Guardian BCD - Any Good?

[BLACK MAGIC]

Northern divers are selling BC,s from £175
( can,t you tell i,m new !! )

Is this worth buying?

Constructed from 840 denier Cordura, the Guardian range of BCDs are extremely strong with especially good abrasion resistance. The treated polyurethane inner lining inhibits the growth of bacteria and mold.
“Surprisingly, considering it was the lowest costing jacket of the 13 reviewed, the Guardian from Northern Diver came out with the highest marks” - Dive magazine, March 2003

12 HIGH TENSILE D-RINGS

MOULDED BACKPACK

2 VELCRO LOCK EXPANDING BELLOWS POCKETS

FULLY ADJUSTABLE VELCRO CUMMERBUND

QUICK-RELEASE SHOULDERS

QUICK-DUMP ON CONVOLUTED INFLATOR HOSE

POWER INFLATOR & HAMMER-HEAD AIR-HORN

2ND AUTO/MANUAL DUMP VALVE POSITION

PORT AND POUCH FOR EMERGENCY CYLINDER

OPTIONAL EMERGENCY CYLINDER & VALVE

RRP £225.00
Now £175
            Size X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large

[Dominic]

Sounds like they've tried to clone the Buddy jackets: Same two-layer build, same anti-bacterial lining, same crack-bottle option...

On the minus side, they're a lower denier than Buddy's (840 compared to 1100) but on the plus, they're a good £100 cheaper.. unless you count the Buddy Tekwing.

Ndiver as a company have a mixed reputation - some people wouldn't use them if they were the last company on earth, some people swear by them.

If money were no object, I'd recommend the Buddy TD range over this one - the company has a more consistent good reputation. If money IS a consideration, this looks a pretty good choice.

But if money is REALLY a consideration, Buddy wings are cheaper than this jacket, and you may have heard one or two of us raving about wings on this board

[Sam]

This was the first BCD that I bought and I was actually really pleased with it.  It was comfortable and stable to use with plenty of D rings for attaching kit onto.  I would probably still be using it now if someone hadnt offered me a really good deal on twins and a wing.  I used it for about 30 dives and still looks brand new.

I'm possibily going to sell it for around about £150 if you are interested - size is large.  Price includes the emergency bottle.

I'm going to be at Capernwray on Sunday if you happen to be passing and would like to have a look/try.

[JohnD]

<font color='#F52887'>Hi, my girlfriend has one, it is called the Guardian. there is a weight integrated version and that is the version she has (it is £10 more) she has completed 15 dives in it and in my opinion &nbsp;it is a good inexpensive beginners BCD. One of the weight pockets had a split but ND repaired it very quickly. It wouldnt stand up to serious diving but it is a good starting point if you are short of cash, I bought her a neoprene drysuit too, she used a set of my Regs, then with all the other kit to buy to begin diving it gets a little expensive. next year she will probably get a wing so until then the Guardian will suffice.