Which one is better?

I want to eventually get into tech diving. The BCs i have checked out are the Zeagle Ranger, The Divetech phase 1 technical and the Sea elite tech. I want a good bc I can use with double steels as well as with singles. The Dive Tech has a spandex type bladder that I am unsure of and really never heard of it until the other day. I have heard that the Ranger is to buoyant and have only heard good things about the Sea elite tech. Any Suggetions?

One thing to keep in mind is that Zeagle is an actual manufacturer of equipment. Sea elite is simply a house brand name, and so service would have to come from them - which might be a problem if you travel, or that shop goes out of business.

Zeagle makes nice stuff. Check out Dive rite, or the new apeks stuff is very nice. I dive dive rite myself. I just seen the new apeks backplate and it is very nice looking.

The Ranger is a great BC, had mine since '95 or so. Not the smallest for travel but that's another thread.. I do not know if I would try to use a Ranger with doubles. Of course, I haven't tried to either. Never heard of Divetech, Google doesn't provide help either.

If you want to do doubles I would have to agree with the large group of souls here who say BP&W. For everything else Ranger.

DiveRite Transpac II with doubles adaptor

spyder:

DiveRite Transpac II with doubles adaptor

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That is what I am diving in my pick. Double 85's

If you are getting into tech then look into getting a backplate and a wing now. Zeagle makes BP and wings like others (OMS, Diverite, Halcyon, Oxycheq). If you want to get a BC with Tech like features, then I would consider the Zeagle due to reliability and customer service. Personally I would get a BP and wing if you are going to get into tech. You can change wings for single tank or double tank and work with the same backplate and harness.

Bp/w

Waterboy82:

I want to eventually get into tech diving. The BCs i have checked out are the Zeagle Ranger, The Divetech phase 1 technical and the Sea elite tech. I want a good bc I can use with double steels as well as with singles. The Dive Tech has a spandex type bladder that I am unsure of and really never heard of it until the other day. I have heard that the Ranger is to buoyant and have only heard good things about the Sea elite tech. Any Suggetions?

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Between those choices, Zeagle is the way to go, but for "eventually tech", get a BP/W setup, any mayor brand will do, just take your pick.

Waterboy82:

I want a good bc I can use with double steels as well as with singles. I have heard that the Ranger is to buoyant. Any Suggetions?

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WB,

I'm not sure which kind of buoyancy you're referring to.

I did find one test where Scuba Diving Magazine once said "The Ranger has marked inherent buoyancy", but did not put a # to it.

So I did a test in my pool, and found the Ranger to be barely over 1 lbs inherently buoyant. With a 1 lbs weight, it took over a minute to rise from 7 feet, but it did, and hang just below the surface. (With a two lbs weight it plummeted for the bottom.) The Ranger LTD which has two additional 2" D-rings and the two additional 1.5" d-rings... was down for the count with 1 lbs of weight, (smallest I had.)

If it's buoyant lift you're talking about... A Ranger has 44# of it, which is considered about the proper minimum lift for doubles. I don't know where you live or intend to dive, but some divers may need even more for cold climates.

A BP&W is one way to dive doubles, but it's not the only way. I use twin 100 steels with my Ranger LTD quite a bit.

Chad

I doubt anyone has a clue, but I wonder what the percentage is, of new recreational divers that "eventually want to get into doubles tech diving", and then actually do it? Or how long before they do it? And do they stay with it?

Pretty small #s I'll bet!