3 New Jacket-Style Scuba Diving BCs

The Liberator may look cheap, but it lacks nothing in regards to performance. This jacket is extremely comfortable given its modest padding and is snug and supportive even while remaining almost neutral in the water and so lightweight that it almost doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a BC at all. The large pockets are easy to access and there are plenty of plastic D-rings to go around. The inflator controls are smooth and precise, allowing for good buoyancy and ascent control. This budget BC also packs a feature you won’t find on the competition — a two-position cam-lock with a half-stop that makes it super easy to set up the BC and adjust the tank band.

The Prestige is a very comfortable BC that holds the tank securely with no rolling or pitching. The low-cut air cell keeps you sitting pretty on the surface, but maintains a stable attitude underwater and allows you to easily switch between horizontal and vertical positions. The dump-valves operate flawlessly and the inflator is responsive with nicely textured buttons. The slide-and-lock weights use a two-step process to secure the weight pockets and a color-changing indicator to let you know when they’re locked in place. It may take a few times to get used to loading the weights, but it does save a ton of effort once you get that hang of it.

The Carbon manages to be very comfortable and supportive in the water without being positively buoyant. It has a large range of adjustability — we’ve used the same BC while wearing a swimsuit, wetsuit and drysuit with no complaints on the fit. The jacket is stable in the water and allows you to float in most orientations without much effort. It features eight metal D-rings, an octo and gauge pocket, and two zippered cargo pockets. The pockets are a decent size, but the zip-to-rear design can make them difficult to access. The weight pockets are secure, but lock and release easily and fluidly. Comfortable and secure, the Carbon is one solidly designed BC.