Zeagle Ranger vrs Stiletto

[kradatzke]

Over the last few weeks I have looked at various BCD's and one that really sticks out ( and feels great on) is the Ranger. It looks like a very well built and durable one, many of the divemasters and instructors from the shop I am taking my drysuit course from use and swear by them. I can certainly understand for them that having a very rugged BC is a must with the amount they use their gear. I expect I will be in the range of 30 dives a year ( half in warm water and the other half drysuit diving in cold water) I am questioning if I really need the Ranger as it seems almost to be a Tec Bcd. I will be going on my open water drysuit dive in a week and will find out what I need for weight then but my instructor said he is guessing at about 30 lbs. The Ranger has lift of 44 lb and the Stiletto is 35 lb. The Stiletto has some very appealing features , slightly lighter , will likely travel better ( for the winter trips) having the smaller bladder, lumbar pad and a price tag of about $150 less than the Ranger. Both have many common features including the personal fit system. I am trying to find a fairly rugged Bcd that will work for both cold water ( drysuit) and not be to bulky for travel on the winter trips. The Stiletto is made from 1000 denier and the Ranger 1050 ballistic denier. I have read many many great reviews for both Bcd's with very little negative being said about either.

I'm wondering if there are other divers out there using either of these for warm and cold water diving that could give me their thoughts?

 

[ontdiver]

I use my Ranger for both warm and cold water recreational diving. While it is certainly a bit bulky as a travel BC, I simply plan accordingly for the extra weight. If you are only going to do 30 dives a year, it may be more than you need. But if the price is not a deal breaker, you won't regret the investment.

 

[miked]

I have a Stiletto, and I love it. It has all the positives that you mentioned. I am a warm water wimp, so I can't address the "cold diving " part of your question, but while traveling, the Stiletto packs nicely-not super small, but certainly smaller than the Ranger. One thing: (IIRC ?) the Ranger can be used with doubles, the Stiletto cannot. If you plan to dive doubles, that could be a huge distinction.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[diversteve]

miked is correct the Stiletto is single tank only. The Ranger can be used with doubles with either their doubles kit or even their backplate. We fly everywhere with a Ranger, although it's not going in a carry-on anytime soon.

Want some more Ranger travel options...:

Zeagle Brigade BCD discounts on sale Zeagle - $469
Zeagle Wicked Ranger BCD at LeisurePro - $489
Zeagle Wicked Lite Ranger BCD at LeisurePro - $299

I'm fairly sure the Wicked's are discontinued which explains the price. Whatever you get the BX inflator is worth getting also.

Wow - $759 for a Stiletto. They were $599 for years.

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

I have a Stilletto and a Tech . I use the Stilletto with drysuit and it works just fine . However the Ranger 44lb lift is much better if you are using 30lb plus lead .

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I had a ranger, liked the build of the system, the bulk not so much and sold. I rented a Stiletto, was better but the cost was up there and went BP/W. A year later I needed another rig (I keep gear stashed at 2 remote work sites so I can dive since I live in Texas) and I tried the Tech. For single tank diving it was Nirvana. I have a 35lb wing on it so it will provide more than enough lift for cold water wetsuit diving and packs really small and light and is inexpensive. I don't need/use pockets or weight pockets so it is KISS. Nothing to break or maintain other than rinsing. The only negative is it rides up until I added a crotch strap (made from leftovers in the dive locker).

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I second the Brigade if you really do want a ranger, the 44lb wing the Ranger comes with is HUGE for single tank diving and not really enough for doubles. Yes the Ranger can be set up for doubles but it is far from the ideal platform. I would be willing to bet the "real" reason all the dive pros at the shop dive the Ranger has nothing to do with what they want to dive and more to do with marketing. The typical dive shop will set it's dive pros up as "Bill Boards" in the most expensive top of the line gear they sell because that is what they want there customers to purchase. The more money you spend the more the shop makes. I would look at the Brigade or just purchase a bare bones BP/W and not have all the useless fluff of a standard BC. I would recommend something like DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL. I have a ranger collecting dust in my basement because I cant sell the thing, I now dive a BP/W and would never go back.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

Go with the ranger period. As a DM i dive year round and have been diving dry for over 2 years now. The issue is that depending on what undergarment you dive you will need the higher lift of the ranger to account for extra lead a lofty undergarment will need and this does not account for the possibility of diving a steel tank.

With that said, if for any reason you where to take the BCD off and not have the loft of the drysuit and undergarment in it, the bcd could sink on you and be lost.

This is the very reason i am moving away from my old BCD to a new one with 44lbs of lift for my open water rig. The new rig will float even with 28lbs of weight and a steel lp108 where my older 38lb lift bcd would not stay a float.


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[halocline]

You should really avoid buying any sort of BC until you have done a dive in a backplate/wing system. Then you can evaluate for yourself. Less is more when it comes to BCs for all sorts of reasons. I don't think either of the BCs you're considering are good ideas, and buying something because the instructional/sales staff at your shop uses it is doing exactly what they want you to do as a student.

 

[GDI]

While you are getting many good opinions on the Ranger vs the Stiletto I ask if you have considered the following since you are concerned about diving warm and cold water. Zeagle offers many different BCD models. You should keep in mind that many of those models are modular and can be sized best by mixing the shoulder, vest components (large, small, medium etc). Even the bladders can be switched out and crossed over from one model to another. For someone wanting a versatile BCD, with the rugged features of the ballistic materiel offered in many Zeagle bladders have you considered looking at the Express Tech system with a Ranger or Ranger LTD bladder. This will reduce the overall weight of the BCD such as the Ranger and provide you with the ruggedness of the ballistic materiel. With the Express Tech you can add the similar rip cord weight system able to support 30 lbs or more if the trim weight pouches are added. You could even switch out the Zip Touch weight pouches. The Express Tech is a very versatile BCD system. Finally Zeagles life time warranty and customer service for their product is outstanding