Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD Review – Is This BCD Any Good?

cressi-aquaride-blue-pro-bcd-front-viewProduct: Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD Review

Type: Semi-Classic Structured BCD
Cheapest Place to Buy – USA: amazon.com
Colours: Black with blue material on D-rings
Weight: Depends on the size (7lbs – 8.3lb / 3.2kg – 3.8kg)
Sizes: X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Owner’s Manual: Yes
Warranty: Limited 1 Year

My Rating: 4.3 out of 5

The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD Overview


Investing in your best BCD means you made that important decision to trust in it’s reliability to keep you safe when diving.

In addition to it being your life support underwater, it needs to do everything you want it to do to maintain your neutral buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy at the surface of the water.

Have you ever had the experience of doing a face plant just after you ended your dive at the surface? You just discovered the BCD you’re wearing is not a jacket style!

This Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD Review will reveal how well it performs, its pros and cons, what customers who purchased this had to say and where to go to get the best price.

After you have finished reading this review, you should have a pretty good idea of whether this Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD actually suits your needs.

The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro Review


cressi-aquaride-blue-pro-bcd-back-viewcressi-aquaride-blue-pro-bcd-top-viewCressi was founded in 1946 in Genoa, Italy. Known as one of the largest water sports equipment manufacturer in the world, from scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, freediving and spearfishing, they are technology innovated.

On their Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD, Cressi and their affiliates claim to offer you the following features as described below:

1) Supposed to help you maintain neutral buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy at the surface.

2) Integrated weights in its own pockets are supposed to be secured by strong and durable zipper.  They’re supposed to hold 10 lbs (4.5kg) in each pocket on each side of the BCD. Comes with Cressi’s Flat Lock Aid System to prevent these pockets from falling out.

3) Ability to quickly and easily release the pockets with the weights in case of an emergency.

4) Shoulder straps that are adjustable. These straps will not hinder the air cells in the bladder. It’s supposed to give you a more comfortable fitting as well as additional tank securement.

5) Anatomical control system to control buoyancy. Inflating and deflating is supposed to be easier for you. Also has low pressure quick disconnect hose. Has low pressure inflator hose.

6) Manufactured out of 420 denier nylon. I researched this out and it’s 100% nylon which contains urethane back water resistant fabric. This is supposed to be tough fabric and harder to puncture.  If you’re a dive professional, it’s supposed to stand up to your daily usage.

7) BCD serves as dual purpose. Supposed to be great for you in warm water (compact and light) as well as handle cold water diving with dry suit and allow you to move around with it on.

8) They claim a diver of any level can use this BCD.

9) Hard backpack that’s supposed to be super light wth lots of padding to make it feel comfortable for you.

10) Supposed to easy to put on and take off because of it’s side release buckles. Easy to release because you only have to squeeze them to release the buckles. The straps are all located at the sternum, torso and waist are all adjustable.

11) Elastic cummerbund is supposed to make this a more comfortable fit.

12) Air bladder apparently has lift capacity of 18lbs – 42.7lbs (8.2kg – 19.4kg) based on size.

13) 2 Non-releasable weight trim pockets located at the back at bordering both sides of the tank. Weight capacity of 8lbs (3.6kg) to give you better buoyancy.

14) 3 pull dump valves that can be used no matter what position you’re in supposedly. There are 2 over-pressure relief values at the shoulder and 1 cable activated pull dump valve located behind the waist.

15) They say it has large pockets on each side that can be zippered for you to store dive accessories.

16) 6 D-rings made from stainless steel to hang whatever item you want. T

17) Oral inflator. In case of inflator malfunction, you can apparently blow in this to put air into the bladder.

18) Cressi’s power inflator. At the push of a button, it allegedly pushes air into the bladder.

19) Warranty. 1 Year Limited 

Wow… this certainly looks like a lot of technical design went into this Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD and it sounds really impressive right?

However, the real question is does the Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD actually work the way it’s been advertised?

What Other Customer Purchasers Had To Say!


 I have not purchased the Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD but I am looking at a newer BCD for myself soon. I started doing various researches on BCDs awhile back and wanted to share with you my findings on this BCD in hopes of helping you too!

The rest of this review is devoted to what other customer purchasers have experienced with wearing this product.

9 Total Reviews on Amazon which include customers who also purchased a Cressi regulator as a set (Out of 5 Stars)

7 people gave 5 Stars

1 person gave 4 Stars

1 person gave 1 Star

14 Total Reviews on Leisure Pro (Out of 5 Stars)

13 people gave 5 Stars

1 person gave 1 Star

The Pros

Verified Customer Purchaser Reviews from Amazon and Leisure Pro. This is what they say.

1) Looks good.

2) Great fit and generous. Felt it was comfortable to extremely comfortable. Love the feel. More comfortable than a back inflate BCD style.

3) Lots of attachment points.

4) Built in weight system is fantastic! Easy to secure the weights.

5) Highly recommend to friends and family.

6) BCD is rugged and very dependable. BCD is well thought out and well made. It’s tough. Was out in rocky and held up very well… rugged.

7) Great price for a very nice product, perfect product. Very good BCD. Excellent BCD. Couldn’t be happier.

8) Weight pockets are trim.

9) Like the large pockets so they can store dive accessories like dive light and safety sausage.

10) Lots of D-rings.

11) No issues on neutral buoyancy. Easy to stay neutral underwater, buoyancy capability is excellent. At the surface, you float well.

12) Adjustments work well. Extremely easy to get in the BCD.

13) Says BCD really performs well and ‘worked as advertised’.

14) Diver says he would definitely purchase this BCD again.

15) Son wanted to get into scuba diving after he tried it while on vacation. He knew dive gear can be very pricey, he did some research and found good reviews on this. He found this product on Amazon for a ‘great price’ and jumped on it. They inspected and found quality to be ‘top notch’.

16) Five Stars. A++++++++

17) It was a great choice for his first BCD.

18) Diver said he purchased as a result of all the good reviews and was not disappointed. This diver also said he recommends to anyone who like this style of BCD.

19) It’s a great travel BCD and that it’s a keeper.

20) Loves the idea of being able to clip accessories.

21) Diver who was renting BCD before, said this one is a huge step up.

22) The BCD provides total function.

23) Used in cold water and ocean.

24) Great jacket style with full features.

25) Diver likes how he can control his BCD. Says he can lean forward, backward, be vertical and never felt he was forced into one direction or the other.  Said he found the inflator really nice and when pushing on the button it would give bursts of air that were really quick and sharp. He even said he received compliments on the BCD from other divers.

26) 2 thumbs up for the 5 Stars.

27) Diver said after being certified, he was renting dive gear from different dive shops to try out different ones and get a feel for them, he purchased this BCD because it was his favourite one out of the ones he rented. Said it doesn’t ride up and looks rugged.

The Cons  

1) Diver says it’s advertised as travel BCD and says it’s more mid weight compared to other jacket style BCDs but can fold very flat.. He does state however, he was able to reduce his weights by 2 lbs.

Also said the mouthpiece on the oral inflator was very small and hard and had difficulties sealing his lips to blow air into it. Says the procedure may not be possible if your lips are numb. He is looking for a rubber mouthpiece.

2) Daughter said it was dangerous. She purchased for her Mom as a gift and after doing 2 days of diving, the BCD pocket fell apart.

Summary


9 Total Reviews on Amazon which includes customers who also purchased regulator as a set   (Out of 5 Stars)

7 people gave 5 Stars

1 person gave 4 Stars

1 person gave 1 Star

14 Total Reviews on Leisure Pro (Out of 5 Stars)

13 people gave 5 Stars

1 person gave 1 Star

My Personal Opinion

I’m giving the Cresssi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD 4.3 out of 5 Stars!

Reasons:

Cons 1) Looking at Cressi’s site, they consider this BCD a ‘semi-structured BCD’. I look this as falling between jacket style BCD and a travel style BCD.

Jacket style BCDs weigh more than the typical travel BCDs. For example, this BCD weights anywhere from 7 – 8.3 lbs depending on the size, while a travel BCD will weigh usually under 5 lbs. The pockets on this BCD is larger than a travel BCD and yet this BCD will fold up nicely into your suitcase much like a travel BCD.

I’m not deducting any points on this one.

Con 2) The mouthpiece on the oral inflator being too small is definitely a concern and especially if you’re diving in cold water and your lips feel numb.

For this, I deduct .3 points. (About the mouthpiece being too hard… well, I’ve never tried rubber mouthpiece before.)

Con 3) The BCD pocket fell apart. I don’t know if this BCD was returned and I also don’t know if the purchaser was talking about one of the large pockets that hold dive accessories or whether it was a pocket that holds weight. I’m suspecting this person was talking about a pocket holding weights and in this case, yes, this could be dangerous as the diver could have an uncontrolled ascent to the surfacing which could result in decompression sickness.

Either way, I would have to consider this a manufacturer deficiency and for that I deduct .4 points.

So, my total number of stars I give is 4.3 out of 5 Stars taking into consideration the massive number of positive customer purchasers feedbacks.

If you’re looking for a BCD that’s like a jacket style and a travel style BCD that’s rigid, will give you that desired neutral buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy at the surface, the Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD can do a lot for you whether you’re in warm or cold water.

I’ve done a bit of research on where to purchase this BCD and so far the best place to buy this is Amazon because of the FREE shipping on eligible orders.

CLICK HERE To Take Advantage of Amazon’s FREE Shipping (eligible orders) On The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD!

I hope this review helped you and if you have any question or comments please put them in the comment box below. If you have this BCD, I really would like to hear your experiences.

16 thoughts on “Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD Review – Is This BCD Any Good?”

  1. Ugh this BCD is to die for! Cressi always comes through with quality devices to ensure we float, descend and ascend safely! I love how this particular BCD comes with extra padding and rings for item attachment so I remain comfortable and can carry things I need with me without them getting cluttered!

    I would totally be interested in a cheaper alternative, maybe a product directed at those just getting into diving!

    Reply
    • Hi, thank you for your comment!

      Yes, Cressi has some very cool technical designs incorporated in this BCD with safety and comfort always in mind for the divers. Enough room to put a safety sausage in a pocket. The Cress Aquaride Blue Pro BCD is also a perfect BCD for beginner divers as well.

      Great idea… I’ll certainly do some research and do a review on a BCD for new divers with a lessor price tag with good quality.

      There are lots of BCDs much less than this Cressi but the quality and durability may not be the best… people just need to be aware of this.

      Reply
  2. Hi Monica
    You post was really helpful. It is amazing to me how equipment has moved on so much. I guess it is to be expected but I still remember the old days. I started diving in 1979! I thought you own story was an inspiration and when I come to make my next purchases I will come to your site for some advice and guidance. Thank you Positively Keith

    Reply
    • Hi Keith,

      Thank you for your comment! Yes, much as changed in the technical design of BCDs… I remember years ago too when BCDs were bulky and wearing weight belt … now, it’s so easy to be streamlined…

      I look forward to hearing from you! My next post is on regulators…

      Reply
  3. Amazing stuff here and this is my first time saw diving equipment online. This is very convenience for me to make the comparison and study out more to buy the best one for myself.

    Since last year when I started to travel and subscribe for my first diving and fall in love in diving thereafter.

    I am thinking to take up a course and once completed I might buy this pro-BCD.

    At the moment I will bookmark until finish up my training course.

    Thanks for letting me know. I wish to see more great stuff during next visit.

    Reply
    • Hi Max,

      Thank you for your comment! I’m glad the information was helpful and I appreciate you bookmarking this.

      That’s pretty exciting to hear you’re thinking of taking a dive course… you might want to check this post…http://joyofscubadiving.com/best-scuba-diving-tips . This post will give you all kinds of helpful tips to think of before you take the dive course.

      Let me know if you have any questions after you read it.

      Regards,

      Monica

      Reply
  4. Hi Monica,

    Great review, I loved the reading!
    My son is going to take a scuba diving course this summer, and he needs some good equipment. As I don’t have any knowledge in scuba diving, I am a bit confused about the BCD. Is it a life jacket? Or a bag? Sorry for this question but I have read the article and looked on Amazon, but it still unclear to me:(
    Also, I saw there are diving courses on your website, but I don’t see a link to subscribe to a course. Are these articles to educate readers? I really need to know as we “the whole family,” plan to do a scuba diving course next year, somewhere in the Bahamas.
    Thank you very much in advance!

    Reply
    • Hi Daniella,

      Thank you for your comment and for your great questions!

      A BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) is not considered a life jacket. It’s not a bag. When I mentioned ‘jacket style’, it’s the style of the BCD. This style is much easier for a diver (especially new divers or novice divers) to establish positive buoyancy at the surface of the water because the air in the ‘jacket’ goes in the front, sides and back. It will keep the diver in a vertical position at the surface. When the diver is underwater, the diver can push an inflator button or a deflator button both of which are part of the BCD. This helps the diver control his/her buoyancy underwater.. so air can be put in or taken out. To make all this work though, you will need a regulator… I’m just writing that now…so the BCD is attached to the regulator which is attached to the air tank.

      In regards to diving courses, you can read http://joyofscubadiving.com/what-you-need-to-know-…. It has really good information I hope will be helpful for you and your family. If you go on PADI’s site and click into their eLearning you can all learn the theory of diving online instead of studying from a manual. You’ll all be given quizzes and a final exam which you do online. The eLearning is good for 1 year. The nice part, you can do this in your own time at home, etc…

      When you’re done the eLearning, you will need to do your training in confined water with a professional dive instructor and do 4 open water dives. For this, you can find a dive shop for the location you want to go vacation thru PADI’s site or finish it off with your local dive shop…

      Yes, my articles are to educate readers who are interested in learning to scuba dive and to the novice divers.

      Thanks again for your great questions! If you need clarification on anything, please let me know… or other questions!

      Regards,

      Monica

      Reply
  5. Scuba diving really wasn’t an interest for me until about 2 months ago when my dad told me about his experience with it in Barbados.

    Now, I’m just looking for some more information on it and the best gear to get for it.

    Your reviews are helping me a lot with this and I think I might just look a little bit further into this now.This Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro sounds like the right one for me.

    Thanks!

    Jack

    Reply
    • Hi Jack,

      Thank you for your great comment! That’s wonderful news.. I’m glad to help. The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro is an excellent BCD for new divers and experienced divers. 

      Regards,

      Monica

      Reply
  6. Hi Monica!

    I just got certified in scuba diving and this BCD looks really amazing to me! I like that its technical design is high end and suitable for divers of any level makes it very interesting for me. It even has the integrated weight system I’ve been looking for.

    Thanks for the thorough review, I’ll take a closer look at this little guy, since it seems to be something along the line of what I’m looking for. I’ll get back to you if I have any questions!

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Hi Israel, thanks for reading my post and I’m glad I was able to help. Congrats on your Open Water Dive Certification! The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro would be absolutely perfect for you and having the integrated weight system is very convenient and easy to use. It’s a great BCD for new and novice divers and for the very experienced divers. I’m here for you if you have any questions.

      Regards,

      Monica

      Reply
  7. This is great. The first time i went scuba diving was on a cruise, and i just completely fell in love with it. Now I go almost like every other week. It’s just so relaxing. But i have been looking for some new scuba diving gear, since mine is old and worn out. This was exactly what i have been looking for. How durable is it and does it come with an warranty? Great review.

    Reply
    • Hi Garrett,

      Thank you for your wonderful comment and great question. That’s wonderful that you love diving so much.. I’m like you where diving is my passion except I don’t go as often as you do because of my location. 

      The Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro BCD is made out of 420 Denari Nylon and so it’s very durable and abrasion resistance. It comes with a 12 month limited warranty meaning the warranty is limited to just the specified parts, certain types of defects, or other conditions. The warranty is standard for pretty much all BCDs, including wetsuits too. I’ve seen dive instructors wear this because it lasts for many years and they do lots of diving.

      If you like, just click down at the bottom to get Amazon’s FREE Shipping. You won’t regret having this BCD. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

      Kind Regards,

      Monica

      Reply
  8. This was a great article on the Cressi Aquaride Blue Pro. I am definitely just a beginner scuba diver. I am not familiar with the equipment other than what we rent at resorts lol and I’m definitely looking at owning my own gear. This article was very informative and I would love to learn a whole lot more. I will definitely be a returning reader and I will share this with all my friends. Thanks!

    -Shawn

    Reply
    • Hey Shawn, thank you for your great comment! I’m glad I was able to help and I look forward to seeing you back and thanks for sharing this article to your friends.

      Regards,

      Monica

      Reply

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