Mares

Mares Dragon SLS BCD

High-lift, 420D Cordura jacket BCD with large cargo pockets and the SLS weight system, built for demanding conditions.

Mares Dragon SLS BCD
3.5Comparison Score
$749.95
Buy on Amazon
Released2016
Stylejacket
Weight-integratedYes
Lift capacity45 lbs
Backplatenone
D-rings5
Trim pocketsYes
Material420D Cordura
Travel-friendlyNo
Dry weight4500g
Fitunisex
SizesXS-XL

"Lift capacity" is the manufacturer-rated buoyancy the wing/bladder can provide at the surface. Match it to your exposure suit, tank, and weighting, not the biggest number available.

Pros
  • 200N (about 45 lbs) of lift and a heavy-duty 420D Cordura shell suit cold-water and gear-heavy recreational dives
  • Two large zippered cargo pockets add storage beyond most recreational BCDs
  • Five stainless steel D-rings support a full accessory loadout
Cons
  • Higher lift and rugged construction make it heavier and bulkier than travel-oriented Mares models
  • Premium build pushes the price well above entry-level recreational BCDs
Diver community sentiment
Mixed opinions

Divers on Scubaboard consistently praise the Dragon SLS's comfort, citing thick shoulder and back padding that fits "like a dream" and stays stable on long surface walks. Recurring complaints center on weight, the padding makes it noticeably heavy and cumbersome for travel/luggage, and the integrated weight system, with at least one experienced poster saying he "wouldn't buy any Mares BC" due to reported problems with Mares's integrated-weight releases, plus gripes about weight pockets feeling "sticky" to dump. General brand sentiment about Mares BCDs being "big, clunky and heavy" colors some of this.

Scubaboard: Mares Dragon comfort/weight-pocket discussionScubaboard: Mares SLS model comparison

Summarized from public forum discussion (Scubaboard, Reddit, and similar), not a survey we ran ourselves. See the linked threads for the original conversations.

The Mares Dragon SLS is a jacket-style BCD aimed at divers who want stability and high lift in demanding conditions, from cold water to heavy gear loads. It pairs a 200N (about 45 lb) lift cell with abrasion-resistant 420D Cordura, large cargo pockets, and the SLS quick-release weight system, plus rear “wing” cells for added horizontal trim.