“We broke all the rules with the creation of the Outlaw,” says Aqua Lung CEO Don Rockwell. ”It goes back to basics — no pockets, no steel D-rings, no backpack. It’s definitely for the more advanced diver only.”

Rockwell says the Outlaw was more than two decades in the making. “Our first motivation was to have very reduced buoyancy. Typically, to make a globally accepted buoyancy device, you have to have more buoyancy than what we feel is needed,” says Rockwell. “Fortunately, our current Director of Engineering here at Aqua Lung shared the same ideas as I had for this particular BC. His name is Eric Thorstenson. Eric is a very competent diver. And the passion and vision that we shared was to have something very minimalistic.”

It was Thorstenson who began comparing the idea of initial prototypes to the naked motorcycle trend, says Rockwell. “It’s something that’s very different — it doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles where it looks like a Christmas tree.”

When Thorstenson and Rockwell were ready to show a prototype to the rest of the team — Aqua Lung’s corporate offices are in Vista, California, where the R&D, engineering and testing teams for BCDs are also located — “we had to throw up a wall,” recalls Rockwell. “People would say it needs steel D-rings. We would have to put our foot down in terms of who we market it to — this is for someone who has better buoyancy skills; a more advanced diver.”

How did we like it? Very much, thank you. We had the opportunity to try it at Blue Grotto Spring in Williston, Florida last April. We loved the barely-there freedom of the Outlaw, especially the harness which got high marks from all of us for comfort. We used a car key to swap out shoulder and waist straps so that each of us could dial in the fit. It is noticeably minimalist in feel and design, but it still had loads of web loops on the daisy chain webbing and a plastic carabiner so you can attach a light or other necessary accessory. The 12-pound bladder was perfect for all of us, even with wearing 5-mil wetsuits (the spring is 72˚ F year-round), but we had the 25-pound bladder on hand, just in case. We also had the optional Sure-Lock integrated weights.

“When people learn to dive they’re overweighted because it makes it easier for their instructors. But then they stay that way. So we thought, if we could make something that required you to have better buoyancy skills wouldn’t that make better divers too?”

Is it for a brand-new diver? In most cases, probably not. But that doesn’t bother Rockwell nor the Aqua Lung team.

“It’s for the bad-ass skillful diver — we’re going to market it that way,” says Rockwell.

The Outlaw’s Features
• Back-inflation BCD with an interchangeable bladder available in 12-pound and 25-pound lift capacities
• No pockets, no steel D-rings, no unnecessary backpacks
• Travel-friendly BCD — with easy-to-disconnect shoulders and waists and an overall weight less than 4 lbs / 1.8 kg
• Interchangeable shoulder and waist strap components make it easy to create 27 possible sizes for the perfect fit
• Webbed daisy chain, often found on military gear, provides multiple attachment points for accessories
• Standard carabiner that can be mounted on either right or left shoulder strap
• GripLock™ tank band – patent-pending Finger-Saver feature and macro presets create an easy and safe solution for securing a cylinder to a BC
• A bladder retraction system pulls in the sides of the bladder during deflation keeping the unit streamlined and reducing drag
• Adjustable chest strap for personalized comfort
• Features 4 webbed D-rings for streamlined accessory attachment
• Lower right pull dump provides an additional dumping option

Optional Features
• SureLock II™ Weight System (patented) allows you to easily insert the weight pouch, and an audible click lets you know the weights are secure in the BC. Once engaged, the weights can be released with a firm pull of the handle
• Trim pockets (5 lbs / 2.25 kg)

About Aqua Lung Aqua Lung pioneered the creation of modern diving equipment in 1943 when Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau teamed with Émile Gagnan to develop the first “aqua-lung” that made underwater exploration possible. Today, Aqua Lung continues to be a leading global designer and manufacturer of scuba dive equipment and water sports gear. The company’s rich history as an expert in the dive and water sports industry has led to the demand of Aqua Lung equipment for recreational, technical and military applications in more than 60 countries around the world, under the brand names of Aqua Lung, Aqua Sphere, Apeks, OMER, U.S. Divers, MP Michael Phelps and Stohlquist.