Oceanic BioLite Travel BC Product Review

[@WhiteEaglePerry]

Thanks Freddy for this video, and it was great meeting you today.

[@coralkeyscuba]

Great to meet you White Eagle. Don't forget the Parlay. I'll buy you dinner. Have a great new year. Take care. Freddy

[@MrsNesanica]

Great review. I just started to use Oceanic Biolite. Decision to buy it was based on this review. Now i came back to your channel just to check one more time how to get the most out of this BCD. And this review was super helpful again. Thank you and keep up the good work. 👏👏

[@coralkeyscuba]

So Maja, how are you liking the Biolite? Getting ready to do the long term review and asking other that have dove it for awhile what they think. Better to get viewers responses than strangers. Thanks for watching. Freddy

[@MrScubafan]

I got this BC after watching this review and some research and used it this summer on a few trips. Overall it's great, very practical for packing and great feeling diving with it, trim pockets work great to get the perfect balance. Would not recommend using steel 100 tanks best with aluminum. One of the places I dove at used steel 100 and you can certainly dive with it, however you will have to tighten the straps much more than usual not to feel the tank moving around. With Aluminum you don't even feel like you have a BC on you. I added an extra D ring for my setup and one more thing I will probably have removed and placed higher is the velcro strap on the inflator hose, I found it too low, not much play to raise the hose when you want to release air. Overall love it. Thanks for the awesome review.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Glad you liked the review and that it helped in making your purchasing decision. Thanks for your input about using steel 100!

[@armoureddiver5262]

Try using the pull dump feature rather than lifting the hose

[@MrScubafan]

Certainly pulling the inflator hose to release the air from the dump valve works, but I like to also have the option to easily raise the hose and raising the strap a little did the trick for me. @@armoureddiver5262

[@retireeslife4013]

I have this BC and love it. I agree with your overall assessment. I did mount a knife to my waist strap a nd purchased a strap on side pocket. I also have oceanic Air xs and the Air alert. Clean streamlined and easy on travel.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Thanks Rick - defiantly a great way to customize and streamline this BC

[@mikemarano3615]

Enjoyed the review, really kicked it up a notch on features and benefits...Well done...

[@chapurrisler2391]

i have this bcd for a couple of month now. it is excellent. very thought out trim pockets, light for travel and comfortable to dive with. Love it!

[@janiceeisenhauer3315]

I have this BC too and it has preformed well for me for last two years. Mine came with weight pouches that fit inside the front weight pockets (I didn't see those pouches on this video), plus it has the 2 trim weight pouches for the tank. I did have the weight pouch almost slide out of the pocket once when the strap was not at the tightest setting, so I am always careful to ensure the weights are not slipping through. I agree it needs a pocket of some kind, and I'm looking into options to purchase either thigh mount or clip on pocket for hook, SMB/reel and/or dive light.

[@rickkinney2544]

I appreciate the review. I've been considering this BC and what I see here confirms that this one is a good option. I'm curious if Oceanic has addressed your Quality Control concerns since it's been 14 months since this review was posted?

[@LeviathanScuba]

Thanks Rick - Yes they had already been working on it at the time of the review. Since then we have not seen any problems.

[@rickkinney2544]

Good to know. Much appreciated. This is probably the one I'm going to go with. Thanks.

[@coralkeyscuba]

@@rickkinney2544 Just a follow up Rick, after 3 years did you go with the Biolite? If so, did you love it.? Freddy

[@rickkinney2544]

@@coralkeyscuba I did. It's been great. No regrets.

[@rickkinney2544]

@@coralkeyscuba I did add a trim pocket at each of the shoulder straps. I find a couple of lbs. up there helps keep me nice and level.

[@scubadiver6736]

Great video! How does the BioLite compare to the Zeagle Covert XT?

[@LarryRichelli]

I would really like to see a comparison between this BC and the Scubapro Litehawk BC

[@coralkeyscuba]

They are very close. That being said, I like the Bio lite. A couple deal breakers for me personally are the soft backpack of the Litehawk and the location of the Tank strap. Biolite has a small rigid backpack which I much prefer. Why? Because the soft backpacks allow tank motion. Not a huge deal but when your tank is almost empty and buoyant it rocks from side to side as you swim. The rigid pack holds it snug without movement. Also the placement of the tank strap on the rear doesn't make any difference when in a showroom but when you are on a dive boat that uses the tank holders that are like large PVC pipes, then the lower strap on the lighthawk with the buckle does not fit with the tank installed. The Biolite uses the buckle on the upper strap and saves the small tank secure strap on the bottom and it fits great in all holders. A few more small reasons. 1 less hole in the bladder. The litehawk has an additional pull dump on the right shoulder and not needed in my opinion. Another thing to go wrong and need service. The biolite has an emergency whistle on the chest strap. The side pockets on the litehawk are smaller and not sure officially they are meant to be used for weight, (everybody does though). So a bit more weight fits in the Biolite. The Biolite comes with actual pouches inside the dump pockets if you want to remove all your weights together. Personally I don't like the waistband buckle on the litehawk. I prefer the positive connection of a clickable buckle rather than the typical friction clamp as on the Litehawk. Can't remember how the tension bungee around the bladder connects on the litehawk but on the Biolite you can easily disconnect, trim, re-attach to make it a bit more snug and custom.

[@scuba4families447]

Great review. I’m going through my options for light BCD’s, as my sea quest wing after 20 years is beginning to wear.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Truly a recreational bc but so many positives. You'll love it. Freddy

[@pavelpetliuk]

Great review. What are thinking about Mares XR-REC Silver Single Backmount Set ?

[@coralkeyscuba]

Hey there Pavel, I am testing it now with a few others to compare. Mostly pool so far due to covid. We brought some in to our shop for the instructors to try them out. So far everyone seems to like them. My biggest complaint so far is no padding on the shoulder straps and a pet peeve of mine is double tank bands. The bottom one is not needed. It won't fit most tank holders on dive boats. Needs to be replaced with a single 1 inch strap with velcro attachment. Thanks for watching. Don't forge to like, it really helps our algorithim with KZbin. Have fun. Freddy

[@schout10]

Great video. what would you recommend between this Oceanic Biolite and the Scubapro Litehawk please? They seem quite similar in terms of feature and price. any comment on anything that could make a difference please?

[@LeviathanScuba]

You are right, they are very close. That being said, I like the Bio lite. A couple deal breakers for me personally are the soft backpack of the Litehawk and the location of the Tank strap. Biolite has a small rigid backpack which I much prefer. Why? Because the soft backpacks allow tank motion. Not a huge deal but when your tank is almost empty and buoyant it rocks from side to side as you swim. The rigid pack holds it snug without movement. Also the placement of the tank strap on the rear doesn't make any difference when in a showroom but when you are on a dive boat that uses the tank holders that are like large PVC pipes, then the lower strap on the lighthawk with the buckle does not fit with the tank installed. The Biolite uses the buckle on the upper strap and saves the small tank secure strap on the bottom and it fits great in all holders. A few more small reasons. 1 less hole in the bladder. The litehawk has an additional pull dump on the right shoulder and not needed in my opinion. Another thing to go wrong and need service. The biolite has an emergency whistle on the chest strap. The side pockets on the litehawk are smaller and not sure officially they are meant to be used for weight, (everybody does though). So a bit more weight fits in the Biolite. The Biolite comes with actual pouches inside the dump pockets if you want to remove all your weights together. Personally I don't like the waistband buckle on the litehawk. I prefer the positive connection of a clickable buckle rather than the typical friction clamp as on the Litehawk. Can't remember how the tension bungee around the bladder connects on the litehawk but on the Biolite you can easily disconnect, trim, re-attach to make it a bit more snug and custom.

[@anyab.9533]

Im looking to purchase my first BCD. Pretty much all my dives will be away from home. Im almost certain, this will be my new BCD, based on your review. Can you please advise on drying time? Thank you!

[@danielfoley9364]

Minimal time to dry. Of course I don't know the humidity in your area but most BCD's are made of nylon and don't absorb much water. On our rack it is a couple hours.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Thank you all for your feedback. We truly appreciate your interest and enthusiasm. We apologize for not responding sooner, but we have been working diligently on getting our website up and running. Now that we are live at www.5280scuba.com , we will be hard at work engaging with you fine folks on KZbin and creating new content for you all to enjoy. Please keep the comments coming. We are reading them all. Thanks Again. 5280 Scuba Team

[@nigel4321]

were the 'faults' you mentioned covered by the lifetime warranty?

[@LeviathanScuba]

Yes Oceanic was quick to send replacement parts which fixed the problem

[@nigel4321]

thanks, thats good to know! loved the review BTW!

[@myatix1]

Great review thanks! :) Can you do a similar review for the Hydros Pro?

[@LeviathanScuba]

You're welcome! We are currently working on more reviews, eventually with all brands and models!

[@jacobmanning3823]

What size should I buy? I’m new to diving. I’m doing my open water course this month.

[@coralkeyscuba]

You need to go and try one on. They range like a coat from Small to XXL. With the waist strap snug and the chest strap snug you will pull the side straps down until the BC feels like it is snug but not too tight. If you have the side straps about halfway then it is a good fit. Meaning you could loosen it or tighten it if you change size or wear a different suit or drysuit. Without trying it on and I don't know you, I can't really suggest a size for you. Hope you find one, they are really a wonderful BC.

[@benbullaro576]

Great review !! Well done

[@LeviathanScuba]

Thanks Ben - Glad you liked it

[@MethosFilms]

Have u reviewed the zeagle 911? That is the oneci want to get but barely any info on it.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Hi SV Methos - we have not reviewed the Zeagle 911 as it really isn't a travel BC (like what this review of the Oceanic BioLite is). The Zeagel 911 is designed more for Public Safety Divers, so it has lots of features that a recreational diver don't want or need. If you have questions about it, feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail] and we would be glad to assist and answer any questions you may have about it.

[@kenmh7357]

Re: integrated weight system. This year in Mexico a diver lost their weight pocket in a wreck in 50 feet of water. Expensive mistake! More importantly unsafe, they started for the surface once leaving the wreck. A divemaster was able to add weight to their tank belt so they could continue dive. Fortunately a divemaster went back down and recovered it. Great for diver, but divemaster could not do next dive. I have done 9 dives to date with rental jacket style BCD's. I dislike all of the stuff plus weight. Will definitely purchase Travel BCD and get a leg pocket for stuff.

[@galanfink4028]

You lost me at 'stretchy'. One of many features I avoid when diving is elastic. It doesn't wear well in salt environments or in direct sunlight. It does sound like a great piece of equipment but I'd MUCH prefer being able to adjust for compression rather than having a deteriorating 'rubber band' to do my thinking for me.

[@LeviathanScuba]

Hey Galan, So no true elastic in this BCD. The belly band has a stretch function that incorporates silicone. So unlike rubber, it works for many many years as long as you give it the normal fresh water rinse. I have this bcd with 500 + dives on it. Colors are faded but the band is still perfect. By the way many if not most bcds today incorporate a "stretchy" function to either the band or the cumber bun feature to compensate for compression at depth. Thanks for your response. Make it a great day. Freddy

[@xbpbat21x]

Make it in red!

[@LeviathanScuba]

I wish. But Red tends to disappear underwater so not the most popular color. Hollis is the same company and they make the Hollis LTS (Basically the Biolite) in red.

[@JM-gk9vn]

Turned the volume way up to hear the fairly quiet audio in the intro, then blasted out of my seat by the loud music that erupts right after. Unlikely to watch another by the same folks.

[@coralkeyscuba]

JM, you saw one of the old ones by 5280 Scuba. That was a common complaint. All fixed now. Give it another try and you will be impressed. Award winning now and putting out a bunck of great but varied content. Thanks for the comment. Freddy