We tested the Seac EQ-Pro BC. With solid performance at a below-average price, it was our Best Buy for BCs. We tested BCs at Blue Grotto Dive Resort in Central Florida.

We conducted objective tests in the pool to measure buoyant lift and inherent buoyancy and to gauge each BC’s ability to cope with a runaway power inflator. We also conducted a series of test dives where testers scored BCs in eleven categories including comfort, stability and ascent control.

The EQ-Pro has large cargo pockets and side panels, a full backplate, wide shoulder straps and a fair assortment of D-rings and other hardware. Despite that, it proved to be both lighter and more streamlined than we expected. Keeping its profile tidy is a modestly sized air cell that tapers above the waist and is kept pulled in close by a horizontal bungee behind the backplate. Helping to steady things are side panels that slide along the waistband, keeping the harness snug to the body while reducing squeeze, and giving the EQ-Pro a well-balanced, stable feel. As one tester noted, "It stays where you put it." That earned it a very good score for comfort, and an excellent score for stability, tying the top scores in its category. It also took top scores for its surface floating position and what one tester called "smooth as silk" ascent control. The integrated weights were rated very good for loading but just good for ditching, with some testers finding the release buckles a bit small and stiff. One gripe was a bit of extra inherent buoyancy, and some testers noted they would have preferred an adjustable tank valve strap to aid positioning. With impressive performance making it one of the favorites of multiple testers, the EQ-Pro is our Best Buy for BCs.

2020 ScubaLab BCD Review