vjb.knife
Contributor
I have had this Atomic Aquatics BC2 Back Inflation BC for a month or so now and would like to do a review of it. I have about 16 dives on it using 80 cuft Aluminum tanks. I work as a marine maintenance technician on several boats including a submarine. Most of my dives are fairly shallow but they require good buoyancy control with a variety of equipment from varied small items to very heavy tools and parts.
Let's get right to the most obvious feature of this BC, it's price. The retail is basically $1400 without an inflator. Atomic had an introductory offer on it to include the standard power inflator made of Stainless for free with the purchase of this BC. My local Dive shop also gave me a discount for being a professional diver, so the total was a little less, but still probably the most expensive BC on the market. If that is a factor for you I certainly understand, but for me the facts that this is required for my work so I will write it off on my taxes and also that I pretty much don't care what it costs for life support equipment like this.
First let me start with the positives / pros on the BC. It is a very nice fitting / feeling and very precise in it's operation. The inflator works well and I am able to adjust buoyancy very quickly and easily, whether I have no extra gear with me or I am carrying a number heavy tools or supplies. The material is very tough and I believe it is going to hold up well. It is also very easy to clean; I work with and around grease, dirt, algae, rust and other materials that get on me from time and they wipe right off very easily. It also is non absorbent, so when you finish rinsing it dries quickly. The weight pockets are very easy to insert when they are loaded up and the have a very positive click when they lock in. The ergos are very good; all controls and items that you need to get to are easy to find and operate. The wing is always under control and stays close to the body. The silicone bands keep the wing from taco'ing around the tank. The trim weight pockets are located on the back of the wing which keeps the center of balance positioned properly. There are zippered spaces above the weight pockets on both sides that have small d-rings inside to attach things to, like tools or other pockets. If you are on the surface resting and the wing is inflated it keeps you upright and it is also easy to lean back on it. It comes with a nice wide crotch strap. This may not be a big deal to most of you or you might not even like it, but for me as a commercial diver the crotch strap was on most of my gear when I did the deep and heavy work, so I am used to it and I like it.
On to the cons. I think that for the most part these are small things, but at this price point I was a little surprised that they were on this BC. Currently, no other pockets are sold separately for the BC2, but I was able to attach a roll up Scubapro 'Ninja' pocket for extra carry space. The first one is that it only came with one small pocket, but it can be attached to either side of the BC. Next is the cam strap for the tank attachment. I found it to be a little difficult to adjust and the free end of the strap does not stay attached flat to the part around the tank like it should, so I have a small velcro strap that I put on it so it does not flap in the breeze. The small strap that wraps around the neck of the tank is IMO sewed on upside down. When the strap is attached to the neck of the tank, the buckle is under the other side of the strap and that makes it hard to snap closed or disconnect. I also think that with a collar shaped air space they should have a dump valves on both lower sections rather than just one to make dumping air when in a swimming position easier and easier to dump out water when flushing the inside with fresh water after the dive.
I sent this review to Atomic Aquatics and they actually responded quickly to my concerns and told me that "Almost every detail you mentioned is being changed or reviewed", and they told me that they would send me a pocket for free, when they were available. I have not gotten it yet. I also asked them to let me know when they changed any items to see if I could get those changes on my BC2 if possible.
All in all I still like the BC2 but for the money I think I still like my Apeks Black Ice for single tank diving.
Let's get right to the most obvious feature of this BC, it's price. The retail is basically $1400 without an inflator. Atomic had an introductory offer on it to include the standard power inflator made of Stainless for free with the purchase of this BC. My local Dive shop also gave me a discount for being a professional diver, so the total was a little less, but still probably the most expensive BC on the market. If that is a factor for you I certainly understand, but for me the facts that this is required for my work so I will write it off on my taxes and also that I pretty much don't care what it costs for life support equipment like this.
First let me start with the positives / pros on the BC. It is a very nice fitting / feeling and very precise in it's operation. The inflator works well and I am able to adjust buoyancy very quickly and easily, whether I have no extra gear with me or I am carrying a number heavy tools or supplies. The material is very tough and I believe it is going to hold up well. It is also very easy to clean; I work with and around grease, dirt, algae, rust and other materials that get on me from time and they wipe right off very easily. It also is non absorbent, so when you finish rinsing it dries quickly. The weight pockets are very easy to insert when they are loaded up and the have a very positive click when they lock in. The ergos are very good; all controls and items that you need to get to are easy to find and operate. The wing is always under control and stays close to the body. The silicone bands keep the wing from taco'ing around the tank. The trim weight pockets are located on the back of the wing which keeps the center of balance positioned properly. There are zippered spaces above the weight pockets on both sides that have small d-rings inside to attach things to, like tools or other pockets. If you are on the surface resting and the wing is inflated it keeps you upright and it is also easy to lean back on it. It comes with a nice wide crotch strap. This may not be a big deal to most of you or you might not even like it, but for me as a commercial diver the crotch strap was on most of my gear when I did the deep and heavy work, so I am used to it and I like it.
On to the cons. I think that for the most part these are small things, but at this price point I was a little surprised that they were on this BC. Currently, no other pockets are sold separately for the BC2, but I was able to attach a roll up Scubapro 'Ninja' pocket for extra carry space. The first one is that it only came with one small pocket, but it can be attached to either side of the BC. Next is the cam strap for the tank attachment. I found it to be a little difficult to adjust and the free end of the strap does not stay attached flat to the part around the tank like it should, so I have a small velcro strap that I put on it so it does not flap in the breeze. The small strap that wraps around the neck of the tank is IMO sewed on upside down. When the strap is attached to the neck of the tank, the buckle is under the other side of the strap and that makes it hard to snap closed or disconnect. I also think that with a collar shaped air space they should have a dump valves on both lower sections rather than just one to make dumping air when in a swimming position easier and easier to dump out water when flushing the inside with fresh water after the dive.
I sent this review to Atomic Aquatics and they actually responded quickly to my concerns and told me that "Almost every detail you mentioned is being changed or reviewed", and they told me that they would send me a pocket for free, when they were available. I have not gotten it yet. I also asked them to let me know when they changed any items to see if I could get those changes on my BC2 if possible.
All in all I still like the BC2 but for the money I think I still like my Apeks Black Ice for single tank diving.
