, that's why the Hydro Pro simple harness is 'getting a flogging', it's just too easy.
Can I buy that harness I wonder?

Edit: I have seen plenty with plastic buckles, but I like the look of those SP metal ones.

It appears that you can just buy the harness + backplate, but you can't just buy the harness :/

 

[Pressurehead]

It appears that you can just buy the harness + backplate, but you can't just buy the harness :/

Thanks, I did enquire about that, and you are correct.
If I can buy the buckles I will make my own.
Buckles anyone, I have looked, metal ones only ,there are plenty of plastic 'do dads' out there [not on this rig].

 

[Posinator]

Can someone point me to one of these Scubapro 2-pin tools seen in the instructions? I purchased some trim weight pockets to mount on the plate and it calls for this. I already had this cheap blue SP fin tool that worked ok but one of the teeth broke off. Looking for something more sturdy for the long run. It would also be used to swap out the backpad. I can't seem to find it online. Thanks.

 

[lexvil]

Can someone point me to one of these Scubapro 2-pin tools seen in the instructions? I purchased some trim weight pockets to mount on the plate and it calls for this. I already had this cheap blue SP fin tool that worked ok but one of the teeth broke off. Looking for something more sturdy for the long run. It would also be used to swap out the backpad. I can't seem to find it online. Thanks.

The tool is “scubapro” for go to the dealer. The one on the fin tool is probably best for just holding and using a properly size Allen wrench on the other side.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Can someone point me to one of these Scubapro 2-pin tools seen in the instructions? I purchased some trim weight pockets to mount on the plate and it calls for this. I already had this cheap blue SP fin tool that worked ok but one of the teeth broke off. Looking for something more sturdy for the long run. It would also be used to swap out the backpad. I can't seem to find it online. Thanks.

Three-Pin Socket for Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD Colour Kit

This three-pin socket is designed to facilitate the change of Scubapro Hydros Pro Colour Kit. The pins of the tool engage with grommet / nut (part# 21.782.005) of the BCD. The tool locks the grommet in place while screw on the opposite side is tightened or loosened. The use of the tool will...

scuba-clinic-tools.com

The one that Scubapro sells to it's dealers is expensive an only has two pins. We ordered these and they are cheaper and much better. They are in Thailand, but every order we have made from this company has always arrived without issues. Great company and some nicely thought out tools.

 

[Posinator]

Thanks for confirming. I saw that site somewhere along the way and will take a closer look. In terms of the S-Tek and my transition from the minimalist/travel Aqualung Rogue: I also ditched the hip pads like @lexvil. Very comfortable but using up too much valuable real estate. The larger shoulder pads are still on for now but I may put the hip pads up there. I've only been in the pool so far, getting used to donning/doffing in the water and feeling where things are without looking, etc. VERY comfortable overall experience and agree that tank is going nowhere with the grippy STA. Love the carry handle too. Obvious in retrospect but was struck by how quickly the whole thing dried out between sitting poolside indoors and loading into my car. No fabric, duh! For added measure, I'm making the leap to long hose primary/secondary on necklace now too. I have the primary hose routed under my knife which sits on the right waist band. So far so good.

Next up is six dives in Key Largo late March for the real test. Only open question in my mind right now is weighting. I primarily dive in NC with a 3mm, single steel 100s and 8lbs of lead (used to be 4 2's spread across upper back trim pockets and quick release BCD hip pockets on the Aqualung). I'm about 6ft 205 lbs and reasonably free of "bioprene" around my belly. Dry, my SP rig is 6 pounds heavier than the Rogue but I'll be diving more buoyant aluminum 80s instead of steel 100s. Planning to dial that in when in FL.

 

[chrisjur]

Thanks for confirming. I saw that site somewhere along the way and will take a closer look. In terms of the S-Tek and my transition from the minimalist/travel Aqualung Rogue: I also ditched the hip pads like @lexvil. Very comfortable but using up too much valuable real estate. The larger shoulder pads are still on for now but I may put the hip pads up there. I've only been in the pool so far, getting used to donning/doffing in the water and feeling where things are without looking, etc. VERY comfortable overall experience and agree that tank is going nowhere with the grippy STA. Love the carry handle too. Obvious in retrospect but was struck by how quickly the whole thing dried out between sitting poolside indoors and loading into my car. No fabric, duh! For added measure, I'm making the leap to long hose primary/secondary on necklace now too. I have the primary hose routed under my knife which sits on the right waist band. So far so good.

Next up is six dives in Key Largo late March for the real test. Only open question in my mind right now is weighting. I primarily dive in NC with a 3mm, single steel 100s and 8lbs of lead (used to be 4 2's spread across upper back trim pockets and quick release BCD hip pockets on the Aqualung). I'm about 6ft 205 lbs and reasonably free of "bioprene" around my belly. Dry, my SP rig is 6 pounds heavier than the Rogue but I'll be diving more buoyant aluminum 80s instead of steel 100s. Planning to dial that in when in FL.

Sounds like you've got the right approach and are far more intelligent than most in regards to testing things out in the pool first. I will say that I've had at least 10 more dives since I wrote my short review and I'm loving this kit more and more. I spent last week in Cozumel and the Bahamas with my Cressi Travel BCD and, boy, was I missing the S-Tek.

As far as weighting, I went through the same thing, of course. My situation is a bit more simple, though - I live in Miami and am always diving warm water, AL80s with a 3mm full or shorty. So there's not a lot of variables there. However, I did do some quick calculations and compared the weight of the S-Tek kit to my previous BCD and just figured out the difference between the old and new. That seemed to work for me right off the bat. The only change that I've recently made was to distribute the weight more evenly using the S-Tek trim pockets. 2/2 on the waist, 2/2 in the trim.

Sounds to me that if you're used to diving with 8lbs on the 100s, then you'd maybe increase that to 14lbs on the AL80 (using a 5-6lb rule of thumb). Then since the SP is 6lbs heavier than your old rig, you'd subtract out 6lbs of lead to get you back to 8lbs total. Or something like that