Bonnie J. Cardone

I've seen a lot of BCs in my day but the Recon, from Genesis Scuba, has got to be one of the sturdiest. It's a true tech BC, not a wanna-be, but rather one carefully constructed of high quality materials with great attention to detail.

The Recon is a weight integrated back inflation unit with an air cell made of super tough 1050 denier ballistic nylon, available with either 45 or 75 pounds of lift. Two retracting cords on each side keep the air cell streamlined; its replaceable internal bladder is urethane coated 420 denier nylon. There's a dump valve on the bottom right side of the front, where it's very easy to find.

The Recon's Thermo-form shoulders are bolted to the back of the BC. Each shoulder has two stainless steel D-rings for accessories; five more can be found on the bottom of the cummerbund. All of the D-rings are securely attached. Two sets of grommets at the top of the shoulders, along with nylon webbing straps with quick-release buckles at the bottom, allow a custom fit. The nylon webbing sternum strap with quick-release buckle is also adjustable.

The cummerbund contains a releasable pocket on both sides, each of which can hold up to 15 pounds of weight. Two smaller pockets on the side of the BC hold five pounds of nonreleasable weight each. The cummerbund is bolted to the back of the BC and its length depends upon which set of grommets is used. The extra wide cummerbund closes with a touch-fastener strip and there's a nylon webbing strap with quick-release buckle for extra security. On the front of the cummerbund is a foldout pocket of 1050 denier nylon/nylon mesh with a snap hook inside. The pocket can be opened quickly by pulling on the small stainless steel D-ring. Female fittings on the bottom of the BC and above the right releasable weight pocket accommodate Genesis' optional QuickClip system, which controls gauges and octopus.

The backpack of the Recon has two dual cam-lock nylon webbing tank straps, which thread through the back of the BC. The tank locator strap is adjustable.

The Recon power inflator hose is attached to the left shoulder with a rapid exhaust dump valve. To release air, just pull down on the power inflator.

Besides the QuickClip system, optional accessories for the Recon include a Pro Kit, which includes retractors for a flashlight and the gauge console; a flashlight with halogen bulb and four AA batteries that attaches to the right shoulder; an Akona SideKick 2 stainless steel, blunt tip knife that attaches to the cummerbund; and an installation tool. You can also get a tech kit, which includes a stainless steel backplate for twin tank mounting and a single tank adapter/pony tank mount. There is also an adjustable under body strap, a spare hardware kit and a cummerbund extender kit. The 45 and 75 pound lift air cells are interchangeable and can be purchased separately.

The Recon comes in black only in extra small/small, medium, large and extra large/extra extra large. For more information on the Recon BC check the web site at www.genesisscuba.com.