Mares Bolt SLS BCD Small

2022-04-28T08:15:56

Great BCD. Extremely well built, mid-weight and very ergonomic. Purchased L and I'm 6'1 215. Removable front weights extremely easy to remove and it has rear weight pouches to assist in trimming.

ROBERT S.

2021-12-02T08:21:43

As shown. Great bcd

heath m.

2021-11-01T10:51:37

I love Mares products! Especially their BCDs...Its my second Mares back inflation; the first being an older model from 2001 ( which still functions perfectly )..Leisure Pro has the best prices online and the fastest delivery...no need to shop anywhere else.

Lawrence H.

2021-01-07T09:04:45

Great BC. Fit perfect and used it on a live aboard for 25 times so far. Very satisfied

DOUGLAS B.

2020-11-28T05:27:06

Back pad Velcro ripped off after only 15 dives. The trim pocket bottom ripped out by dive 20.

Eric U.

2019-05-07T08:09:36

Have used this BCD for around 50 dives. The weight pockets are very rigid and much bulkier than they need to be. The back pad stitching ripped after about 30 dives. The back inflate is nice, but there are more streamlined BCDs out there.

Christopher G.

2018-05-04T10:57:21

I bought the Bolt in February for a dive trip to Roatan in March 2018. Like any other piece of new equipment the was the initial adjustment stage, I had never dived a back inflate before. Did 10 dives with the Bolt, it took the first 2 dives to get adjusted. After that no problems. As far as the problem of pushing forward on the surface I found that only inflating 1/2 full took care of that. I didn't experience any problems with deflating, just pulling on the inflator hose was generally enough with a slight downward position of my legs or rolling slightly over on my right side to get the exhaust valve to a higher position helped as well. Overall a very nice BC to dive, highly recommended.

Steve M.

2017-11-19T10:53:29

I used this BCD in 22 dives, cold and warm water. The design of the BCD forces you to have an almost vertical position while diving. You need to put most of the weight in the front, in order to obtain a proper trim. The SLS system can be tricky, because it can be released with a minimum of effort, and you can lose the entire pocket. It's difficult to release the air while diving, because you need to be in vertical position to do it.

Emanuel J.

2017-10-18T12:57:39

This BCD is very good. However it takes getting used to a more upright vertical body position required for the air release valve to work properly when the BCD. I have not experienced this issue with other standard jacket type BCDs. I weigh 165 lb (~75 Kg) use 1.5 Kg trim weights on each of the back trim pockets with 1 Kg each in the front slide off pockets for a total of 5 Kg, in a 3mm shorty wetsuit. That makes me very horizontal under water...

L M.

2017-10-09T20:00:00

This is a replacement for multiple ancient BCs (one travel and one jacket) without integrated weight systems. I have taken this out on two lake dives already and am pretty pleased with it. This was my first back inflate BC and the first thing I noticed was the abundance of D rings. The Stainless steel D rings have a slight outward cant to them allowing for easy attaching of items. There are plenty of areas to hang things from the BC but no easily accessible pocks (it does have one rolled up goodie pocket on the right side which would be good for the small treasures you find but its difficult to access). Both shoulder straps are adjustable and have quick release mechanisms. The sternum strap is adjustable for sizing and has a built in whistle but does not adjust for height. The BC inflates well and provides plenty of lift. Unlike jacket style BCs fully inflating this does not squeeze you uncomfortably which means less adjustment at the surface. put it on, snug it up and go diving. The oral inflator works easily but the mouthpiece has an approximate 45¬? cant to it which forces me to bend the inflation hose to the point of kinking it in order to fill the BC manually. The tank strapping mechanism is solid and secures the tank well. The top collar loop stays adjusted and does not work itself loose. This is a big plus for consistently mounting your tank at the right height. The plastic internal frame has lumbar support which is very nice and the plastic grab handle at the top of the frame is thick enough that it allows for a good grip without hand fatigue or feeling it will snap when carrying a fully loaded rig. As for buoyancy, I find it to be neutral. With a full AL80 tank I dive with 2 pounds in the trim pockets to account for me and thats it. The integrated weight system is well identified and during testing I found ditching weight with the SLS system works perfectly - not too hard and not too easy to pull out. The SLS locking system indicator is easily seen and shows green if locked. Note that there is no dumping of the trim pockets. Would I buy this again? Probably. Dive gear is personal, do your research and test it out if you can. If the oral inflator was at 90¬? and it had a more accessible pocket I would have given it a 5.

JoeS

2017-08-15T08:53:48

Great product and very comfortable. I have only gone on two dives so far but very pleased with it

Reagan L.

2017-06-25T09:46:27

Had some issues with the tank coming lose when I entered the water, but wasn't a huge deal and I am still very happy with my purchase.

Tabor T.

2017-05-05T16:32:23

Works great is light and I have had zero problems with the unit.

Nick D.