Zeagle Zeus vs Scout??

Hey guys. i currently own a ranger LTD which I love and am now looking to get a travel BC for my trips to the warmer weather. I want to stick with Zeagle as I like their quality and own most of their stuff. I laso, would like to be able to use my Octo-Z interchangeably with my new travel BC. I dont see any HUGE differences b/t the Zeus and the Scout (other than the obvoious cumberbun, and weight sytem) other than the extra $200 price tag...lol I dont mind spending the extra $200 for the Zeus, but would like to see if I can get some good information on it. Also I was wondering, not that I would ever need to but would I be able to put my Ranger wing on the Zeus or Scout? Again, im looking for a good travel BC so any experiences you all can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thx!! Oh and Im going to Cabo for my 30th bday in July, so thats the main reason for my new purchase!

I owned a Zeus for a couple of years but it drove me crazy.

The zipper on the cumberbund didn't work very well, or maybe I should say that I couldn't get it to work very well.

The zipper was hard to get started when trying to zip it up and hard to get unzipped as it would always catch at the bottom when zipping it down.

And it didn't help that the zipper pull was on the left since I'm righthanded. All my other zippers have the zipper pull on the right, and I couldn't work the pull very well with my left hand.

I took the Zeus to Hawaii and then to the Keys. Forty or so dives later, I was still struggling with that d*mn zipper and decided the heck with it. I had no issues with the overall quality, it was definitely easy to pack and it was very comfortable underwater. But I was tired of fighting with that stupid zipper every time I put it on and took it off.

So I traded the Zeus for some new gear, got myself a Zeagle Express Tech Deluxe and couldn't be happier.

Have you checked out the Express Tech? There's a long thread on this board started by NetDoc. It's far, far superior to the Zeus and makes for a great travel BC. Here's the thread: Zeagles Express Tech--The first and last BC most will ever need (or want).

You would be able to use your Octo-Z with the ET no problem.

I got mine from Gene Heidenrich, who goes by Capt Gene here on ScubaBoard. He runs a dive shop in Zephyrhills, Florida, which is also Zeagle's hometown, and he has an online store, Zeagle Express.

And both the Express Tech and Express Tech Deluxe are way cheaper than the Zeus, making it a no brainer if it weren't already.

Thats a GREAT review, thanks alot!! I am going to take a look at the ET now. I used to used a BP/W, kinda seems like it would be the same concept?

I did about 50 dives in my Zeagle Scout and I think it is great. I also have an AL BP&W. Both the Scout and the BP dive the same to me (single AL80). The Scout weighs a bit less than the BP, and the BP packs a bit smaller than the Scout. Either way, both are great for travel.

I believe that Zeagle bladders are interchangeable, but I could be wrong on that.

I have used the Scout for almost 4 years now----except bought a BP/W a little over a year ago just for the heck of it & honestly I like my Scout slightly better than the BP/W-----BUT----if I were buying something new today I'd get the ET, it just looks right(if you know what i mean).....btw, that's how I bought my Scout & BP/W, by just looking @ them on line...

I think it was NetDoc who described the ET as a sort of hybrid BP&W.

And it's also my understanding that the Zeagle bladders are interchangable. Mine came with a 30 lb bladder, which should be plenty for what I need.

Ok so it sounds like the best option would be the ET. I am looking at the Deluxe on Zeagle Expresses site. Other than the original ET, seems like the options that should be purchased are a crotch strap, weight system, and the shoulder and back padding, also maybe a utility pocket too? Is there anything Im missing? Can I just puchase any crotch strap and install it the same way as a BP/W?

What are all your thoughts on the Stiletto? It is advertised as a travel BC. Is it really small and light enough to fold up into a carry on? it would be great to use something similar to my ranger LTD, but if its gonna be too big and heavy for traveling, it would defeat the purpose since I already have the Ranger LTD for my local cold water dives.

I also have a Ranger and bought an ET last year for travel I liked it so much that my Ranger sits in the closet. I used the ET with the Ranger bladder all summer with my 7 mil Farmer John and 22# of weight with Steel tanks, rock solid. The only trouble is the 44# wing can be a pain to get completely vented.

I got the crotch strap, pad kit and the bigger weight pockets ("Rip Cord") for my ETD.

Since this will be my travel, warm water BC, I'm experimenting with a "less is more" approach and am trying to pare this baby down to it's essential parts. I'll have to dive with it a few more times to settle on what works best for me.

After playing with the ETD in the pool, I decided to take off the included chest strap as it just seemed unnecessary. I also removed the shoulder pads since the vast majority of my dives are boat dives. I'd probably be more inclined to keep both the chest strap and shoulder pads if I were doing more shore dives. The back pad, however, is a definite keeper. It adds very little weight, no bulk and doesn't really retain water.

The jury's still out on the crotch strap. I tried diving with and without it and couldn't tell the difference, so for now I've taken it off. I'll keep it in the gear bag, though, just in case.

I also decided to order the smaller weight pockets ("Zip Touch") and will try them in place of the Rip Cords. Gene, of Zeagle Express, had recommended the bigger ones for better stability given my, ahem, ample waist size. If I can get by with the Zip Touch pockets, I'd prefer that since they're way less bulky than the Rip Cords. The only way to find out is to dive with each and see what works.

I've attached two SS D-rings, one on each shoulder strap. I have a Zeagle utility pocket, left over from my Zeus days, that I'll probably attach to the waist strap at some point.

Feel free to call Gene for some expert advice on both the ET, Stiletto and anything else Zeagle related. He'll be happy to answer any questions you have and won't lay a high pressure sales pitch on you while he's doing it. (Disclaimer: I have zero financial stake in suggesting you call a guy who runs a dive shop/web site based 3,000 miles from my house, lol.)