Comments about Mares H.U.B. Avantgarde BCD, Black/Gray:

We bought a H.U.B. for my wife because she liked the concept of an integrated unit with all the bells and whistles. However, we quickly learned that this concept was less impressive in practice than we had hoped.

As with most Mares products the BC part of the HUB is very plush. In the water it is very comfortable and highly adjustable and we liked using the Air Trim system. The regulator breaths well too. The MRS weight system is a little better than average. But unfortunately, that's the extent of the pros.

The first problem we encountered with the HUB was that the unit is very heavy, in part because the first stage connects to two internal manifolds from where all the other hoses split off. This adds a lot of weight -- equivalent to carrying around an extra few pounds of lead. We realized that because of the plush design we shouldn't expect a "lightweight" unit, but all tolled, this is the heaviest recreational rig I've ever seen.

Furthermore, the HUB does not fold down very well. The regs and console are supposed to be stored in the BC pockets which makes it very bulky to pack. What we ended up doing when traveling is packing the regs and console outside their pockets, but this made it so they were exposed to potential damage in the suitcase. Nothing that can't be solved by slipping some gym socks over the exposed components, but again, just one more thing you don't have to deal with if you can pack your regs separately. All in all the HUB was very difficult to travel with compared to a traditional rig.

Regarding storing the components inside the BC pockets, the next problem we encountered is that if you keep the regs in the pockets where the hoses are run internally, the hoses have to be wound in pretty small loops, and as you know, that can cause hoses to crimp. Also, when diving, keeping the octopus zippered inside its pocket is a safety hazard because the pocket doesn't open up wide enough for the octopus to slip out easily and it would take too much time to reach it in an emergency. My wife ended up keeping the octopus clipped to the outside of the jacket, just like in a normal rig, which is contrary to the HUB concept of running the hoses internally. Likewise, it proved difficult to keep the console hose looped up inside its pocket because it is a stiffer high pressure hose and so my wife ended up clipping the console to the outside of the jacket too...again, like in a traditional rig.

The problem with keeping all these hoses outside their respective pockets on the HUB is that now, instead of the houses routing neatly from a central location at the top of the tank as with a typical first stage, they are coming out of pockets all over the place, and instead of the desired streamlined effect advertised with the HUB you now have loops of hose at 3 and 9 o'clock making you substantially less streamlined than if you're using a standard reg set. If you're unable to take advantage of the streamlining qualities of the HUB it quickly runs out of advantages.

One last problem we encountered is that little strips of plastic were constantly peeling off from the decals on both pockets and both shoulders of the HUB. Obviously, this didn't effect the performance of the unit but was more of an annoyance.

Beyond the aforementioned practical problems which we encountered using the HUB are a bevy of theoretical problems that, although never came to actualization, are nonetheless worthy of considering. For example, since the HUB is a fully integrated unit, if one thing goes wrong with either the BC or the reg, than the whole unit is sidelined. For example, it would really stink if, while on vacation, you punctured the BC bladder and now have to not only rent a BC, but also use some low end rental fleet regulator all because your BC broke. This is nothing that we didn't consider prior to purchasing the HUB, but as I said earlier, if you can't take advantage of what the HUB has to offer in terms of it being integrated, the disadvantages quickly start to outweigh the advantages of a typical modular system where components can be interchanged in piecemeal.

Its not that we have nothing good to say about the HUB. Its individual components worked well. Unfortunately, its an example of how you can engineer a concept where the sum of its component parts are actually less as a whole than individually.

The HUB may be ideal in the toy locker of a super luxury yacht used by divers who are not exactly scuba enthusiasts, where it would never need to be packed in a suitcase and where the weight of the system wouldn't matter. However, our conclusion is that for the traveling diving enthusiast who is concerned with safety, streamlining and packing weight, the HUB is, at best, an interesting concept gone wrong. (Note, this review is written in past tense because my wife no longer uses the H.U.B.)

Comments about Mares H.U.B. Avantgarde BCD, Black/Gray:

This is a great system,me and my buddy use nothing else.It`s compact,easy to pack for travel and protects the regulator and octopus when not in use as they are inside a zippered pocket.Just pull out the regulator hose what you need from the pocket,no loose hoses.The left pocket holds the console or just the transmitter for air intergrated DC mounted on the end of the hose kept inside the pocket always protected and close to your wrist.Lots of adjustments,the weight system takes some time to get used to if you need much weights.Pockets can fall out if you climb with it and accidently push the release with your knee,but it`s not a problem if you are aware.