More info about my "other" factors:
I have just become a staff Divemaster for my local shop. Currently, I have an SDI (sport) DM card. I am still in training to get a TDI (tech) DM card. So, I can get whatever rig at want at dealer cost. They carry Apeks, Hollis, Dive Rite, ScubaPro, Aqualung, and others that I can't think of right now. But, I don't know that they carry xDeep. I don't think they really CARE if I were to buy something they don't carry. But, having some loyalty to them, I would rather buy something they carry unless there is a REALLY strong reason to go outside the fold.
My main use for my SM rig will be in my local quarry, helping with tech classes. Thus working on getting my TDI DM card. My tech instructor is accepting tech students who dive in SM. When he has SM students, he dives in SM. When I am helping with a class, and there are SM students, I want to be able to match them.
My secondary (very minor) use will be the possibility that I will fly to dive somewhere. Instead of carrying my SS BP/W rig, I might choose to start carrying a SM rig instead. So, having a rig like the Apeks or xDeep where I could, in the future, get a smaller wing to take on those kind of trips would be kind of nice. I think. Is it likely that I'll find that, like my BP/W rigs, I will end up wanting to have completely separate, dedicated SM rigs for warm water versus cold water? My thinking was that an Apeks or xDeep rig setup for cold water and steels would still work fine with a smaller wing, in warm water with AL80s - only requiring some tweaking to D-ring positions and maybe tweaking to the bungees, to switch back and forth. Is that a pipe dream? What if it were warm water, but I were still able to source steel 100s to use?
I have just become a staff Divemaster for my local shop. Currently, I have an SDI (sport) DM card. I am still in training to get a TDI (tech) DM card. So, I can get whatever rig at want at dealer cost. They carry Apeks, Hollis, Dive Rite, ScubaPro, Aqualung, and others that I can't think of right now. But, I don't know that they carry xDeep. I don't think they really CARE if I were to buy something they don't carry. But, having some loyalty to them, I would rather buy something they carry unless there is a REALLY strong reason to go outside the fold.
My main use for my SM rig will be in my local quarry, helping with tech classes. Thus working on getting my TDI DM card. My tech instructor is accepting tech students who dive in SM. When he has SM students, he dives in SM. When I am helping with a class, and there are SM students, I want to be able to match them.
My secondary (very minor) use will be the possibility that I will fly to dive somewhere. Instead of carrying my SS BP/W rig, I might choose to start carrying a SM rig instead. So, having a rig like the Apeks or xDeep where I could, in the future, get a smaller wing to take on those kind of trips would be kind of nice. I think. Is it likely that I'll find that, like my BP/W rigs, I will end up wanting to have completely separate, dedicated SM rigs for warm water versus cold water? My thinking was that an Apeks or xDeep rig setup for cold water and steels would still work fine with a smaller wing, in warm water with AL80s - only requiring some tweaking to D-ring positions and maybe tweaking to the bungees, to switch back and forth. Is that a pipe dream? What if it were warm water, but I were still able to source steel 100s to use?