Advice on BCs

Hey everyone. I'm new to this forum and new to diving so 'Hi'.

I got PADI Open Water certified last year and bought all my dive gear off a guy at work.

So I went for my first dive with this gear over the Christmas break, and during the dive, noticed that my BC was not really inflating as I'd expected. On inspection when I got back, I found a valve had blown out, as in broken off the BC leaving a hole bigger than a 50c piece (no I hadn't over inflated it) and it appeared that the internal bladder had crumbled into tiny pieces of brittle plastic. No wonder it wasn't inflating!

Now my first question is; from this fairly minimal description of the issue, does it sound fixable, or is it new BC time?

Second question is; what do people think of the Genesis Cobra BC (http://www.genesisscuba.com/product.php?product_id=76) and does anyone have any idea what they retail for in Aussi dollars?

Thanks everyone!

Contributed by RossH added 2007-01-03

Replies of 3

RossH added 2007-01-04: Or the Sherwood Magnum; http://www.sherwoodscuba.com/product.php?product_id=40

Jonnie Rockfish added 2007-01-24

It would be wise to have the BC and all the gear you got from "the guy at work" checked out for safety by a qualified scuba equipment repairer, if the BC was falling apart I suggest that the regulators may also be well over due for a service.

As for new BC's, I personaly like the Mares Dragon, they are readly available, properly supported and maintained in australia and well priced.

JohnG added 2007-02-08

Hi Ross, Not sure where you are located but i think the genesis is quite a robust BCD. I know a couple of guys that have them and have not had any probs at all, (one guy is a local instructor so it gets plenty of use.) My Local dive shop here in Perth sells them for $499 (pretty sure thats right) I recently bought myself a Tusa "passage" BCD. a nice compact little unit and very comfortable. RRP on that is about the $750 mark but picked mine up from Australasian dive academy here in Perth for $399

Hope this info helps John

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