We needed as objective a way as possible to determine how well a BCD performed underwater, and decided to use Buoyancy Training Systems Incorporated's Diamond Reef hover stations. These are floating diamond shapes with a weight at the bottom corner which goes on the sea bed. The diver then swims through the diamond shape. The objective is not to touch the diamond in any way. Late in the week after all the team had had plenty of time to become used to the Accords we sank two of BTSI's Diamonds on a couple of sand spits and asked the divers to perform specific skills.

To assess stability we asked each diver to swim midway into the diamond and hover with minimal hand or fin movement. Underwater, divers usually spend most of the dive prone. Using hands or feet to remain stable may mean that the diver is having to fight the buoyancy characteristics of the BCD - in other words having to compensate for poor design. This is uncomfortable, distracting and burns air.

We conducted the tests at 10m so that testers had to inject a reasonable quantity of air into their jackets to offset suit compression. We had already found that the jackets remained stable at greater depths when much more air had to be used. On a poorly built or undersized jacket air may flow away from the channels either side of the cylinder that help keep a diver horizontal and, instead, into the frontal lobes. The frontal lobes provide lift and stability at the surface and air trapped here can upset the submerged divers balance.

For this important test scores were one Excellent, two Goods and one Adequate.

We also asked our divers to hover upright, to represent an ascent or safety stop, and head down, simulating a head-first descent or looking under a ledge.

On the upright hover the scores were two Goods and two Excellents, and on the head-down hover two Poors and two Goods.

Controls

The Accord is fitted with a generic direct feed and oral inflator. Some divers like to be able to reach both controls simultaneously for routine buoyancy control and also for rescue lifts, so it is important that the controls can be used singlehanded and also that the press buttons do not require excessive force to operate. The inflator earned one Excellent and three Goods.

Pockets

There are two pockets on the Accord. These are closed with zippers which have useful pull-tabs on them. Gussets behind the pockets provide space to store consoles or rescue tubes. There are also four dedicated D rings for clipping on accessories as well as the two D rings on the shoulder straps. Rescue An important part of our testing is to determine how fast a diver can jettison his own or his buddy's scuba set in an emergency. The Accord harness is made up of two fastex-released adjustable shoulder straps, one fastex-released waist strap and a touch-fastener-closed cummerbund. Both jettisoning the Accord and removing it from another diver takes between six and seven seconds.

TEST TEAM COMMENTS

Keith Walter, BSAC Dive Leader and the most experienced diver on the Accord test team: 'Very comfortable. I would have preferred a longer inflation hose to aid finding controls'. Keith completed all testing despite an injured back and has since bought an Accord.

Sonja Jansma, PADI Advanced: 'I found the inflator hose a little too long to find the control easily. The first time I tried the Accord it didn't feel very comfortable. In the water it performed well, but is not as stable as my own BCD on the surface.'

Alexandra Logan, a PADI Rescue Diver who normally uses rental gear considered the Accord 'the best I've ever tried' during underwater stability tests.

Test team score

INSTRUCTIONS 70%
ASSEMBLY 90%
COMFORT 80%
SURFACE FLOTATION 65%
U/W FLOTATION 75%
CONTROLS 85%
OVERALL SCORE 77.5%

TEST TRIP Dive International chartered the MY Coral Queen for a week of equipment tests using a team of volunteer divers. Each piece of kit was used by four or five divers for a minimum of five dives. Their subjective impressions, coupled with objective research form the basis of a truly useful guide to what a piece of equipment is suitable for, and for whom. The luxurious MY Coral Queen was the ideal liveaboard, combining comfort, space and an enthusiastic and dedicated crew.

To find out more contact Oonasdivers on 01323 648924 or e-mail oonas@pavilio.co.uk