Zeagle Express Tech or Express Tech Delux

[andy2667]

Hi,

I want to buy a BC for me and my wife. We are relatively new divers. We will only dives in warm tropical area and need to travel for diving. As a result, a light and simple BC suitable for traveling and warm water tropical area diving is ideal for us. I checked through the web and decided to buy either the Zeagel Express Tech. or the Zeagel Express Tech Delux. They are simple, light, not expensive, durable, easy to pack and should be easy for use.

It seems that the Express Tech is simple and good enough. However, I want to ask if the standard 24lb lift capacity bladder be adequate for us tropical recreational divers or we need a bladder with higher lift capacity. I weight 80kg and my wife weight 60kg. I don't want to buy an over sized bladder add bulk and weight.

I addition, I also wonder if the delux version is a better choice for us. We may add crotch strap and may need the integrated weight system to make it easier to use. My wife may like the padding. However, I do not like the quick connector/buckle concept of the shoulder strap of the delux version. This makes things more complicated.

Apart from the above, I would add some Drings and 2 small porch/bags for storing safety sausage + whistle + Safety Mirror + Torch.

I would be grateful if you could share your experience/opinions of the Standard version against the Delux version and your recommendation on the configurations.

Thanks

Andy

 

[DevonDiver]

Extract from 'Scuba Industry Definitions 101':

Deluxe - A variant of another perfectly functional item, offered at a substantially higher price, through the addition of meaningless and unnecessary features.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Express Tech Basic. Padding is not needed at all underwater. This is what some cannot seem to grasp. You are not buying a back pack for hiking the Appalachian Trail. It is a BC to stand up and jump off the boat or walk a few yards to the water. Here is my Express Tech with a review, set up details, and pictures. I use a weight belt only and have it under the crotch strap. Still easy to ditch but less likely to fall off when I don't want it to.

Zeagle Express Tech Buoyancy Compensator Review

 

[The Chairman]

I actually like the basic best, though I added some shoulder padding for those really long walks through the woods. The deluxe harness also comes with a sternum strap which many seem to like. Try one of each on. If you are ever down here in Key Largo, I have both available to try.

 

[racerx_]

The deluxe seems nifty but yeah I think the basic is enough, with possibly adding shoulder pads. You could always make your own sternum strap.

The deluxe feels good, but the quick release buckles annoy me. They're huge and seem to be magically placed right where I want to bungee my light down. Also every quick release buckle also has a "tail" of webbing you need to deal with. The big sell on the deluxe besides fit (which could be debatable) is the ability to quickly adjust the harness. But honestly that webbing is pretty rugged and none of my buckles seem to adjust when I yank the webbing. I have to manually push it through to resize. I'm in the midst of making my own standard harness to compare, although the webbing they sell here isn't as thick/heavy duty as what comes with it


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[Capt.Gene]

Hi,

I want to buy a BC for me and my wife. We are relatively new divers. We will only dives in warm tropical area and need to travel for diving. As a result, a light and simple BC suitable for traveling and warm water tropical area diving is ideal for us. I checked through the web and decided to buy either the Zeagel Express Tech. or the Zeagel Express Tech Delux. They are simple, light, not expensive, durable, easy to pack and should be easy for use.

It seems that the Express Tech is simple and good enough. However, I want to ask if the standard 24lb lift capacity bladder be adequate for us tropical recreational divers or we need a bladder with higher lift capacity. I weight 80kg and my wife weight 60kg. I don't want to buy an over sized bladder add bulk and weight.

I addition, I also wonder if the delux version is a better choice for us. We may add crotch strap and may need the integrated weight system to make it easier to use. My wife may like the padding. However, I do not like the quick connector/buckle concept of the shoulder strap of the delux version. This makes things more complicated.

Apart from the above, I would add some Drings and 2 small porch/bags for storing safety sausage + whistle + Safety Mirror + Torch.

I would be grateful if you could share your experience/opinions of the Standard version against the Delux version and your recommendation on the configurations.

Thanks

Andy

I think there is no bad choice here and the options are inexpensive enough that you can affort to change your mind after the fact.
Personally, my favorite configuration is a Deluxe harness with the 519-WS130 Ripcord weight system, shoulder pads, and 30 # Donut bladder.
Add 2 SS D rings on shoulder and one on the waste strap.
My knife, light, safety tube all have a place, and I can be in or out of it by my self in about 2 seconds and ready to splash.

 

[agilis]

I think there is a kit from Zeagle for the standard Express Tech that includes shoulder pads that fit over the existing non-quick release strap. A sternum strap is included, a back plate cushion, and a couple of d rings that also fit the existing straps, if you want them. The kit is about $50. I got to dive with one last month (standard Express Tech) and I've been converted into a believer. The pads and all that other stuff are not really needed, and run counter to the original idea of ultra light minimalist simplicity. I prefer a weight belt, so that's not an issue for me. The weight belt has a quick release device called a buckle.

 

[jimthediver]

I bought my Zeagle Express Tech last year before my trip to Papua New Guinea and I love it! I went back and forth on how I wanted to set it up, deluxe vs. basic, and finally decided to go with the basic. I did add shoulder pads, zip cord integrated weight system, a crotch strap and 4 d-rings, one for each shoulder, the left waist strap, and one on the crotch strap.
Even before I left on my trip I decided the integrated weight system had way more capacity than I was going to need and it was kind of bulky so I replaced it with a five pound capacity XS Scuba weight pocket which I put on my lower tank band and two XS Scuba quick release weight pockets I put on the waist belt. I only need 6-8 pounds of weight depending on wether I am diving in my wet skin or 1 mm wetsuit. I was able to quickly get myself trimed out and I didn't need any additional weight on a separate weight belt. You might want to have an extra trim weight pocket or two in your dive bag so you can experiment to find the best arrangement to get yourselves trimmed out. I think the standard 24 lb bladder is more than enough for single tank warm water diving.
Once you get it all adjusted I found it very easy to get in and out of without the quick releases, on the boat or in the water. Its very stable, you don't need the chest strap and it is so nice not having all that extra clutter on you. I tried it back and forth, with and without the crotch strap and I finally decided I liked the extra stability with the crotch strap. Diving with a single I think you can easily get a long without it if you don't want to bother with it. A crotch strap is cheap so I would just get one and take it with you and leave it in your bag if you decide not to use it. I have decided I don't need the shouder strap pads and I am taking them off before my next trip. Virtually 100% of my diving is off from a boat. You might want the shoulder straps if you tend to do a significant amount of shore diving where you are hiking with your rig down to the water. The back pack is very comfortable, I don't see any need for the back pad.
Zeagle has a nifty pouch for your SMB that mounts to the grommets down the edge of the BP. You can use it to store your SMB with a finger spool attached and when you need it you just reach back and pull it out. I really like it. Finally, I added a Zeagle two compartment pocket to my waist strap that I use to hold all my other safety equipment and odds and ends I take with me. The whole thing is very compact, packs light, cleans up easy and drys quick. It's a perfect travel BC.
I got my rig from Zeagle Express, give Capt Gene a call and they will fix you right up!

 

[RTee]

My GF and I both use the Express Tech (basic) with crotch strap. Mine has the 30 lbs donut wing and ripcord system while my GF has the 35 lbs horsehoe bladder and ziptouch weight system. We use it for single tank diving in drysuit, 7mm and 3mm ful length wetsuit, locally and when travelling.I added four D rings on each set-up (the crotch strap gives us a fifth additional one)as well as a two compartment 10 X 6 pouch which I wear dead center on my belt (on top of crotch strap).

 

[Bellaco]

I originally bought my Express Tech with the shoulder pads, but removed them. I found that they made it difficult to put my rig on as they always got wrapped up on my shoulders.

Since my original purchase I removed the shoulder pads, added 5 traditional Hogarthian d-rings in respective places, a crotch strap, and XS Scuba weight pouches on my cam bands. I am pretty dense at 6'1" 195 and dont need much lead to hold me down. Ive never needed more weight than I can put in my pouches so I have never had to use a weight belt. I also replaced the inflator elbow and corrugated hose to a shorter one, but thats another discussion.

I say go for the original Express Tech and buy the d-rings that you need. Simple & effective. You will not be disappointed.