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BCDs


  • WHICH BCD IS
    RIGHT FOR YOU?

    The Commando range:
    from green water to blue

    Sport to technical, travel to heavy-duty -
    there's an AP BCD to suit the diving you intend to do.

     Jeff Parker AP ©

COMPARE COMMANDO BCDs 

Which one is right for you?

 

 

THE AP COMMANDO

The most famous jacket ever made.
Dive it to find out why.

 

 

 

The Commando was first manufactured in 1981 while the English Navy was looking for a waistcoat that would perform well even under the most extreme conditions. It has been manufactured longer than any other waistcoat in the world and continues today to gain in quality and solidity, adapting to new diving requirements and integrating the latest technologies available. What has not changed? It is the characteristics that made him famous in the first place: his resistance, his reliability and the fact that he will never let you go.

Underwater, the valves work like precision machines … »

Diver Magazine, UK




 

The Commando is the best example of a waistcoat that has been improved by divers over the years, to the perfect waistcoat … of such quality of manufacture that it is the envy of everyone of the diving “

DIVE Magazine, UK
 

 

THE AP COMMANDO EXPLORER

Dive beyond your comfort zone – in complete comfort.

 

  • For the sports diver who’s ready to push on
  • High spec for high performance
  • Made for smaller bodies & shorter back lengths

The AP Commando Explorer is a high-end BCD identical in build-quality and features spec to its famous stable-mate the AP Commando. The only difference is that the Commando Explorer has been designed to fit a smaller body frame – specifically, a shorter back length and narrower shoulders. 

Apart from this difference in cut – the AP (formerly BUDDY) Explorer is fully deserving of the Commando name and is built to the same rigorous standards in quality and performance. The Explorer is designed to  maximise comfort and allow fine-tune buoyancy control.

Unique features include the reflex comfort-fit system which lets you customise the jacket specifically to your individual body shape – with a one-time simple set-up adjustment in the position of the waistband, shoulder buckles and the backplate length.

 

 

The armchair of the diving world – you don’t wear it, it hugs you, very comfy. It has huge pockets and an excellent dump valve and inflator. The Explorer is a big, robust jacket.

Sport Diver magazine, UK

 

 
 

In taking over BCD production (from sister company AP Valves / BUDDY) – the AP Diving team didn’t have to do too much to a BCD range that has, after-all, been honed over the years through constant feedback from our user base. In the end the design team have added just a few tweaks to improve functionality.

Design modifications include replacing the heavier stainless D rings with strong but lightweight anodised aluminium ones and adding 2 extra “stand-off” 50mm D rings to the shoulders. This change was also made to both the Commando and the Tekwing. The rationale is to reduce overall weight but also, as the shoulder is a common attachment point for side-mount cylinders, to leave a D ring free at the shoulders for attachment of extra kit such as a strobe or EPIRB.

Buoyancy control and comfort is enhanced with 3 super-responsive dump/over-pressure valves, a choice of emergency breathing valve/inflators and the option of a positive-lock integrated weight system.

  • 10 lightweight aluminium 50mm D-rings – pre-bent to stand-off for easy clip-on
  • 1000 denier twin-bag construction – the toughest build-quality on the market
  • Reflex adjustment – fine-tune the fit at shoulders, waist and back
  • Easy upgrade to twinset cambands
  • Optional quick-release integrated weight pockets
  • Unique stabilising backpack cradle eliminates tank roll and caters for multiple cylinder diamaters
  • The super Cam cylinder band grips with absolute security and the tank positioning strap makes pre-dive set up easy
  • Rapid response air dump / over pressure valve at kidney and shoulder. Easy pull grips. Kidney grip floats so you can grab it when diving head down, the should grip is negatively buouyant so it is always-to-hand

 

THE AP COMMANDO ESCAPE

Beat the baggage fee blues with this sub-3kg travel BCD.
It’s lightweight, but still heavy duty.

 

 

  • Unique ultra durable but superlight material – OceanSeal 800 – keeps weight down with no loss of performance
  • APV300 low profile power inflator – designed to pack easily
  • 4 x huge zippered pockets for extra storage
  • Designed for quick & easy donning and doffing

One of the highest-spec BCDs in its class, the Commando Escape is our response to repeated requests from divers for a BCD that packs easily and travels well but doesn’t spare on performance. To solve the trade-off between quality & weight, we went for a single bladder design using a unique new material – OceanSeal 800. It’s a tough 800 denier fabric with high frequency welding and double-stitched seams. The result is a super-durable, easy-to-stow BCD that will perform with the best of them, wherever you take it in the world.

 

Press reviews

The company is on to a winner… a single-bag that retains the ruggedness of the classic BUDDY! [now renamed the AP Commando] You get just the right amount of gizmos. The backpack with carrying handle works like a dream, as do all the straps and adjustments – it’s all classic AP, but lighter… The feature we like most are the enormous pockets. The two main pockets can easily accomodate a delayed SMB, back-up torches, spare mask, small reel, goody bag and more… In the water, it did its job; on the surface it excelled, giving plenty of lift… Excellent value for money. Rating: Value: 9/10, Performance: 10/10 Overall: Top Performer 10/10

Charles Hood, DIVE Magazine TestZone, UK

 

COMPARE AP WINGS

Which one is right for you?

 

THE AP TEKWING

Choose from multiple options as you progress to technical diving. Configure your kit precisely to your needs.

 

Configurer votre équipement exactement selon vos besoins

  • Redundant buoyancy
  • Rapid release integrated weights option
  • Cargo pockets
  • Choice of Emergency breathing, buoyancy valves & mini cylinders
  • Multiple cylinder camming &/or side mounting
 

 

The AP Tekwing is the ideal BCD if you’re looking to push yourself in future dives, whether you’re a recreational air diver or moving on to technical mixed gas. It comes with a single cylinder camband which fits all cylinders up to 15 litre (8″ dia). Configuring for twinset is no problem with our twinset camband upgrade kits – available in 3 sizes.

As standard the Tekwing is built with our reflex element comfort fit system. Fine tune backpack adjustment between the sizes ensures maximum comfort and minimum strain – both on you and your kit.

The high traction cylinder cradle features double camband slots so using a twinset is no problem with our standard twinset camband kit. As standard the Tekwing is built with our reflex element comfort fit system. Fine tune backpack adjustment between the sizes ensures maximum comfort and minimum strain – both on you and your kit.

 

After the first couple of dives, using the wing became second nature, which is exactly what makes a piece of kit good.

Charles Hood, DIVE Magazine, UK

 

The Tekwing delivers the whole nine yards on features and performance.

John Bantin, Diver Magazine, UK

 

 

Integrated Weight Upgrade

The Tekwing comes with velcro-sealed trim weight pouches holding up to 3kg each. With the integrated weight upgrade you get all this in addition for maximum flexibility.

  • Mechanical Rapid Release System
  • Holds up to 5kg in each pouch, hard or soft lead
  • Positive locking with audible clicks
  • Secure weights in any position to suit you: front or back

 

Redundant buoyancy upgrade

The Tekwing provides a hefty 27.44kg of buoyancy as standard. But if you need more, upgrading is simple. The Tekwing works smoothly with our Redwing redundant buoyancy wing, which adds a further 22.5kg lift and giving you in total a massive 50kg buoyancy in total.

 

 

 

 

Using twinsets on the Tekwing

  • Easier to pack, more adjustable & lighter than steel bands
  • No tools required!

Double camband slots on the cylinder cradle let you thread the second camband in the twinset kit directly on to the backpack. (The kit consists of two cambands with cylinder spacing blocks.)

Set up like this, it’s as secure and rigid as using steel bands. The camband holds a twinset consisting of two independent cylinders (with separate first stages rather than a manifold and boot).er

 

 
 

It is evident that AP Valves have designed this jacket from the bottom up rather than following a formulaic ‘standard’ and produced exactly what you would expect from a travel wing style BC. It’s not cheap; but it will probably last you a lifetime if it’s anything like the other BCs carrying the BUDDY tag.

Charles Hood – SCUBA, the official magazine of the BSAC

THE AP TRAVELWING

Over-delivers at under 3kg…

  • Built with our own ultra-tough, ultra-light fabric OceanSeal800
  • Two sizes S/M & L/XL
  • Integrated weight pouches with Cargo pockets option

Like the ever-popular Commando Escape BCD, the AP Travelwing is made from lightweight, ultra tough materials: laminated 1000 denier Cordura on the pockets and exterior panels and welded high spec 800 denier – OceanSeal800 on the wings. It’s twice as tough as most other BCDs on the market, travel or otherwise.

The integrated weight pouches hold up to 5kg of hard or shot lead secured with a 25mm buckle and large velcro flap. The inner pouch features chunky grips for easy, secure weight handling. If you don’t get on with integrated weights, you can easily convert to cargo pockets.

Included as standard is the time-proven integrated shoulder dump which releases air at a slower rate than the other two dump valves allowing one-handed fine-tune buoyancy control. We have included an easy-to-locate floating dump valve knob at the lower rear valve. The one at the chest is made from negatively buoyant material, again, for ease of location.

 

The new wing is extremely comfortable with or without a suit, with very generous padding at shoulders, waist and back. It also features a cummerbund that is size adjustable at front and rear to perfect the fit. The waistband can be tightened with either hand from either side.

For a travel BCD you get a generous 14.5kg of lift and multiple lightweight anodised aluminium D rings 4x50mm prebent rings on the waist, 3x25mm on the shoulders and 2 x 25mm internal pocket D rings (very useful). To top off the hardware and equipment management, there’s also a hose-retaining clip.

It has a neat rubber and webbing carry-handle at the rear, a cylinder-retaining strap and a single cylinder camband, which solidly secures all single cylinder sizes up 15 litres.

All-in-all, the new Travelwing is a lightweight package that delivers the high performance, quality and comfort expected of an AP bcd.

 

 

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