Mares Syncro Power Tech

[Scuba446]

Just dove my Mares Syncro Power Tech today for 2 dives, and absolutely loved it. By my 2nd dive, I had my weight, trim and buoyancy down pat and was hovering effortlessly at the wreck. Great fit, felt right and had plenty of D-rings to hang my octo and SPG, and zippered pockets for my personal stuff. Had an Otterbox to put my money in, kept dry, so I could get air fills on the shore and not have to go to car to get cash.

So far, I'm 100% happy with this BC.

 

[Moray1]

I have just bought one and will try next week. Have a few questions for those dove recently.
1) Is it correct that pushes your face into the water first time at the surface prior to dive. In order to avoid this how many kg you put into the velcro pockets located at the buoyancy bag.
2) Do you use the same weight compared to jacket style BCD or more.
3) Both during descend and ascend, does it effect the position in the water.
4) Does it answer quickly to inflation and deflation done by all the three valves.
5) It seems hard to reach the two D-rings located at the very top.?
6) What is the feature of two straps on the buoyancy bag at the lower back. what should be the ideal tighten position.

 

[Scuba446]

Wow,
That’s a lot of questions!

I'll try and answer what I can:

#1 - Yes, all back inflation BC's and wings tend to push one face-into the water. One merely needs to flip over on their backs to swim, or remain floating at the surface.

#2. I use about the same weight that I used for jacket inflation.

#3. I found the back inflation kept me at a nice horizontal plane in the water, and not in a feet-down position at all.

#4. Yes, it responded VERY well to inflation / deflation.

#5. Yes, with MY mask on, I can't even see the D-rings on the shoulders.

#6. I have no idea. After the dive, they were in the fully extended position. I have a copy of the Mares owner’s manual in Adobe PDF file if you would like it e-mailed to you (may be too large) or you can go to Mares web site and download a FREE copy of it for the BC for yourself as well. Haven't really read about those yet.

Note: Its is a heavy BC, but once you hit the water, I didn't even know it was on. It was very comfortable out of the water, adjusted easily and well. Zippered pockets were nice since I put a waterproof Otter Box in them to hold our car keys and money for air fills. Mare’s sports nice LP hose holders, but I use mostly SS Bolt Snaps on my SPG.

The integrated weight adjustment system works great. No problems there - very secure with large ergonomic handles to release the weights - if ever necessary.

All in all, I can quite happy with my BC - fits very well and I like it. By my 2nd dive, I had my trim and weight figured all out and was neutrally buoyant as well and had a great dive.

 

[Strick]

I have owned my BC for about year and half so far and I have loved every dive with it. It is very comfortable, I have tons of intergrated weight area. I usually keep 6 lbs of softweight in the removable pouches and the rest of the weight always goes in the rear side pouchs with the snap holder. It improved my trim greatly when I started doing that. I will agree the BC is heavier than most however, it isn't alot and you don't notice it while under water. Everyone has there opinions on every product out there and clearly this one has it's friends and foes.... I haven't regretted the purchase of this BC yet!!! =-)

 

[Scuba446]

Strick,
Adding weight to the rear pouches does what - changes your trim? Which what - aids in helpign you keep horizontal? How much weight DO you have in your rear pockets?

 

[Moray1]

thanks for your expalanation scuba446. I have a copy of in adobe format but no info about the two straps at the buoancy bag.

Strick,
what percent of the overall weight you put inside the rear side pouches.

 

[Strick]

Scuba446 once bubbled...
Strick,
Adding weight to the rear pouches does what - changes your trim? Which what - aids in helpign you keep horizontal? How much weight DO you have in your rear pockets?

In the removable weight belt I keep 6 lbs of soft weigh (3 lbs each side). IN the rear side pockets I have 12 lbs of weight (6 lbs per side) I run 18 lbs usually.
=-)

 

[jonnythan]

Scuba446 once bubbled...
Wow,
That’s a lot of questions!

I'll try and answer what I can:

#1 - Yes, all back inflation BC's and wings tend to push one face-into the water. One merely needs to flip over on their backs to swim, or remain floating at the surface.

#3. I found the back inflation kept me at a nice horizontal plane in the water, and not in a feet-down position at all.

If I can toss my ideas in, it sounds like you're overweighted. When you have too much weight on your hips or BC, you have to inflate a bit more to compensate.. if you have a back inflate, this means that a lot of the weight is near your COG and all the buoyancy is behind your COG, pushing you forward on the surface and forcing you horizontal underwater.

I had the same experience with my back inflate BC, but now that I'm properly weighted I can keep myself in more or less whatever position in the water column I wish, including vertically at the surface with no finning.

Just something to think about

 

[Scuba446]

So where should I keep this weight then - in back or front of the BC?

 

[divernva]

Don't know if there is an exact since, but you should keep most of the weight in the IW, as opposed to the rear pockets. Basically for safety. I try for 1/3 in the back, the rest in the IW.

The plastic boards in the IW are great for keeping weights in the right spot in the pouch. Especially soft weights.

I found the trim weights to help keep my vertical on the surface.

As for overweighting... the Mares Synchro is strangely bouyant when dry. So to descend, it takes a lot more weight... so much that it's sluggish at depth. To help reduce the weight, I started to kick up on the surface before descending. Basically I bobbed up higher on the surface to create a downward momemtum for the descent. Worked pretty well.

Nice BC overall. Never had problems with mine during the half year I dove it. If you don't need the pockets, nothing beats a BP/wing rig.

Ken