Buying full setup / Thoughts?

[berndo]

I may fly with the drysuit to newfoundland/ BC in the future, why wouldn't you recommend Othree suits for flying?

Because crush neos pack larger than shell suits. They are forgetting that the thicker undergaments like a bz400 pack pretty large too, so it really is a wash.
For diving cold water, something like Othree (crush) is better and warmer than a trilaminate (althought many people who never used a crush neo will tell you not to get one).

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Thank you for your reply

Sorry, maybe I am mis-understanding but isn't the M1 a sealed reg? I wouldn't say I have a ton of local service options, Atomic would be fairly easy for me locally, i don't think deep 6 would be.

Thats good information to have about DUI, perhaps some of the things I have been reading have been out of date or with old information. I had heard they were great quality, if that is the case then perhaps I will look at other options again. I may fly with the drysuit to newfoundland/ BC in the future, why wouldn't you recommend Othree suits for flying?

Maybe this is the buy once mentality in me, but that cheap of a back plate and wing package raises an eyebrow for me, of course hollis is inflated a bit because of brands name. I will check it out and do my research though, and other back plate/wing you would recommend so i have some comparisons? Some of the xdeeps were on my radar as well.

Really appreciate your feedback

I bought the DGX bp/w setup last year. The plate is well crafted, no burs, rough edges and no pinch. the wing is OxyCheq, so no concerns there. It’s been great and travels well.

Erik

 

[Luke99]

The deep6 dry suit is a really good suit!

actually really digging the Deep 6 Makara after just some quick googling. Seems to be unavailable currently for customizing but thats ok I could wait. Will need to compare cost of course after any customizations I would wantbut this looks like a fantastic option. A few good threads already about it with people raving about it.

Thanks for this recommendation!

 

[rhwestfall]

How do you feel about the Xdeep Zen? This seems to be a popular system im seeing on boats.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and thought Hollis for regs.

I've got no experience with their bp/w. I will say there are excellent options that have been mentioned...

 

[tbone1004]

Thank you for your reply

Sorry, maybe I am mis-understanding but isn't the M1 a sealed reg? I wouldn't say I have a ton of local service options, Atomic would be fairly easy for me locally, i don't think deep 6 would be.

Thats good information to have about DUI, perhaps some of the things I have been reading have been out of date or with old information. I had heard they were great quality, if that is the case then perhaps I will look at other options again. I may fly with the drysuit to newfoundland/ BC in the future, why wouldn't you recommend Othree suits for flying?

Maybe this is the buy once mentality in me, but that cheap of a back plate and wing package raises an eyebrow for me, of course hollis is inflated a bit because of brands name. I will check it out and do my research though, and other back plate/wing you would recommend so i have some comparisons? Some of the xdeeps were on my radar as well.

Really appreciate your feedback

The M1's get packed with grease to seal them which is a huge expensive that is unnecessary at time of service. Read like $50 usually if you're getting them O2 cleaned.
Deep6 you mail back to the US to HQ and they'll rebuild them for you, or you can DIY and they'll give you free kits for life if you go that route. Keep in mind that just because you can get them serviced locally doesn't necessarily mean you should, there are people that rebuild regs all day every day and most dive shops do not have those kind of people so it's definitely something to consider wrt local service.

Anything you hear about DUI top quality is at least 10 years old.... Only downside to the O3 is that it's a heavier suit so they usually don't dry terribly fast before you fly. It's not the end of the world and if you can get a fan on it they usually dry out overnight, but it's the nature of neoprene suits. Net weight when everything is dry is about the same, but it's all about getting that neoprene shell dry before you fly. I have one, I love it, but I do find traveling with my bag suit is easier.

A cut piece of steel is a cut piece of steel, and IMO the DGX wing is higher quality than the Hollis, but I'm a textile engineer so what do I know.... My opinion on xDeeps cut and sew operation is not very high either. Dive Rite makes really good stuff if you want a bigger brand name, I use their wings for doubles and they're quite nice but I prefer the DGX attachment method to the Dive Rite Travel wings for single tanks.

I would buy Dive Rite or Deep6 long before Zeagle, if anything because their corporate overlords *who also own Atomic and Hollis* have not been good about keeping service parts available.

The Makara is a top quality suit. Contact @LandonL directly and he can check out customization for you. They're all made to order but it's a top quality suit for bags.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

@Luke99 D6 is the way to go hands down. Huge following on here and I think we tend to weed out the crap. Worst case you send it in when the ip starts to creep, best case you learn to rebuild yourself.

I do not own an Othree like @tbone1004 mentioned, but I've heard great things. I do own a Seaskin trilam that has a pretty large following on here. If looking for a trilam check them out, I have nothing but great things to say.. just about belletproof, tons of features and much less then others.

 

[Belzelbub]

Hmm here I thought i was making reasonable choices haha. Maybe I should reconsider. The reg choice for me was about spending the money with the most important piece of equipment IMO. The zeagle is actually a regulator that wasnt on my rider, just did some googling, its about 830 locally for me vs m1 999. At that price difference you'd recommend the Zeagle? (if we dont consider the cost difference, would you still recomend the zeagle?)

I would. I have 3 Zeagles at home (FH7, DS-IV/V, and Onyx II). I also dive some Atomics regularly. Nothing at all wrong with the Atomic regulators. Oh, and BTW, the Zeagles are made in the same location as the Atomic regs.

The Atomic pistons can be sealed, but they are sealed by Cristolube. That stuff is rather pricy, and needs to be re-done at service time. The Zeagle F8 is a sealed Diaphragm. No special lube needed at service time.

 

[stuartv]

Atomic M1 is a great reg but insanely expensive and I don't have any love for unsealed pistons

The M1 is a sealed piston. Cost is $830 for a single 1st/2nd stage combo.

A ScubaPro Mk25/G260 is $1000.

A Zeagle F8 is $650.

A Dive Rite XT1/XT4 is $539.

By my personal standards, the Atomic M1 does not qualify as "insanely expensive", but that is just me. Having all of those listed except the Zeagle, the M1 would be (and is, in fact) my choice.

The M1 is not an unsealed piston unless you unseal it yourself or have a reg tech leave it unsealed after servicing. The servicing of an M1 would be expected to cost a bit more than servicing other 1st stages because of the christolube used to seal it. Personally, I'm okay with that fairly small extra expense. Especially considering how infrequently the M1 needs to be serviced. I've had my doubles set of M1s for 3 or 4 years now and they have not yet shown any sign of needing to be serviced. So, call it an extra $50 every 3 years (or more) for service? It's worth it to me for how well they breathe and how high quality they are.

Yes, the M1 is more expensive than some other fine options (and less expensive than other fine options - I do like my ScubaPro Mk25 EVO/G260 regs also). Whether it's worth the extra expense to anyone else is really up to them and their wallet.



As for a BP/W, the back plate part is simple. Back plates made of stainless steel are pretty much the same. There are minor differences in finish - but I couldn't in good conscience suggest anyone pay an extra $100 for one over another because of the finish. There is nothing bad to say about a DGX back plate. Just make sure whatever you buy has 2 slots for cam bands - so you have the choice of using an STA or not using an STA if you don't want to. Almost all BPs do have those these days, but maybe not ALL.

Wings and harnesses are another matter altogether.

I have seen Hollis wings and had students with Hollis wings. I would not buy one or recommend one. They are not terrible. But, there are definitely better options, in my opinion.

My favorite wings, of what is currently in production, are Dive Rite wings. They perform really well, are well made, are reasonably priced, and are supported by excellent customer service. The DGX single tank wing is also good quality and a good performer.

For a harness, I would not buy any harness that anybody makes. I just built a brand new BP/W for a nephew. What I did for him is what I would do for myself and would recommend to anyone. Buy 12' or so of 2" webbing, bent D-rings, tri-slides, a buckle, 2 cam bands, some thin bungee, some sex bolts (book screws), and a crotch strap and put my own together.

The result is not just less expensive than a pre-made harness. It is BETTER - in my opinion. Nothing plastic (that can break). No padding (that does nothing but get in the way when you want to adjust stuff, and make stuff more floaty). Nothing that can't be fixed or replaced very quickly, easily, and cheaply - but will not need to be.

 

[berndo]

A ScubaPro Mk25/G260 is $1000.

Under 500 when ordering from a European shop.

 

[rhwestfall]

I'd go with a mk17 or a mk19 (sealed diaphragms) over the mk25 (piston)....