Specifications

|Style|Jacket| |Warranty| Limited Lifetime on bladder seams, two years on other parts| |Size/Buoyant Lift (in lbs.)| XS-22.5, S-27, M-31.5, L-36, XL-42.7| |Integrated-Weight System| No| |Dry Weight| 4 lbs., 4 oz. (Size M)| |Price| $449; $569 w/Air 2| |www.scubapro.com|

Features:

• Feather-light 210-denier nylon construction
• Folds and clips into a compact size for easy packing
• Air-net soft tank pack with backpad
• Cavernous cargo pockets
• Substantial buoyant lift in the larger sizes
• Less than 1 pound of inherent buoyancy

Performance:

The lightest BC in this year’s roundup, the Geo’s air-net ergonomic backpack enables it to be folded and clipped into a package not much bigger than a loaf of bread and then slipped into its own storage bag for traveling. The cargo pockets are simply huge, with wide-mouthed zipper closures that make accessing them a breeze. In the water the Geo is a real workhorse. In spite of its lightweight and soft-pack design, test divers found the Geo to be superstable at depth and snug and comfy as well, thanks to its padded backpad and cummerbund with overstrap. An efficient valve system that includes a responsive power inflator and easy pull pump enabled divers to maintain pinpoint positioning in the water, resulting in an excellent rating for ascent control. The Geo lacks an integrated-weight system (weight pouches are optional), but it does offer four large prebent and two smaller aluminum D-rings for clipping on accessories.

Bottom Line:

The Geo is feather light, packs compactly, and is comfy and functional in the water. Plus it carries less than 1 pound of inherent buoyancy, so you might not need a weight system after all.

|June 2010 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links|

|General-Purpose BCs|

|While they can be used for any type of diving, general purpose BCs are designed primarily for temperate- and/or cold-water diving with 7mm wetsuits or drysuits. General Purpose BCs tend to offer lots of buoyant lift across their size ranges along with heavy-load integrated weight systems. They often have large cargo pockets and larger D-rings for attaching additional gear.| |Aeris EX100| Aeris EX200| |Aqua Lung Pro QD| Aqua Lung Pro LT| |IST J-1000 Alpha| IST J-1200 Hydro D| |ScubaMax Versa 3000| SCUBAPRO Seahawk| |SeaSoft Sealion| Sherwood Tortuga| |Zeagle Tech 10| | |Travel BCs|

|Travel BCs are lighter and more compact than General Purpose BCs. Many are designed to fold or stow in handy storage pouches for easy globe-trotting. Travel BCs tend to offer less buoyant-lift capacity and smaller weight pouches to suit warm-water diving scenarios.| |Aqua Lung Zuma| Cressi Aquapro 5| |SCUBAPRO Geo| SCUBAPRO Litehawk| |SeaSoft Travlite| Zeagle Express/Deluxe| |Women's BCs|

|Women are shaped differently than men, so it makes sense that a women’s BC would be shaped differently too. Women’s BCs are often cut higher along the waist and are more expansive in the chest area. Straps and adjustments accommodate shorter, narrower torsos, and power inflators are ultracompact to fit comfortably into smaller hands.| |BARE Curve| Sherwood Luna| |Tusa Selene II| |