TransPac II or Malibu ??

[Paddler_46]

Hi,
Last week we rented the Dive Rite TransPac II BCs and loved them. We we able to reduce our weights a bit and the freedom from "squeeze" was incredible. With the integrated weights it seemed easier to achieve a nice trim in the water.
So we began looking for an affortable back buoyancy BCs. While at our local dive shop we came across the Aqua Lung Malibu, and thought it might be a good compromise between price and performance. We weren't able to find any reviews of this BC and asking about it here and in the rec.scuba.equipment newsgroup netted no feedback at all.
That leads us to ask, " Is the TransPac II, overkill for newbie rec. divers? " If so, "What do you recommend in a back buoyancy BC? " Or if not, "Which wings would you recommend for non-wreck/non-cave divers? "
Thanks,
Steve & Margo

 

[Iguana Don]

Steve & Margo,
Take a lesson from one who has spent umpteen thousands of dollars, there is no such thing a overkill for a "newbie" diver, if you don't buy what you want now, I guarentee within the first year of diving you will change out your gear and buy what you want instead of compromise. EVERY diver does this, and all on the board & divers in the discussion groups will agree. It's cheaper to buy what you want now instead of later, no matter what the price. As for the Trans Pac II, I,m getting ready to buy on myself. It is real a versitle piece of equipment, not only for "The Techs". Keep your gear as simple as possible and avoid all the "bells & whistles" that BC manufactures put on their BCs. It's good that you two will be using the same type of gear. So your buddy knows exactly where everything is on you as well as you knowing your buddy's that's "Doing It Right"
Hope this helps, welcome to the club!

[Edited by don on 09-24-2000 at 03:46 PM]

 

[Paddler_46]

I think you hit the nail on the head. The problem with compromises is just that, it is a compromise, and at some point it will come back and bite you.
Our current thinking on the Dive Rite is to order the transpac II from leisurepro, (we know dive rite does not honor its warranty for any bc purchased from leisurepro) and then get the travel wings from one of our local dive shops. The logic being the wing and inflator are the critical items that could have a failure, thus we want a full factory warranty on them. Any thoughts on this approach?
Thanks,
Steve & Margo

 

[HERB KING]

I have dived with the diverite transpac for 2 years now and am fully satisfied with it. For me it seems to be perfect. I use the rec wings. I dive through-out the state of Florida and Carribean and find that this combination works great for just about every thing I encounter. As I divemaster for a charter I appreciate the added lift when it is needed. I bought mine through leisure pro and have had no problem with it or other equipment I have purchasd through them.They offer a in house warranty on all equipment they sell, so that is not a worry and the savings are great. Hope this helps.DSAO

 

[Paddler_46]

That was a glowing recommendation on both the Transpac and Leisurepro. So far we haven't heard any negative comments on either. I still have some concerns on the lack of manufacture's warranty tho. In the event of an inflator problem while on vacation, I'd rather have the manufacture's warranty to get it fixed there, rather than having to wait until I get back home, then mail it to Leisurepro for the store warranty. What are the chances of that happening, probably pretty slim. But for the extra $30 I think, we will buy the wings from a local dive store. Thanks for the advice, we'll take another look at the Rec wings vs the Travel wings.
Steve & Margo

 

[frank]

Another BC you may want to check into is the Zeagle Scout.

http://www.zeagle.com

It is, in my opinion, a very excellent BC. The quality in construction is obvious from the start and I would not consider this a compomise in any respect. It is however somewhat cheaper than the Trans-Pac. The only feature it does not have is the interchangeable bladder system. If you ever planned to get into technical diving, that might be considered a negative. Outside of that, as a recreational BC, I believe it is the best out there for the money.

Just my opinion.
Good luck with wichever you choose.

Frank

 

[Paddler_46]

Your opinion counts with us. We are newbies to scuba, and getting some " Hey, I use this and it works for me" is what we are looking for. We will look into the Scout and hopefully find a shop that carries them, so we can give them the once over as far as fit and features go. Did you get yours from an online shop, or from one of your local dive shops? Were there any other BCs you were considering when you bought your Scout? Or any you would consider if you were replacing your Scout today?
Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback.
Steve & Margo

 

[Iguana Don]

Frank:
I think you misunderstood my reply, they said they tried the Trans Pack II and liked it very well but checked out the other as a compromise in price, not that the other is not a good BC, but if it is not what you REALLY want, then it is a compromise. As for the Zeagle, I currently dive with a Ranger & find it a truly great BC, I'm looking to streamline my equipment & do away with all the extras that I don't really need. I will keep my Rnager because next to the Trans Pack II it is the most comfortable BC I've ever ownedor tried out. Hope this straightened things out. I wasn't bashing the other BC at all.

 

[frank]

Don

I wasn't really bashing the other BC, (or your post for that matter). Possibly you might have misunderstood mine. I have not ever seen the Malibu so I can not comment on it. I do know that the Trans Pac is an excellent BC, but it is designed for tech diving. That does not mean that is wouldn't make a great recreational BC, it just means its more expensive, and it has some features not needed for recreational diving, such as interchangeable bladders. I agree with you completely that one should not compromise what they want for price. I myself have done that, and as you said, very quickly regretted it.I do believe that a person should consider all their options before a purchase such as this one. Like Steve and Margo, I find the constriction of a jacket style BC extremely uncomfortable, I would just hate to see them upwards of $600 on a trans pac, simply because it was the first back inflated BC they tried. The Zeagle (and many others for that matter) offer what I believe to be the same comfort level and quality at a more reasonable price.

 

[frank]

Steve & Margo,

I got mine from a local dive shop. http://www.zeagle.com will give you a list of the nearest authorized reps. That is how I found mine. If I had to replace it right now, I probably would get the same thing. From what I have seen I believe the zeagle to be the best back inflated BC's on the market for the price. I have not seen the Malibu before your I read your post, but after looking at their website, I think it might be worth further investigation. Dacor makes a couple that would be worth looking at. They have one called the Rig, which is a little more technically oriented (i.e. expensive) and they make one called a Flyt Pak, which I have not seen but sounds very interesting. Seaquest makes a couple of back inflated BC's which I have heard good things about, but again I have not seen them myself.

I hope all of this helps and doesn't seem to overwhelming. Like I stated in the above post, the most important thing is to get what you want. I would recommend trying out as many as possible, and then if you like the most expensive, technical BC on the market, so be it. There is no such thing as overkill if you like it and it works for you. Overkill only comes from spending a small fortune on a BC, only to find out there is another model that you like just as well (or better) at a cheaper price.