Questions about custom order and Zeagle Demo Days

[Sea Louse]

Hey Gene and Scott,

Just wanted to check back in.

Dove the regs/BC this weekend up in Cape Ann. Got in 2 boat dives, and 2 shore dives.

Reg breathed super easy and very dry in practically every position. Really effortless, so much in fact that I tuned it a bit tighter. Don't know how they do at depth, only went to ~50 ft.

Stiletto fit like a glove after adjusting cummerbund one notch out (was diving 7+7 farmer john). On the surface it was just as good as a vest (no face-planting at all), and underwater the BC Trimmed out perfectly with no back weights (probably the steel tank). It was really easy to assume vertical and horizontal hovers or any angle in between. Vest BCs tend to squeeze me (a problem if I've eaten recently), but no prob with the back-inflate. It felt really open, really comfortable and super-streamlined. Actually, I was amazed at how streamlined I felt... a few flicks of the fins and I was cruising like a torpedo. Build quality was bomb-proof as expected. It made the rentals I had dived on feel like toys.

Overall very pleased.

I have just ONE issue with the BC. It may just take me a while to get used to it, but maybe you have a suggestion.
Head to foot trim control was great, but horizontal "keel" control was a little bit trickier. When I tried to stay on my side, the bc seemed to want to flip me face up. It was stable face down, but if I rotated too far to a side it tried to flip me over. I could compensate for it with a little "shimmy" and altered to counteract it, but there was definitely a small balancing act. I know a few others have mentioned this phenomenon too. I had 0 weight in the trim pockets (though steel hp 80 tank), and 26 lbs in the front two. I think that part of it is just that the most of the weight is distributed on the side of the BC, as opposed to right up front.
I'll do a few more dives this month and see if I get used to it / accept it, but I am thinking about somehow putting a dump-able 5 lb pocket onto the the cummerbund strap to act as a keel. Have you heard of anyone doing something like this?

 

[Capt.Gene]

I think it is the steel tank trying to roll over from gravity that creates the problem for you. I refer to the dive weight being a counter balance for the tank mass. You have extended the cumberbun to fit, but extending the bun doesn't move forward the position of the weight. If you had the next larger size vest the weights would set farther forward on your hips, and 26# seems like a lot if it's setting beside the tank and not around the curve of the hip.
You will probably get used to it and I'm not saying you need a different size, but if you had it to do over again...

 

[Sea Louse]

Yeah I was thinking that too.
It might only be a big issue with a steel 100 , but will likely be less of an issue with less exposure protection when the BD fits snugger and I have less weight or with aluminum tanks.

I was definitely over-weighted on these dives. Was working on breaking-in/compressing a new 7mm farmer john2 pc. On the first dive it took 31 lbs just to descend! Shed about 2 lbs between each dive down to 26. Could probably muster 22-25, after I did a post dive buoyancy check on a 600 psi tank.

Zeagle makes those shoulder trim pockets. Can these be mounted on the 2 inch webbing that goes across the bun, or will the buckle not fit through? I think just getting a couple pounds up front and center will fix the issue for all exposure suit/ tank configurations. What do you think?

---------- Post Merged at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:00 AM ----------

That, and I could stand to lose about 10 lbs of somatic "ballast" in the mid regions.

 

[Capt.Gene]

I'm not sure about the trim weight pouches as I do not have one to look at right now.
IF you are using the trim weight pockets on the rear I would move that weight to the Ripcord pockets.
I pulled the trim weight pouches off my BC. I never use them.

 

[Sea Louse]

I just did 4 more dives this weekend this time with a Steel hp100 in fresh water. I spent a bit of time working out my weight. I ended up with 16#, all in the ripcord pockets. I also ended up taking off the rear trim pockets. Perfect. I am pretty sure my over-weighting on the initial dives really fouled up my stability. The BC behaves so much better when there's less air in the bladder and less weight in the back of the pockets.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Bingo!