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I had to acquire a new recreational BC for working with students and I thought I would pass this along. I purchased an Oceanic Islander 2. Scuba diving magazine mentioned it was a good travel BC, and that it weighed about 6 pounds. I took mine, removed the back-pad, which was velcro'd in, the cumberbund with was threaded in, all the little danglies on the zippers, the trim weight pockets, and the sternum strap. This resulted in a BC that (in size medium) weighs about 4 pounds. I actually no kidding weighed it, and that's what I got.
This makes for a handy, lightweight, easy to pack BC for diving while traveling. I usually don't like anything other than a BP/W, but this Islander 2 is really nice.
Usually people come on here asking for a nice BC to buy, and get brutalized and badgered by people touting the backplate and wing combo (this is called a BP/W in scubaboard jargon). I am merely passing this information along so that if someone comes on here looking for a good BC to buy for the money, they can look into the Oceanic Islander 2. I have dove everything from a Zeagle Ranger LTD to an Oxycheq BP/W to a Mares Origin to this Islander. This is, in my opinion, a good BC for an average person to learn how to dive on and use. I don't feel this way often, so I figured I would pass it on. It's also a good BC to train new divers in.
A few caveats:
-I dive a BP/W. Don't try to sell me on diving a BP/W scubaboard BP/W police, I have one, and I like it. I am talking about a back inflation BCD that is good for travel, and good to use when you have to wear a non-technical style BCD for teaching. Don't try to sell me on a BP/W for travel, I have one, I know it works. I like it.
-I have to dive a recreational BC for the shop. Many consider the BP/W technical gear, and many shops do too. Don't try to sell me that a BP/W is not technical gear, I don't care. My shop considers it technical gear, so I dive what the shop wants. Thank you, drive through.
Last edited by Slonda828; December 18th, 2008 at 04:21 PM.
Great post
FYI, the Oceanic Pro, is a cheaper model then the travel and it is also as light as the travel model.
I haven't removed the cumberbund or back-pad and re-weighed it though.
The Ocean Pro is a jacket inflate, where as the Islander is a back inflate. I used to dive an Islander. Well, I've been diving a BP/W for a year or so now...and your caveats cover pretty much all I had to say
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