DIR setup critique

[Ste Wart]

You bend it and pull on it to vent. That's why it's corrugated (or should be). Oxycheq (and others) that use a cheap, molded plastic version is inferior, imo. The plastic can also split at the seam (where the plastic mold comes together) in time.

Here is a thread with some pics I posted and some accounts of issues with the lesser quality hoses.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/365071-bc-failure-10.html

Little details like this are why I use Halcyon equipment. Its ready to rock right out of the box with a good warranty and excellent customer service. I've toured the facility and I see the work and r&d that goes into the products.

Can Halcyon wings vent from their hoses? I thought it was only the inflator mechanism and butt-dump?

 

[PfcAJ]

It takes some cajoling, but I can make it happen

 

[Ste Wart]

It takes some cajoling, but I can make it happen

Er

Don't ever touch my wing

 

[LiteHedded]

they vent fine from the hose. aj just has little t-rex arms

 

[Jax]

It takes some cajoling, but I can make it happen

Er

Don't ever touch my wing

:spit:

 

[Blackwood]

Can Halcyon wings vent from their hoses? I thought it was only the inflator mechanism and butt-dump?

Seriously?

 

[Ste Wart]

Seriously?

Seriously. Can't do it on my WTX's I thought they were copying a Halcyon trait.

 

[Blackwood]

Seriously. Can't do it on my WTX's I thought they were copying a Halcyon trait.

That's baffling. You raise the hose and push the oral inflation button and nothing happens? Is your unit defective?

Anyway, recall from the lore of DIR that the right post feeds the wing so you can ostensibly breathe from it if you have a rolloff while donating. Not being able to dump with the hose would preclude that as well as make rather ponderous the initial descent and dumping in restrictions which force you to be vertical.

Edit - rereading your post i think I may have misunderstood. Are you meaning there is no shoulder dump? If so, that's correct.

 

[Ste Wart]

That's baffling. You raise the hose and push the oral inflation button and nothing happens? Is your unit defective?

Anyway, recall from the lore of DIR that the right post feeds the wing so you can ostensibly breathe from it if you have a rolloff while donating. Not being able to dump with the hose would preclude that as well as make rather ponderous the initial descent and dumping in restrictions which force you to be vertical.

Edit - rereading your post i think I may have misunderstood. Are you meaning there is no shoulder dump? If so, that's correct.

I was talking about the shoulder dump.

I'm still worried about how much AJ pulls on his hose :shocked2:

 

[KeesBL]

As far as computers go, if you are going to go full DIR, you will not need one. In that case, a simple bottom timer will suffice -- but the OMS bottom timers aren't cheap. Honestly, if you shop around, you may well be able to pick up an Aladin Tech 2G computer for what the OMS bottom timer would run you. If you still feel better with a computer's guidance, that's a good choice -- it's a computer with a lot of useful features, and a gauge mode when you decide you don't need the decompression algorithm any more. Or, of course, you could go for the Cadillac of bottom timers, and get a Xen . . .

+1
I don't have any first hand experience with the Xen, but a Aladin Tech 2G would be my first choice if something were to happen to my bottom timer. It has a computer for nitrox dives and an excellent set of features (notably resettable avg. depth and stopwatch in addition to depth/time) for more technical profiles.