be situated high, low or in-between depending where you’ d like them and their two( at right shoulder) and single( left shoulder) pre-bent stainless steel D-rings to sit.
These shoulder straps terminate in a pair of good old chunky pinch clips, attached in turn to the large pockets and SEAC’ s integrated weight system. Buoyancy panels are situated behind the roomy zipped pockets, which are big enough to accommodate slates or a small dSMB, spool or torch.
The top of the pocket area also includes a cut-out for storing an alternate air source or contents gauge. It’ s a very comfortable BCD once donned and the wide, Velcro and pinch-clip cummerbund keeps everything cosy around the midriff. A two-position sternum strap also prevents any tendency for the shoulder straps to move outwards.
If you suffer from any lower back problems and dislike the bottom of your cylinder banging against your spine or hips then the low-hung, padded protector is just what the doctor ordered.
SEAC’ s Q & S( Quick & Safe) weight system allows a maximum of 4kg per pouch and they slide horizontally into their homes at the front of the pockets. The locking system clips easily into a pre-formed rigid plastic receptacle on the outside of the pocket. A firm tug releases them in a jiffy for handing up to the boat or jettisoning in an emergency.
If you like to split a little weight or fine tune orientation then there are also a pair of non-dumpable trim weight pockets( max load 2kg) threaded onto the tank strap at the rear of the jacket.
Best of both worlds?
At the surface prior to descent and also while awaiting pick-up, the PRO 2000 was excellent at keeping my body high in the water and head clear of breaking wavelets. Very comfortably too.
Evacuating gas during prior to descent can be achieved via several methods. Holding the corrugated hose above head height while pressing the dump button on the inflation device or alternatively pulling on the inflator and hose, which activates the top left shoulder dump.
However, I much preferred a tug on the right-sided toggle, attached via a cable to the over-pressure relief valve above, for a rapid descent. While some wings are minimalist in their dump options with but a single valve, the PRO 2000 offers the three above plus a lower right kidney dump to make up a quartet.
Once at my intended depth and destination I experimented to see how my orientation would affect the migration of air within the bladder. An associated feature worth mentioning is the simple addition of a pair of volume adjustment bands which constrain the expansion of the bladder.
These are found at the lower sides of the rear bladder and continue along the length of the side buoyancy sections, behind the pockets. Tightening or releasing the bands constricts bladder size and volume in a similar manner to bungees on a wing.
Air, of course always rises to the highest point but as the bladder is shaped with more capacity at its lower end than the narrower top it replicated the effect of a wing nicely, distributing air evenly throughout.
The positioning of the weight pockets also contributed to the balance and was further enhanced by using the trim weights. I was more than happy with its performance in horizontal use. One of my favourite ways to explore walls is to sit vertically in the water course and either let the current take me along or gently fin and take my time ascending with a diagonal profile.
Jacket BCDs are ideal for this. It can be almost as comfortable as leaning back in an armchair. Simply sitting back on the lower and side buoyancy placement of the PRO 2000’ s hybrid bladder excelled as as a means to replicate this.
It’ s fair to say that attempting to make a hybrid BCD means that the end result could result in a‘ jack of all trades, master of none’ scenario. For me the plusses – allround buoyancy at the surface and the back-mounted buoyancy I enjoy most underwater – were achieved seamlessly, while the integrated weight system was excellent.
The only downside, if you could even call it that, was having a more cluttered midsection than with my normal wing set-up. It’ s a small price to pay for a flexible, high-perfomance BCD with a track history spanning decades. Neil Hope
Rear trim pocket
SCUBA SAYS
The mutant offspring of wing and jacket BCDs, or a prime example of selective breeding? I’ m going with the latter, as SEAC’ s tried and tested PRO 2000 hybrid offers stable surface safety combined with great horizontal buoyancy while diving.
The large pockets incorporate the integrated weight system
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