I finally had the possibility to test Scubapro’s Hydros PRO BCD (second generation) over last weekend and was relatively well impressed. I have tested the man version in cold fresh water with my Scubaforce drysuit.
All in all, I have done 8 dives with the Scubapro Hydros Pro and was well impressed from the very beginning.
The Scubapro Hydros Pro is a completely revolutionary harness style BCD. It is a highly customizable backplate BCD that can be used both for local diving and for traveling. It is built with Scubapro’s monoprene material that is rugged and dries up in minutes.
The Hydros Pro BCD sophisticated manufacturing and construction stands out the very moment you the BCD in your hand.
Let’s take a look at the first impression at the surface.
1. Hydros Pro BCD: First Impressions at the surface
Upper parts of the BCD
From the very first moment you will take the Hydros Pro BCD in your hands you will realize it is a hybrid between a wing BCD and a standard BCD. You will be impressed by its relatively high weight, something you wouldn’t tell until you lift it up.
Another element that stands out is the main material of the wing. In fact, Scubapro’s monoprene looks and feels somewhat different from the cordura or nylon that you find in more standard BCD.
Starting from the left hand shoulder strap, you will notice the standard low pressure inflator, which is held by a fixed bungee as opposed to velcro straps that you find on most BCDs. The Hydros Pro BCD’s inflator hose ends with the balanced power inflator.
Both the inflator and deflator buttons are oversized, something that I have found particularly useful while diving with thick gloves.
Another nice feature of the Hydros Pro inflator hose is that it has a metal cable inside, connecting it to a dump valve. This makes it super easy to empty quickly your BCD at the beginning of a dive by pulling the inflator hose downwards.
Looking more closely at the shoulder straps, you can notice some reinforcements that are made to prevent the BCD from slipping around while diving.
On both shoulder straps you will find some pre bent stainless steel buckles that will turn useful to hang your dive torches and other accessories. There are two additional plastic buckles on the chest straps. Although you may use those to secure your emergency regulator and SPG on those, I strongly recommend not doing so.
Plastic buckles are usually less stress resistant than metal ones and using them often might simply break them.
One of the features that i really liked a lot about the Hydros Pro is that all straps are adjustable. For example the waist straps can be moved up or down based on your preferred position. In addition, almost all buckles are swiveling, so that you won’t have useless tension on your body.
Backplate and integrated weights
Looking at the backplate, you will notice a big handle, that is super useful to carry your BCD without putting too much pressure on the shoulder straps. Particularly when a scuba tank is attached to it.
The scubapro hydros pro comes with an integrated weights system. Just like everything in this BCD, the weight pockets system is highly customizable and has some buckles where you can attach a dive torch, knife of DSMB.
If you want to transform your Hydros Pro into a fully fledged lightweight fabric free harness travel BCD, you can fully remove the integrated weight systems and substitute it with the Scubapro Hydros pro light webbing.
In case you are interested in other options for travel BCDs, check out my Ultimate List of 11 Travel BCDs, with rankings by prices, weight, and lift capacity.
If you take a quick look at the Hydros Pro wing, you will notice some bungees all over it. Those will facilitate the air outflow once you use either one of the dump valves or the deflate button. At the back of the backplate, you will notice some anti slip parts that will help maintain your cylinder in place.
Lastly, another nice feature of the Scubapro Hydros Pro are the integrated trim pockets which come as a standard and are attached at the back of the wing.
I have reviewed all the features above in the men hydros pro bcd, however they are also available in the ladies’ version.
All in all, the hydros pro bcd looks quite promising at the surface. Let’s take a look at its performance underwater.
2. Hydros Pro BCD: Performance Underwater
Testing Conditions
I have done 8 dives in total with teh Hydros Pro BCD. All of them were done in cold fresh water, wearing a drysuit and a heavy undersuit. I dove in a single tank setup with a stainless steel 12 Liters cylinder, alternating it with a 10 Liters stainless steel cylinder.
Given the environmental conditions and the exposure protection I have used, I had to carry along 22 Lbs or 10 Kilos, and have therefore fully tested the Hydros Pro BCD’s weight pockets.
Adjustment and trimming of the Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD
Before entering the water I have spent some time adjusting the Scubapro Hydros Pro to the size of my drysuit and it has been amazingly easy. I can definitely confirm that the Hydros Pro was designed with dive comfort in mind.
Its ajustable fit is almost unbeatable if you compare it with standard BCDs available on the market.
Two of the elements I have appreciated the most while setting up the Hydros Pro were the ease of adjustment of the chest strap as well as the ease of removal and replacement of the weight pockets.
Water entry and descent
As soon as I have entered the water (diving from shore) I could notice how the body grip gel was preventing my BCD from moving apart from my body and slipping over my drysuit. Note that my drysuit is trilaminate which is more slippery than neoprene.
Although the Hydros Pro BCD is a backplate style BCD, I have to note that i had no difficulty in maintaining a good vertical position with the head fully outside of the water. This is due to the special design of the wing which tends to accumulate air at the level of the waist instead of the shoulders.
Upon descending, I have tried the dump valve located at the attachment point of the inflator hose. At the beginning it seemed somewhat counterintuitive to pull down on the inflator hose to deflate the BCD, but all in all extremely smooth and without problems.
Buoyancy and trim
Achieving and maintaining good buoyancy control was particularly easy. Same for trim. The design of the Hydros pro wing really makes it easy to be perfectly horizontal in the water during a dive.
In subsequent dives I have effortlessly adjusted the trim pockets to bring my trim to perfection, also in this case, the process was effortless.
To avoid having trapped air issues in my drysuit I have also slightly loosened the waist strap throughout the dives and this was particularly easy despite wearing thick dry gloves.
The strap length seemed sufficient to accommodate the size of my drysuit with heavy duty undersuit.
Performing scuba diving skills
As a scuba instructor, there are two diving skills I always like to perform while testing new BCDs. They are hovering and BCD removal and replacement. I particularly like them as they allow me to compare performance and buoyancy characteristics of BCDs, while also schecking if a BCD is a good fit for student divers.
I have tried hovering both in a horizontal and vertical (i.e. Buddah) position. Horizontal hovering is a no brainer with the Scubapro Hydros, the design of the wing really helps maintaining a still horizontal position.
When it comes to vertical or seated hovering, however, I find that the design of the Hydros Pro BCD does not help a lot. In fact, given that the wing is smaller tovards the upper part of your body, does not help you maintain a vertical straight position underwater. As we saw earlier this is however not the case while at the surface.
When it comes to the removal and replacement of the Hydros Pro BCD, I found no particular difficulties. To the contrary, I found the anti-slipping material in the shoulder straps to be particularly useful when rputting my BCD back on.
I had some difficulties due to the fact that my weight pockets were at their maximum capacity, but this is due to the fact that I was diving in a drysuit.
Ascent and swimming at the surface
I started my ascent from a depth of 10 meters and tried to dump a bit of air from my Hydros Pro BCD by using the inlator hose, the damp valve located on the right shoulder, as well as the dump valve located on the left shoulder.
I could easily remove small amounts of air bothe with the dump valve on the right shoulder and with the inflator hose. I however do not recommend using the damp valve integrated in the Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD while ascending as you cannot really regulate the air outflow.
When it comes to swimming at the surface, despite the special design of the Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD wing, i found it somewhat hard to swim with my head out of the water as the air in my BCD would slightly push me down on a flat position. This is quite normal for most of the harness style BCDs with a plastic ring backplate.
Once back on the shore, I have left my BCD out in the sun for less than 10 minutes and it was almost entirely dry. The only exception were the weight pockets in the weights system, but this is quite common with most weight pockets.
3. Hydros Pro BCD: Features and Specs
Let’s take a quick look at some of the Specs and Features of the Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD.
Hydros Pro Features
- Ultra Durable: The Hydros Pro BCD is super resistant thanks to the minimal use of fabric. The few amounts of fabric used are made of Scubapro’s Patented Monoprene, which is resistant to UV-rays, and abrasion. In addition, there is no velcro nor zippers used in this BCD. Both Velcros and Zippers are some of the most common points of failure in scuba equipment.
- Dries Crazy Fast: This is thanks to the minumal use of fabric, and to the special properties of the monoprene. It took mine less than 10 minutes to dry in a cold environment, meaning that on a diving holiday in a tropical environment this would reduce to a couple of minutes.
- Modular Design: The Scubapro Hydros Pro is fully customizable and adjustable, also thanks to its 3D ergonomic design. This means that it will fit to virtually every body shape, and that in case of failure it can easily and quickly be repaired.
- Neutrally Buoyant: The BCD is almost neutrally buoyant, meaning that you will need to carry less weights than on a standard BCD.
- Body Grip Gel: Placed on different parts of the BCD, from the straps to the back of the backplate. It prevents the BCD from slipping around while diving and helps the scuba cylinder to be firm in place. Prevents BCD from shifting and riding up.
- Dual-Compound Back Plate: Improves the overall comfort of the BCD as it has a soft outer layer. The single tank band system allows for quicker assembly assembly.
- Articulated Shoulder Straps: Allow straps to adjust to your body and shoulders shape to maintain a snug fit.
- Smart-Pack Design: If you remove the weight system, the Scubapro Hydros Pro can virtually be entirely folded onto the backplate, making it extremely comfortable to carry in your diving trips.
Scubapro Hydros Pro Specs
The Hydros Pro is a back inflated BCD, with a lift capacity of 40.5 Lbs or 18.3 Kg.
It is a fully integrated weight BCD. The weight system is fully removable for greater streamlining.
The Scubapro Hydros Pro has two cargo pockets (add-ons) and 4 stainless steel D-Rings. Two are located on the shoulder straps, and two on the waist strap. There are several other attachment points, for example on the weights system, on the chest buckles, but they are plastic rings and I do not suggest to use them frequently.
The BCD is quite heavy in its full set up as it weights 11.5 Lbs or 5.22 Kg. Despite being quite heavy, it is neutrally buoyant.
The Scubapro Hydros Pro is customizable also in terms of colors as you can change the color pads located on the integrated weight system. The standard version comes in Black, but you can separately purchase Blue, Purple, Orange, White, Yellow, or Turquoise colour kits.
Some accessories such as the Dive Knife and Accessory Plate kit, cargo pockets, or Ninja pockets can be purchased directly on the Scubapro dive shop.
Scubapro Hydros Pro Available Sizes
The Scubapro Hydros pro comes in three sizes for Ladies (XS-S, M, and L) and four sizes for Men (S, M, L, XL-2XL).
Given that it is highly customizable, I think that each size range can accomodate differet types of body shape.
4. Overall Performance and Evaluation
The Hydros Pro is definitely a breakthrough innovation when it comes to scuba BCDs. It is highly customizable, rugged and its innovative materials make it perfectly fit either for cold water diving or for more exotic scuba destinations.
Its ease of adjustment and donning make it particularly useful is you are switching often from wetsuit to drysuit. Needless to say, it is also a very comfortable bcd.
Although it is relatively heavy, once the weight system is removed, the BCD is fully foldable into the wing, making it a perfect companion for your scuba holidays (check out my dedicated post if you are looking for a travel BCD).
I would recommend it both for beginner divers to the more expert divers, including dive instructors. It is however not a perfect fit for technical diving due to the many customization opportunities which in my opinion can create quite some failure points in case of challenging dives.
The BCD can accomodate scuba cylinders up to 18 Liters capacity, making it the perfect choice both for short and for long dives.
The Scubapro Hydros Pro is availabe on Scuba.com and DiverightInScuba.com.
Hydros Pro BCD FAQs
What is the difference between the Hydros PRO Men and Ladies Version?
The Ladies’ version has a different curvature in the articulated shoulder straps making it more comfortable. There are also some differences in the length of the inflator hose (shorter in teh Ladies version), and in the wing bladder (slightly lower capacity in the Ladies version).
Is the Hydros PRO a good BCD for traveling?
Yes, its shoulder and waist straps perfectly fold into the wing, creating a super compact package for easy transport and storage. To optimize the size, you should remove the weight system.
Is the Hydros PRO a good BCD for beginner divers?
The Hydros Pro is a good BCD for beginners. The many customization possibilities make it adaptable to different diving environments. However it is always good to seek your instructor’s advice before purchasing your first BCD. Some diving agencies are quite prescriptive on equipment requirements, and the Hydros Pro might not be accepted.
How often should the Hydros PRO be serviced?
Scubapro recommends to have the BCD serviced at least once a year or more in case of frequent diving.
Can you mount a double cylinder set on the Hydros Pro BCD?
No, you cannot mount a dual tank setup with this BCD. The BCD comes with a single tank band system as a standard.
Is the Hydros Pro Good fot tech diving?
No. Besides the fact that you cannot mount double scuba cylinders, the many customization and donning possibilities create some possible failure points. Although remote, such failure points are unwarranted in tech diving.
WHat is the difference between Scubapro’s Monoprene and Cordura Nylon?
Scubapro’s monoprene is neutrally buoyant, UV-resistant and quick drying, making the Hydros Pro BCD particularly resistant to wear and tear. The quick drying properties make it ideal for traveling.
How much weight can the Scubapro Hydros Pro Accomodate?
According to the Users Manual, the front weight pouches are designed to accommodate 9Lbs each and the trim pockets 4.5Lbs each. The total amount of weight is therefore 27 Lbs.
Is There A Difference In The Backplate Length Of A Medium And Large Hydros Pro?
There is no difference in size among the backplates in a Large and Medium Hydros Pro.