Average at best

The one thing you want in a BCD is ease of use, and the one purpose of a BCD is to adjust bouyancy. Adjusting bouyancy is the one of the most difficult things to ...Read complete review

The one thing you want in a BCD is ease of use, and the one purpose of a BCD is to adjust bouyancy. Adjusting bouyancy is the one of the most difficult things to do with this BCD because of the location of the dump valves. The shoulder mounted valve is situated on the front side of the shoulder. If you attempt to dump air, you must first place yourself in a vertical to slightly "leaned back" position so air inside the BCD is at the valve. Since most of us swim in a prone, face down position, that makes using the shoulder valve quite difficult. Similarly, if sitting on the surface, since this BCD has a back inflation bladder, it tends to make you sit on the surface in a "leaned forward" position, with your face in the water. Same problem; to get the air to the dump valve, you have to lean back. There is a second dump valve at the bottom of the BCD, but unless you are swimming somewhat head down, there is no air behind that valve, either. Having always to re-orient yourself to get air behind the dump valves to dump air is not the "ease of use" that I want in a BCD.