BPW Recommendations

[chrpai]

The OP is from the Northeast, if he dives local he will need weight. Depending on his exposure protection both pockets and a weighted STA could come in handy. The "H" package does come with a STA, pockets, and the pad, which would run about $200 for other makes, if it is something the diver wants. For example if you were pricing out an Oxycheq package it would come to about $635 which is closer to the $769 eclipse price and even more expensive the travel system. Also the OP could also ask for a discount on the package which would also lower the price.

I am not dissing your DRIS (pun intended) but it is no longer $300 and I am not sure it is in stock. At $360 it is now closer in price to Oxycheq, Golem, Dive Rite, HOG, Hollis and DSS. I have wings from Halcyon, Oxycheq, DSS, and Zeagle, all seem to be very robust.

I hope you don't think I'm just argueing with you here.... I used to live in VA and PA is considered MidAtlantic not NE. I've dove many of those quarries in a 3mil so I understand the temps and weighting requirements. He may or may not need the weight pockets. I don't really care one way or the other then to consider it and move on with buying.

BTW, a recent post from his says he attends school in Florida and plans to dive locally there.

Otherwise I agree with you.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

To the OP. If you want to try a BPW on with no obligation to buy shoot me a PM or call me. I can even arrange to take you in the pool to see how you like the set up. I have set ups with a 23, 30, and 32 lb wings and steel or aluminum plate. We can discuss your weighting options and I'll let you try a few. I can easily put a couple weight pouches on a harness for you as well to see if that's a route you'd like to go. Living 20 minutes from Pittsburgh I know what local diving requires. I prefer a weight belt but we can talk about other options.

 

[chrpai]

Man Jim, why can't you live in Austin?

 

[dkktsunami]

Take a look at Golem Gear 35# single wing with steel plate and harness - $380. This is very solid equipment.

P.S. No STA necessary.

 

[Them]

As someone fairly new to the BP/W, I have a slightly different perspective to offer.

I think there was something very educational and perhaps the word is empowering about buying from a shop that assembled my BP/W while I watched. As in, I picked a plate and wing, they cut a length or webbing, and I could choose exactly what I wanted in the way of tank bands, d-rings, etc., all al la cart.

At this point I have completely disassembled and re-rigged my BP/W a couple times. Adding keepers/innertube segments, moving d-rings, adjusting for different exposure suits, etc. I would have done that whether or not I had seen it go together the first time of course, but getting that little bit of tutoring meant I didn't have to guess and I didn't have to worry about any surprises. I knew it was possible to break down and assemble a complete rig from my parts because I watched it happen. I knew some of the tricks because I watched people who had done it hundreds of times go through a process they had down to an efficient art. That was worth more to me than a brand name.

I'm not making an argument for/against the big H, per se, but an argument against pre-assembled systems from anyone. Sometimes it's going to be unavoidable of course, but if you have a choice I think the better choice is the one that helps demystify what is really going on with this gear, and that is having a rig built out of parts by someone local who knows what to do and can share that knowledge.

Just my $1.05.

 

[ams511]

I hope you don't think I'm just argueing with you here.... I used to live in VA and PA is considered MidAtlantic not NE. I've dove many of those quarries in a 3mil so I understand the temps and weighting requirements. He may or may not need the weight pockets. I don't really care one way or the other then to consider it and move on with buying.

BTW, a recent post from his says he attends school in Florida and plans to dive locally there.

Otherwise I agree with you.

Yes, you are bullying me like you do poor Beaver Divers. I lived in Central Pennsylvania for several years and have dove Willow Springs, Dutch Springs, Bainbridge, along with some lakes and the Susquehanna River. If you are able to dive these bodies of water under the thermocline in a 1 piece 3-mil then you are in the minority. Most of the people I knew would dive in no less than a 1-piece 7-mil and most like me were in 2-piece 7-mils. The smarter ones dove dry.

While Florida especially South Florida does not require such heavy exposure protection, it does get cold in the ocean in the winter and year-round in the springs. So even in Florida it is not terribly unusual to dive a 5 or 7 mil 1-piece wetsuit. Having weight pockets comes in handy for boat dives when the Captain wants you to doff the equipment in the water. But if the guy is like you and needs no weight then the pockets are not needed.

 

[skearse]

To the OP. If you want to try a BPW on with no obligation to buy shoot me a PM or call me. I can even arrange to take you in the pool to see how you like the set up. I have set ups with a 23, 30, and 32 lb wings and steel or aluminum plate. We can discuss your weighting options and I'll let you try a few. I can easily put a couple weight pouches on a harness for you as well to see if that's a route you'd like to go. Living 20 minutes from Pittsburgh I know what local diving requires. I prefer a weight belt but we can talk about other options.

Man Jim, why can't you live in Austin?

lol, I was thinking along the same lines...Atlanta's GREAT this time of year.

 

[SangP]

Whatever the OP chooses finally there is definitely an argument to be made for cost effectiveness and value. Having owned H myself I feel no need to pay H prices for essentially the same or even lower quality goods.

Their wings are not as puncture resistant, streamline or as durable as extreme series from oxycheq, their plate finishing pales in comparison to DSS, Frog or scubapro and perhaps even dive rite.

I could buy 2 sets of DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL for the price of 1 H gear and in no way will I be worse off. I'll still have enough left over to get weight pockets to boot!

If I'm going for spit and polish I'll take scubapro or frog over H anyday.

 

[fnfalman]

When you buy a Halcyon, you definitely pay for the H Tax (similarly to paying for the Roundel Tax when you buy a BMW).

Is it worth the money? It is to me, but then I'm not known for spending money wisely. I like the quick adjustability of the Infinity/Cinch harness without the danglies although I've used the Dive Rite Transplate harness with all the danglies for the last four years and I have yet to have it caught on anything (no cave, no wreck diving for me).

The bottom line is that I prefer the mainstream BPW suppliers because they're well established and they're not going anywhere, so make it either the Blue H or Dive Rite for me.

 

[SangP]

The Irony for H is that they produce gear that is neither special nor unique but charge prices that makes one think otherwise.

The Razor or sidemount systems, those are unique, the puncture proof wings like the Extreme or XT armor are special. However, when BP/W are pretty much made by almost every one else and the quality is pretty much the same throughout I see little reason to pay H prices.

The BMW analogy is perfect, BMW prices but I don't get BMW performance, am I more streamline (no), is my gear more durable (no), better finishing (no). I rather pay Toyota prices, get similar or better durability.

For a company that used to preach DIR/HOG/minimalistic/streamline gospel, to start adding quick-adjust harness, deluxe pads, integrated weight systems is kidda funny.

I'm not anti H but anti H pricing/marketing agendas.