Halcyon, Xdeep, OMS, Audaxpro, Aquatec, DGX - value & longevity?

[mtnpool]

I have had Dive rite, oxycheq, hog, halcyon along the years. I would say this. Absolute quality/workmanship measure, Halcyon is definite at the top. No other commercial brand put the same attention to details. However not necessary all of these workmanship translate to functionality, in fact most do not. But people don't need to always buy for practical functionality. You have to decide if this is important to you.

Service wise, Halcyon is also top notch. I would say HOG, Deep6 and dive rite are also practical good. But Halcyon experience is more premium.

There are two items that I do think Halcyon is practically better as well. First is their H webbing. It is the perfect amount of stiffness and pliability. And it isn't expansive. Second item is their wing. Both the shell and bladder are very pliable and foldable. Yet, they are very tough. It makes a perfect packable wing for travel.

My suggestion is this. If cost effectiveness is important, get the DGX setup, or maybe HOG. If you do blind test in water, you won't be able to the difference. You can test bp/w to see if that is what you like. Heck, test out diving to see if that is what you like after one season. If you end committing to diving and still fancy after Halcyon workmanship, then you can get one.

Between SS and AL plate, if I can have only one plate, it is AL. The weight difference is about 3lb. You can easily make it up. AL is easier for travel.

Thanks - I appreciate you listing the details of Halcyon's quality with regards to their webbing and wing - those are the type of things they don't list in the description on websites, and can only be revealed by users who have experience with various brands who can compare. I could go the more cost effective route, but I'm leaning toward Halcyon's reputation for quality.

What do you think of the three models I mentioned above? Thanks again!

 

[runsongas]

if you really want Halcyon for the brand, look for a used setup. the savings will get you closer to the cost of oms/dgx. take the savings and go dive.

 

[eelnoraa]

Adventurer Pro (some places call it Adventure Pro or Adventurer Plus) - $1150 3.2 kg weight (doesn't require STA)
Infinity - $1125 4.5kg weight
Traveler Pro (I heard this has been discontinued,) and a shop here has the last one on clearance for $835 3.5kg weight

my take, none. Get Eclipse (plate, harness+crotch strap, wing) Keep it simple. All the padding is really fluff. Even in rash guard diving, you won't feel the need for any of the padding. I sold all my infinity padding long ago

Carbon filter plate. I like CF, but keep in mind, dive gear take a lot beating. I am not so sure the longevity of CF. I have a CF STA for travel, but I don't travel dive enough, so didn't put it through typical use. It did take some beating at the corners tho. If money is of no object, I will take that titanium plate instead. It weights between AL and SS.

 

[mtnpool]

if you really want Halcyon for the brand, look for a used setup. the savings will get you closer to the cost of oms/dgx. take the savings and go dive.

Thanks, but I have looked into used, and just can't find any used Halcyon deals here locally in Taiwan! And looking at the previous used listings, see that they have sold for $800+, so not really much of a deal unfortunately.

 

[mtnpool]

my take, none. Get Eclipse (plate, harness+crotch strap, wing) Keep it simple. All the padding is really fluff. Even in rash guard diving, you won't feel the need for any of the padding. I sold all my infinity padding long ago

Carbon filter plate. I like CF, but keep in mind, dive gear take a lot beating. I am not so sure the longevity of CF. I have a CF STA for travel, but I don't travel dive enough, so didn't put it through typical use. It did take some beating at the corners tho. If money is of no object, I will take that titanium plate instead. It weights between AL and SS.

Unfortunately, the Eclipse costs almost as much as the Infinity (less than $100 difference), as I found a store that can do a discount on the list price of the other 3 models, but they don't sell the Eclipse, and the other stores that do sell the Eclipse sell at list price...

I have a few carbon fiber bikes that can take a beating...

 

[mtnpool]

I think I'm leaning towards the Traveler Pro, which was discontinued but since I may be able to snag the last one on clearance, a good deal - any reason I shouldn't choose it over the Adventurer Pro or Infinity? If I did 30 dive days locally and took one or two dive vacations where I would need to travel by plane, with maybe 10 days total of diving at most - would the Traveler Pro be good enough for normal use? Just not sure what I'm missing out on by choosing this option, other than weight.

 

[Jcp2]

If Aquatec is local to you and affordable, just get that. After a couple of dives, you won’t notice any meaningful difference between all your options. Also, if there are equipment issues, they can be more easily worked upon with local support.

 

[drakcheslav]

Thanks for the info, Xdeep does seem high quality as well, I just don't know how much import duties will add to the cost if I buy from a European retailer and ship it here to Taiwan, it might not be worth it compared to buying it locally.

Looks like the price is pretty much comparable to euro prices. Maybe 40-50eur more. So I think you're pretty good.

The process with xdeep is, you get your config from the website if you're making a custom one, and you give it to your dealer, and it should be roughly the price that is stated on the website.

 

[ssssnake529]

I have silly light Helium Dive full titanium plate/harness/STA/cam strap set, but it only gets used on those extreme trips.
5lbs 5oz total including wing.

I have this same full-titanium set-up. I use it for pretty much all my diving, as I'm always flying to dive and it keeps my luggage weight down.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

I am tempted to get the Halcyon as I only hear good things about their quality and service, and they seem to be popular here too, just a small part of me wondering if I'm wasting money on a brand...some on the forums have said just that. If someone were to tell me that it was more comfortable, reliable, durable, fit better than any other brand, I would gladly just buy it and stop thinking! I can afford it, just don't like wasting money.

Just buy the Halcyon. You aren't looking at a huge difference in money and are getting a high quality product with great customer service.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the. sweetness of low price is forgotten.” - Benjamin. Franklin