Oceanic Hera

[divesergeant]

Hi, Mrs DS here,

Have any of the lady divers here tried the Oceanic Hera BCD? I'm considering replacing my SeaQuest Diva and have liked the fit of this model in the dive shop.

Mrs DS

 

[tstormdiver]

YES! I have a Hera & love it! It is by far the most comfortable BC I've ever had. It's padded in all the right places for us girls:blinking:. Being that it is a hybrid back inflate/ jacket inflate BC, I also like the way it becomes a back inflate when horizontal in the water (it holds you very stable like that- I love to hover in it while watching classes), but acts a lot like a jacket inflate on the surface, though you do have to lean back a bit at first until you get used to it. I also like the way it is very adjustable. I am able to wear it with a wetsuit or drysuit The only minus is it is a bit on the bulky & heavy side, for a BC for traveling. I've had mine almost a year & use it in both OW & in the pool. Even after all that abuse in the pool it hasn't faded a bit; still looks to be in very good condition. I would say I have well over 150 dives (both OW & pool) on it & have had no problems. The only thing I didn't like was I had ordered it with an Air XS integrated secondary air source. The Air XS's buttons are in a very awkward placement for me. I have very small hands with short fingers & it was not very user friendly when it came to operations of the inflater & deflater buttons. I swapped it out with a regular inflater hose, went back to an octo & Lo & Behold! no problems since. It is overall a very well built & extremely comfy BC, but like I said earlier, a bit bulky & heavy as far as BC's go.

 

[divesergeant]

Thanks TStorm. The Mrs loves her Diva, but the new Divas seem to be completely different. So, she tried on a Hera and, at least in the dive shop, it fit really well.

I think she's gonna end up buying one.

DS

 

[crab lover]

I love my Hera! It fits in all the right places and although I usually wear XL clothing, I am in a Med in the Hera!

 

[divesergeant]

Hi Crab Lover,

Thanks for the input. Mrs DS tried one on at the LDS and it seemed that the Heras do run large. It's always nice when you can drop a size!

I think she's about ready to give in and get one. The best part; when she does, it means that I can get a new BP/W without guilt!

Thanks again,
DS

 

[tstormdiver]

Diveseargeant,
Actually, I think it is the Aqualung's run small. I was looking at a Libra as a compact, light weight, back inflate travel BC. Our shop only had a medium, in which I almost became stuck in:doh2:. I wear a large Hera. They only go up to a Med. Large. So no go there for me, as I want a BC in which I can wear either a wet or dry suit. I'm still looking for a good travel BC, but I'll probably just do with what I have for the time being.

 

[divesergeant]

Well, Mrs DS took the plunge and came home with a new Hera yesterday. Thanks again to tstormdiver and crab lover for the responses.

Now, we just have to wait until our April trip to Grenada to try it out...

DS

 

[tstormdiver]

No problemo! Hope she enjoys it & you both enjoy your trip. I'll be taking mine, in April, to Malaysia.

 

[divesergeant]

Enjoy Malaysia. We hope to do some of the more distant locations like malaysia upon retirement (4 3/4 years to go!).

None of the four dive shops we patronize have gone to Grenada, so we'll be taking notes for them. It seems some of the close, Caribbean destinations aren't too frequently visited. We have the next four and change years to get to as many of them as we can, then it is on to farther locales.

Thanks again,
DS

 

[DiveMaven]

Congrats on the new BC for your wife. Finding the perfect fitting BC isn't always easy, so she was lucky to find one the first shot out. Have a great time with it, I've heard good things about the Hera.