Halcyon Eclipse and DSS

[modivin]

OK. Looks like it may be time to join the BP/W scene and after reading all the posts here on the board, I'm convinced, although I've never dove with one. I currently dive a Sea Quest Pro Unlimited and like it ok for a jacket BC, but it IS rather bulky and heavy. Not to mention its not as stable as I would like. So here's the question. Money aside, I have been looking at Tobin's single DSS rig and like what I see. I've even emailed him a couple times (with very prompt and professional replies). I am also considering the Halcyon Eclipse MC system. I like their warranty and reputation (not to discredit DSS). I currently do not do any tech diving, but I can see it on the horizon; Only singles right now though. If anyone would care to chime in with their opinions or experiences with either of these companies, especially Halcyon, I'd be greatful. I see nothing but positive about Tobin and DSS. Need some direction from you experienced plate & wing guys (and gals)!

Thanks,
Mark

 

[DomaNitrogen]

Hey,

I just got a pioner i love it and adore it, They have good Customer support, and it is very easyto sell your the H later with min loss i guess. I duno about DSS

 

[SangP]

Hi there Mark,

Don't forget bout Oxycheq, Dive Rite, OMS, Golem, Hammerhead... etc etc.
First off you need to ask yourself if you would be diving in wet or dry suits?
Do you travel to your dive sites or are they nearby?
How much weight do you normally use?

If you prefer a heavy plate then SS it is, if you intend to travel to tropical dives sites, then you might consider a Alu plate.
If you ever decide to do DIR then you will have to get a Halcyon LOL!!!

Anyway, in hindsight I would have gone with this tropical setup.
Oxycheq #30 Signature wing + a #50 signature wing for doubles.
Hammerhead or OMS Alu plate,
Hammerhead or OMS STA with SS cam bands
Hog harness with 4 D, 2 Bent D and a soft crotch strap.

This is the most cost effective setup I could find and I really like the toughness and feel of the Oxycheq wing.

Good Luck

SangP

 

[pakman]

thumbs up on the Halcyon eclipse, but to be honest I think you'll be happy with any of the top lines single wings plus u might save some $$ with some non - Halcyon brands. I ended up getting a eclipse for xmas and used it for the first time on a 7 day liveaboard in Thailand this holiday season. Absolutely love it. Very streamline with a bp and single wing. So much that I'm trying to sell my zeagle stiletto back inflate BCD. I've started doing some technical diving so I figured I might as well standardize my equipment.

 

[modivin]

Hi there Mark,

Don't forget bout Oxycheq, Dive Rite, OMS, Golem, Hammerhead... etc etc.
First off you need to ask yourself if you would be diving in wet or dry suits?
Do you travel to your dive sites or are they nearby?
How much weight do you normally use?

If you prefer a heavy plate then SS it is, if you intend to travel to tropical dives sites, then you might consider a Alu plate.
If you ever decide to do DIR then you will have to get a Halcyon LOL!!!

Anyway, in hindsight I would have gone with this tropical setup.
Oxycheq #30 Signature wing + a #50 signature wing for doubles.
Hammerhead or OMS Alu plate,
Hammerhead or OMS STA with SS cam bands
Hog harness with 4 D, 2 Bent D and a soft crotch strap.

This is the most cost effective setup I could find and I really like the toughness and feel of the Oxycheq wing.

Good Luck

SangP

Thanks SangP,

All of my diving is wet in a 3mm or 7mm fullsuit; no drysuit. Most of my diving is done in freshwater quarries and wreck diving off the coast of NC.Nothing really "tropical" usually. I have checked out DiveRite and OMS. I've tried to narrow down the list based on what I'm lookinig for in dealer support, quality and features. All these major mfrs you list are very good from what i've been able to determine and it basically comes down to personal preferences. I dont see me getting into the DIR scene, but technical diving seems attractive to me. I dont require a lot of weight, but what little I do carry, I dont want to carry on a belt, so I'm leaning towards the SS plate.

 

[Mitten Diver]

Hey,

I just got a pioner i love it and adore it, They have good Customer support, and it is very easyto sell your the H later with min loss i guess. I duno about DSS

Get the DSS, order the t-shirt and don't worry about having to sell it later you will never need or want any other rig. When you are ready buy a doubles wing.

 

[SangP]

Hi modivin,

If you are going to get an ss plate then I really recommend Hammerhead for the plate:
http://www.hammerheadscuba.com/pricepoint.htm
For $99 you get a ss plate and an sta.
And extra $45 gets you a full harness and D rings although you need to get a soft crouch strap as they use the same hard strap for everything :O
You could then get an Oxycheq signature wing in case you ever do wreck diving. The extra protection comes in handy and it's easy to patch in case something goes wrong.
The rest of the stuff you could get on ebay or your local dive store.
The other alternative is getting Tobin's ss plate and his wing setup as he was so nice to have helped you so far:
http://deepseasupply.com/page12.html
Tobin's stuff is excellent and very adaptable although not DIR.
The other alternative is EBay for Halcyon as I found this there:
Item number 7212284861
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7212284861
DomaNitrogen is right in that it's easier to sell the H stuff then others.

I personally don't like the design of the Eclipse wing but if you get this rig and sell the wing, you might get enough $ to buy 1 and a 1/2 oxycheq wings then by all means... LOL!

I would also say, get in contact with my friend Kelly from Samish divers at http://www.samishdivers.com/ or contact the guys from http://golemgear.com/ for more advice.

Best regards,

SangP

 

[*Floater*]

I own the DSS single rig, and I also have a Halcyon explorer 40# wing for doubles. Here are some observations:

1. Both SS plates weigh about the same; roughly 5lbs.

2. DSS plate has 2 sets of holes to position the wing, whereas Halcyon has just one set.

3. DSS works very well without an STA. I think the same applies to one of the Halcyon wings (Pioneer?), but not the other.

4. DSS steel plates have slots for indepedent doubles so you can just strap on the doubles using the cam straps come with the rig - though you'll need a doubles wing with siimlar slots in it (I added them to my explorer) and you need a second spg. Otherwise you would need some sort of tank band or travel band and nuts/bolts to attach the tanks. With manifolded doubles you'll be using the tank bands and bolts/nuts anyway though.

5. DSS's lcd30 wing is horseshoe shaped, whereas the Halcyon single wings are donuts I believe. There's a long thread somewhere here about whether or not that matters. I believe Tobin's wing is also narrower than the Halcyon, and therefore more streamlined.

6. My DSS didn't come with instructions on how to rig it with the hog harness, so it took several hours of frustration for me to figure it out, and I kept adjusting for a long time before I got it right. I don't know whether Halcyon supplies instructions or whether it's already riggesed at delivery, but you can find a lot of advice on the internet about the rigging.

7. The DSS webbing slots are also covered with plastic grommets which will reduce wear on the harness and keep it well in place. You don't need to (nor be able to) burn a hole into it and screw it on as with some backplates. I don't know how the Halcyon backplates compare. I don't think they have the plastic grommets though - the lack which I presume would result in chaffing of the harness and so you'd eventually have to replace it.

8. The DSS inflator buttons are plastic whereas Halcyon uses SS I think.

9. THE MC pouch on Halcyons is really nice for storing a SMB.

10. Tobin sells add-on weights that you could add to the plate when going from 3mm to 7mm. I think Halcyon also has some additional weight system (v-weights?). You might want to compare those as well.

11. The inner bladders are slightly different also.

Okay, that's all that comes to mind right now, though I'm sure there are plenty of other differences - visit the DSS website to get some idea. If I got something wrong about the Halcyons then I'm sure others will correct and add. As for myself I've been happy with the DSS and would recommend it to my girlfriend when she buys her bp/w. However, I haven't used the lcd30 wing much yet, just 5 dives and I was still adjusting it at the time. Then I switched to the explorer and doubles so I can't weigh in much on the donut-horseshoe debate. In the future I'd like to take the lcd30 out a little more and compare it to a donut wing to make my final decision on whether it matters.

However, both wing setup are of high quality and I'm sure whichever you choose will make you happy.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

A few corrections...

3. DSS works very well without an STA. I think the same applies to one of the Halcyon wings (Pioneer?), but not the other.

Eclipse wings require an STA. Pioneer wings have a built-in STA... and can be used without that additional part. Nevertheless, many of us find that they are much easier to use with the optional STA.

OTOH, Tobin's unique STA-less design seems to be user friendly and may provide a better solution for those looking for this type of setup.

7. The DSS webbing slots are also covered with plastic grommets which will reduce wear on the harness and keep it well in place. You don't need to (nor be able to) burn a hole into it and screw it on as with some backplates. I don't know how the Halcyon backplates compare. I don't think they have the plastic grommets though - the lack which I presume would result in chaffing of the harness and so you'd eventually have to replace it.

If a plate is finished well then the wear on the webbing will be minimal. What is really nice about those inserts is that they allow adjustments to be made to the harness very easily. For instance, adjusting a plate for modivin's 3mil and 7mil suits will be much easier to do in Tobin's plate.

8. The DSS inflator buttons are plastic whereas Halcyon uses SS I think.

... Halcyon SS inflators seem to still be unreliable. The standard inflator used by Tobin... and pretty much everyone else... is probably preferred by most users .

9. THE MC pouch on Halcyons is really nice for storing a SMB.

That would be a big maybe. Most DSMBs will not fit well in the MC pouch. Most bags will need to be stored in a thigh pocket or bungeed to the plate. The pads do have a couple of other benefits, however.

10. Tobin sells add-on weights that you could add to the plate when going from 3mm to 7mm. I think Halcyon also has some additional weight system (v-weights?). You might want to compare those as well.

V-weights are for doubles. They are not manufacturer specific.

Halcyon does have some very nice cam band trim weight pockets. These can be used on any manufacturer's BP/wing... even Tobin's.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Mark,

Here's my suggestion...

Get Tobin's complete SS plate/30# wing/ hog harness. You'll love it! Order one today and be done with it.

If you want something a little more traditional, then you would be wise to at least consider Oxycheq, Agir or Golem before ordering that Eclipse.