Genesis Origin BCD Review

When the Origin Genesis showed up I was pleasantly surprised with how light it was, especially for a BCD that falls under the “budget” category. A lot of budget-friendly equipment is made from less-expensive materials, which tend to be bulkier. So, right off the bat, I thought that this was a budget-friendly BCD that would be useful for travel as well.

Taking it to the water, I ran into a few minor difficulties. First, the carrying handle is extremely low on the BCD. This made carrying the whole setup harder than it should have been. It’s a good thing I’m resourceful and was able to just don the unit and walk myself to the water’s edge.

All the adjustment points worked nicely and I was able to snug the Origin to my body and it felt comfortable. The swivel buckles on the shoulder adjustment straps were a nice touch, pulling the webbing down and away from my ribs. Those swivel buckles also mean that female divers with a body type different from mine would feel comfortable as well.

My biggest issue with the way the Origin fit was in the sheer size of the BCD along the sides, under my ribs. This section of the BCD went from my hips almost all the way to my armpits. For starters, this was simply uncomfortable.

I kept hitting my elbows on the unit. I felt like I had to keep my arms away from my body to prevent this, and I can only imagine what my trim looked like. Also, this made it very difficult to reach back and utilize the pockets.

I was quite pleased with the vast amount of D-rings, even if they are plastic. Being able to clip on my SMB, reel, and a small dive light made accessing the pockets unnecessary. Two of these D-rings are smaller, and in a great location to attach your octopus or SPG.

Aside from the feeling of bulkiness—which I mostly attribute to my personal setup not having anything along the sides rather than the actual construction of the BCD—the Origin maintained good buoyancy and relatively good trim. It was comfortable in the water, on the surface, and while walking to and from the water’s edge.

I think the Origin makes a lot of sense for a new diver looking to save some money without skimping on quality or divers looking to add a backup BCD in their dive locker. This would also be a great BCD for instructors to use with their students. The lift capabilities make it a great choice for students figuring out their weighting, which is usually on the heavier side.

The Genesis Origin won’t break the bank, in fact—it’s great as a budget BCD. But with that low cost comes a few tradeoffs. For starters, all of the D-rings and other gear attachment points are all plastic. It’s thick, high-quality plastic, but it still has the potential to break or snap if hit with enough force.

But the Origin does deliver when it comes to the price/quality ratio. While you won’t get all the bells and whistles, you will get a serviceable piece of equipment that is safe and reliable.