J322Y
Contributor
Since I've only owned this one BCD this isn't an authoritative review. Instead I can give my impressions from 40 dives and offer to answer any questions, take photos, etc.
VANQUISH_consumer (use right/left arrows on your keyboard to control the slideshow)
Riptide BCD's
What attracted me to this BCD was the weight (4.2 lbs) with 40 lbs of lift and the lack of a rigid plate. I thought it would be a good unit for travel.
The quality seems excellent for the price. Made in US.
I bought this on the advice of the LDS owner where I got my OW. He recommended this or a wing/bp unit, and I went with the Vanquish for it's weight, portability and the fact that it's highly adjustable.
As I said above, I haven't owned other BCDs, but I think I'm good at assessing quality. All of the materials appear to be durable and well put together. Probably the best thing I can say about the Vanquish is that I don't notice it much while diving. It feels secure, I don't feel restricted, and I've been able to dial in my trim/buoyancy pretty quickly for a newb.
I like the optional quick release weight pockets. I know that velcro gets a bad rap, but I think this design is effective. The large area of velcro holds the weight securely and there are no buckles/snaps to deal with. The loop that releases the weight is easy to access, and simple to deploy. The weights are inserted through a heavy duty plastic zipper on the top of the pockets which makes it very easy to load. I don't pull the velcro apart after every dive so that it won't wear as quickly. I do give it a long soak in fresh water.
I like the "one size fits all" configuration which will make it easy to pass on to someone else in the future if I get an upgrade.
Customer service has been excellent. I've called a few times with questions and found them to be very friendly and helpful. Recently I lost an epaulet for the BCD a few days before leaving town to dive. I spoke with Dave Pollack who owns Riptide and he quickly shipped a few to me on the house. If you have any questions about Riptide BCDs I'm sure he will be happy to help. Contact
I'll be at the Megadive at Ginnie Springs in April if anyone wants to check it out.
VANQUISH_consumer (use right/left arrows on your keyboard to control the slideshow)
Riptide BCD's
What attracted me to this BCD was the weight (4.2 lbs) with 40 lbs of lift and the lack of a rigid plate. I thought it would be a good unit for travel.
The quality seems excellent for the price. Made in US.
I bought this on the advice of the LDS owner where I got my OW. He recommended this or a wing/bp unit, and I went with the Vanquish for it's weight, portability and the fact that it's highly adjustable.
As I said above, I haven't owned other BCDs, but I think I'm good at assessing quality. All of the materials appear to be durable and well put together. Probably the best thing I can say about the Vanquish is that I don't notice it much while diving. It feels secure, I don't feel restricted, and I've been able to dial in my trim/buoyancy pretty quickly for a newb.
I like the optional quick release weight pockets. I know that velcro gets a bad rap, but I think this design is effective. The large area of velcro holds the weight securely and there are no buckles/snaps to deal with. The loop that releases the weight is easy to access, and simple to deploy. The weights are inserted through a heavy duty plastic zipper on the top of the pockets which makes it very easy to load. I don't pull the velcro apart after every dive so that it won't wear as quickly. I do give it a long soak in fresh water.
I like the "one size fits all" configuration which will make it easy to pass on to someone else in the future if I get an upgrade.
Customer service has been excellent. I've called a few times with questions and found them to be very friendly and helpful. Recently I lost an epaulet for the BCD a few days before leaving town to dive. I spoke with Dave Pollack who owns Riptide and he quickly shipped a few to me on the house. If you have any questions about Riptide BCDs I'm sure he will be happy to help. Contact
I'll be at the Megadive at Ginnie Springs in April if anyone wants to check it out.
