TESTCENTRE
A good honest BCD
Lightning BCD
COMPANY : BEAVER SPORTS PRICE : £ 235.00 TEL : 01484 512354 WEB : WWW . BEAVERSPORTS . CO . UK
Beaver ’ s Lightning BCD is a regular jacket-style BCD that reminds me very much of the type I learned to dive in . Of single bag construction and manufactured from 100 Denier Cordura Nylon with a PU coating , it features a slimline and lightweight hard backpack .
The backpack has an integrated lift handle , plus a padded cover to keep it comfortable
against the spinal area . Being a non-integrated weight BCD , this allows the Lightning to provide two cavernous-like pockets , accessed by secure Velcro flaps .
There ’ s plenty of room for a reel , DSMB , torch et al , but there are also half-a-dozen stainless steel D-rings positioned around the jacket for further accessories , should you need them .
The padded shoulder straps terminate in a pair of quick-release clips . These can be loosened or popped open during kitting up or removal . I preferred simply loosening them off , followed by a firm tug to tighten once over the shoulders . Many jackets feature a very compact sternum strap / clip but Beaver ’ s , although by no means oversized , was a substantial example and all the better for it , being easier to locate and operate while wearing gloves .
The Velcro-adjustable , wide cummerbund has a small zipped storage pocket , plus another quick-release clip situated in the centre of the waist band . At the rear of the jacket , a conventional cam band kept my cylinder firmly in place , with just a little repositioning required to find that nice point of comfort / balance . I normally prefer dumpable weights in a BCD , but with the barest minimum of weight around my waist and the Lightning fully inflated at the surface , I found myself in a nicely elevated position , head clear of the water .
The Lightning offers 17kg of lift in sizes small / medium or 22kg in large and I was impressed with the jacket ’ s supportive , allround buoyancy .
Glow your own way
Ni-Glo Gear Marker
COMPANY : BEAVER SPORTS PRICE : £ 5.25 TEL : 01484 512354 WEB : WWW . BEAVERSPORTS . CO . UK
It ’ s a contrary world we live in , when a sport in which high-viz equipment should be the accepted norm , we dive predominantly in black . While it may look edgy and cool it does make spotting essential safety kit that little bit more difficult , especially in low visibility or night diving . Beaver ’ s Ni-Glo gear markers provide an inexpensive solution , and one that is kinder to the environment than chemical-based glow sticks .
Measuring 5cm tall and weighing next to nothing these dinky self-glowing
58