dive_turkey
Contributor
You're absolutely right, much less expensive. Good luck snagging a used Halcyon in this community though. I've been keeping my eye on them to get an idea of market value for used, and those tend to get bought up in the first 10 minutes. From what I'm reading, the backplate and webbing really don't matter at all. The first backplate I see with good webbing and a few accessories tied on at a good price should work. The tricky part is picking out a wing to attach to it.One thing I noticed when I was shopping was that BP/W setups are FAR easier to buy used than a traditional BC.
The ones I looked at were in far better shape; because of the simple design (a steel plate, some webbing/drings, and a bladder), the only real concern I found myself worrying about was the condition of the bladder. And even then, that was easy enough to test. I ended up with a used Halcyon rig with all the hardware in fantastic shape, except for the outer shell, for peanuts. I wrote Halcyon and they sent me a brand new one.
If you're looking to save money, it looks like the low-cost options out there are DiveRite or a used rig if the right deal drops in your lap. That's what I found, anyway. Best of luck with your hunt.
Am I right to say that most wings will fit onto most backplates? Or are they proprietary (DSS to DSS, Halcyon to Halcyon, etc)?
Also, it would seem that once I have a backplate and webbing all geared up, the only change I need to go from singles to doubles is a different wing, not a whole different setup? There is no such thing as a backplate for doubles or for singles, only the wings are different, correct?
I was thinking about the Halcyon Evolve (a doubles wing), but the problem is that the shop I dive with here in Germany does mostly large fat singles, not doubles. As long as I'm renting tanks, I'll suffer from the "the taco effect" and I'll have 40# of lift when I only need 20-30#... I'm still trying to figure all that out. So, there goes my streamlined nature, as the Evolve (from what I've read) is not recommended for single tank diving at all. So maybe I need something more like the Infinity for now, and then switch to the Evolve when I get to the states?
Also, IF I go with Halcyon, I've read the cinch straps are the way to go for those of us that vary our exposure protection often, from wet, to dry, etc...
*I'm using Halcyon as my example here because there is quite a bit of information available on them. I'm open to other brands once I know I'm understanding all of this correctly.