Zuma Pro BCD

[Jungho Kim]

I just heard back from my LDS... He called Aqualung and apparently, the Pro version is only available to instructors... It is not available to the general public... Why not? Because Aqualung does not want to hurt the market for the standard Zuma? What about letting the customer choose? Would like hear the rationale for this decision by Aqualung...

 

[Nautica2706]

My girlfriend got lucky when she hold off on buying the zuma and then found out about zuma pro which she bought.

She hold off on the normal zuma due to its thin material. Used the pro for 20 or so dives now and in love with it. She is very petite and it fits nicely, she needed to add an extra padding sewn in behind the standard soft padding due to the tank hitting her back bone.

Other than that..she loves it, and managed to get a friend bought the pro as well.

They are both not instructor tho...

 

[Bappelt]

My LDS called and tried to order one of these for me and was told it was a limited time time thing only and that they didn't have my size anymore. Are there plans to make anymore of these?

 

[tphillipp]

No plans at this time. It was a one-time production run.

 

[Bappelt]

No plans at this time. It was a one-time production run.

Thanks for the feedback. It's too bad though.

 

[Kresna]

Other than that..she loves it, and managed to get a friend bought the pro as well.

They are both not instructor tho...

And "a friend" here said that: its very comfortable and doesnt need a lot of space to pack. Even better if I dismantle all the stuffs (harness, bladder, tank band, weight pocket, inflator). Total weight of the gear (with Apeks Flight, fin, wetsuit, accessories) is only 13kg. No worry for excess baggage or carrying around the job.
The balance is perfect. I dont feel like wearing a bulky bcd at all down there. I am also very petite with 54kg and 174cm. Most of rental bcd I've ever used were too big or to short for me.

After 20 dives or so, no complain so far.

 

[Allison Finch]

I have been using the Zuma for a while and I have a gripe. It seems to ride up all the time. I use a weight belt as well as using the weight pockets, splitting the weights between them. The Zuma has a habit of jumping over the weight belt (no matter how tight I adjust it). I use the pocket-style weight belt and end up using it upside down to give the Zuma a positive grip at the waist. A real PITA. I don't want to hassle with a crotch strap. Of all the BCD's I have used over the years, this is the only time I have had this problem.

 

[tphillipp]

Hi Allison,
Unfortunately, there isn't a magic solution here. Unless you are very tall (long-waisted), there just isn't room for a pocket-style weight belt and the waistband of the Zuma. The location of one or both gets compromised. Since the Zuma locates the integrated weights on your waist, what is the purpose of using a weight belt in addition? Isn't it worth getting rid of your belt to achieve better fit with the Zuma?

 

[Allison Finch]

No. I like the freedom to be able to take the tank and BCD off for any number of reasons. My old BCD used to have problems with the air purge. I would whip off the tank, disassemble the purge, clean it out and reassemble it, and continue my dive. With a weight belt, I was able to do this without worrying about buoyancy issues. Without the weight belt, this could have been actually dangerous. My old BCD never had an issue with the weight belt, so I was surprised to have such a hassle with the Zuma. On the surface, when it "jumped" the weight belt, I would have the shoulder straps over my head. Aggravating......

 

[scubafanatic]

I have been using the Zuma for a while and I have a gripe. It seems to ride up all the time. I use a weight belt as well as using the weight pockets, splitting the weights between them. The Zuma has a habit of jumping over the weight belt (no matter how tight I adjust it). I use the pocket-style weight belt and end up using it upside down to give the Zuma a positive grip at the waist. A real PITA. I don't want to hassle with a crotch strap. Of all the BCD's I have used over the years, this is the only time I have had this problem.

...you really let a major problem that could have been avoided with a $ 10 crotch strap sabotage your enjoyment of a BIG BUCKS / MONTH LONG trip to the other side of the world ? I can't imagine a crotch strap hassle factor being noticable relative to the logistics/effort of traveling across the globe, especially with major UW camera gear and then having to fool with UW camera gear all during the trip. I'll admit I can't even imagine diving without a crotch strap, that's how important it is to my enjoyment of diving.....I use the quick release version, so maybe you are unfamiliar with that style ?