|May 09 Scuba Lab Quick Links| |---| |General Purpose BCs| |---| | BARE Blackjack| BARE Blackwing| | BARE Voodoo| Mares Prestige MRS Plus| | SCUBAPRO Glide Pro| Tusa Conquest| | Zeagle Ranger LTD| | |Dual Purpose BCs| |---| | Aeris 5 Oceans| Cressi Aquaride| | Oceanic Cruz| SCUBAPRO Equator| | Cressi Travelight| Cressi Light Jac| |True Travel BCs| |---| | Zeagle Zeus| |

Dual Purpose BCs

Dual Purpose BCs are lighter in weight, more stingy with their hardware, and more compact than General Purpose BCs, so they pack easily for trips to the tropics. At the same time, they provide enough buoyant lift, ballast weight capacity and range of adjustment to be worn in cold water over thick wetsuits or dry suits. The thinking is, because they're able to be used in both the Great Lakes and the Great Barrier Reef, you only have to own one BC for all your diving adventures.

Cressi Aquaride

Features

The Aquaride is a trimmed down jacket-style BC designed to occupy the space between heavy-duty General Purpose and Travel BCs. Made of 420 denier nylon, it's light but durable and built on a hard pack frame with plenty of padding for comfort. It has wide quick release waist and shoulder buckles plus an adjustable elastic chest strap and cummerbund. There's plenty of cargo room and attachment points for lights and extras via the two generous zippered pockets, four stainless steel D-rings, and clip-on hose holders. The Lock Aid weight system uses large mechanical buckles with handles extending forward plus two rear trim pockets to allow you to balance the system out just right.

Performance

|Specifications| |---| | Average Subjective Test Score| 4.2| | Dry Weight| 8 lbs.| | Buoyant Lift| 40 lbs.| | Inherent Buoyancy| 1.3 lbs.| | Weight Capacity| 20/10 lbs.| | Price| $444| | www.cressisubusa.com|

Once you're in the cockpit of the Aquaride you'll enjoy a very comfy sub-surface flight. The cummerbund and chest straps are both elastic so you really get a secure, comfortable fit. The back pad is quite thick but, surprisingly, doesn't adversely affect inherent buoyancy. The Lock Aid Weight system turns out to be one of the most user-friendly in this entire review. A plastic D-ring in front of the weight pouch offers something to pull against while the buckle is being pushed into place, and a finger ridge on the buckle makes it even easier to engage. Handles are positioned forward and easy to grip and rip when it comes time to ditch. Cargo pockets are extremely deep and easy to access. Zippered closures have extended tabs, which make them easy to find. Even though the Aquaride has been lightened for dual purpose duty it's still equipped with four nice stainless D-rings, plus two smaller ones with hose clips. With an ergo-friendly power inflator and aggressive exhaust valves, you can maintain control of your buoyancy while enjoying a stable ride among the reefs.

Bottom Line

If we were die-hard jacket divers who split our time between the Rio Frio and the Florida Keys, the Aquaride would definitely be invited along on our next road trip.

|Quick Links| |---| |General Purpose BCs| |---| | BARE Blackjack| BARE Blackwing| | BARE Voodoo| Mares Prestige MRS Plus| | SCUBAPRO Glide Pro| Tusa Conquest| | Zeagle Ranger LTD| | |Dual Purpose BCs| |---| | Aeris 5 Oceans| Cressi Aquaride| | Oceanic Cruz| SCUBAPRO Equator| | Cressi Travelight| Cressi Light Jac| |True Travel BCs| |---| | Zeagle Zeus| |