Hollis BP/W

[Jasonmh]

... What I really fell in love with was the peace and feeling of weightlessness...

And the great thing about diving is that the more you do it, the more the feelings of peace and weightlessness increase.
Or, as someone quoted someone who quoted someone once said: "the great thing about diving is that every time you do it you suck just a little bit less"

 

[ClayJar]

First, I am basically comparing it to a mid to high range jacket, lets say the Oceanic Probe (around $500). The quote I got for the Hollis equipment was a little over $600.

I love Dive Right In Scuba, and I've had a great chat when I was diving Haigh on my trip around, but I'm going to have to put my personal recommendation in for Deep Sea Supply in this case. For $465, you can get a Torus 35 wing, a steel plate, a basic "hog" harness, and all the accouterments. (That's the rig I have, myself.) Of course, there are also many other options, but I don't have them, so I can't extol their virtues (although I'm surprised no Oxycheq Mach V divers have dropped in -- I hear those are sweet, as well).

Compared to the rig you listed, my DSS rig has an STA-less wing (which I consider a nice thing) and the "basic" harness (which it not simply adequate -- it's an elegantly simple solution to fitting almost any diver quite well). I personally don't care for STAs (since I don't switch my plate back and forth between singles and doubles), and enough people had good things to say about basic harnesses that I just figured I'd try that and upgrade later if it wasn't good enough. (It was *far* better than simply "good enough". )

Second, I realize that I shouldn't just go out and buy a bunch of gear.

There's nothing wrong with going out and buying right off the bat. That's what I did with my beloved "Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM" lens, and I haven't regretted it for a moment (or its kin, for that matter, of which I've later added a few). You just want to be careful that you're not buying the wrong thing (if I'd bought the f/4L non-IS, it would've been wasting money, since I'd inevitably end up on the f/2.8L IS).

Third, the shop near Chicago that sells Hollis is Dive Right in Scuba. Mike is the ops manager, and is a member of this forum. Quick plug, they have been amazing. I have asked a lot of ignorant questions, and they have been very patient.

Again, I love DRIS, but I love the DSS rig more. I'll gladly buy more stuff from DRIS, but I have the money to do that because I already own the great rig. :biggrin:

Obviously, living in Chicago, I will be doing a lot of cold water diving. In addition, I plan on diving whenever we go to a warm vacation spot. It sounds like this may be just the type of setup that I can change around depending on the circumstances.

PS...I am 6'5", 300 lbs. Not sure if that matters.

The location and your general size both matter, as they inform your decision on what wing you'll end up needing. You've got a couple inches of height on me with my 180-pound frame, and I'm right at the cusp of a 26-pound wing when I'm in my drysuit. I'd estimate that something like the Torus 35 wing should serve you well when (hehe, should I have said "if"?) you end up in a drysuit, and it's not so large to be excessively annoying when you're diving with less buoyancy required. (It's not like some of the huge "single/double" wings that are equally unsuited for either application. )

I don't know if DRIS can do a DSS deal, but everyone I've known to buy DSS just bought directly from Tobin (i.e. Deep Sea Supply). Also, if you decide to sell it, DSS rigs tend to go fairly quickly when people sell them here on ScubaBoard, so you have that bit of insurance. I don't know what portion of the Hollis rig's price is in the harness (vs. a basic one), but I imagine some of the cost is sunk into the STA that wing requires. That would account for some of the added expense compared to most BP/W rigs.



As for BP/W vs. jacket-style BC, it can be quite difficult (but usually not impossible) to find a BC that feels perfect in the water, at least according to the less standardly-sized divers I know (stick- or egg-shaped). The basic harness option on a plate, on the other hand, has never failed to fit anyone I've known to try it. It fits great on my relatively stick-like body, and I've seen many an egg-like diver loving theirs. The true test, of course, is diving it. Too many things feel great on the surface and work terribly underwater.

 

[Nick_W]

I'm sure Mike can help me find a BP/W at a lower price range. We looked at several different BCDs before he showed me this one. I promise he was in no way trying to push this on me. I really just wanted opinions on what people thought of this setup, and if it was worth the extra money.

I'm glad to hear he isn't trying to push it on you but I haven't heard anyone say he runs that kind of shop, so I didn't expect that at all.

But, I am just saying that when it comes to a BP/W, there are loads of options out there. You may even consider mixing and matching. There's nothing that says you have to use all Hollis, or Oxycheq, or DSS, or DR parts. The only one I would stay away from is Halcyon, but that's just my personal opinion as I think they are overpriced, I'm sure someone would be more than willing to tell me I'm wrong on that.

It looks like the prices are about right on that rig he has you set up with and I see the wing you're talking about now, so yes, you do need the STA. You may want to look at some of the other wings out there (DSS for one) that don't require a STA. That saves you not only some money, but one other piece of gear you don't have to worry about. And again, I wouldn't bother with the fancy harness for normal, every day diving, but that's just me. I have one that has some padding on it, but I sometimes have to hike pretty far in my gear so I kind of like that little bit of padding.

No, I know about the depth. However, we weren't even near a reef and there was basically one kind of fish (white with an orange stripe, don't know what it was) and I saw a good size puffer. I just meant was a very dull dive, but safe for us uncertified newbies. What I really fell in love with was the peace and feeling of weightlessness.

Well, it only gets better.

Are calling me fat?? LOL...Just kidding. Thank you very much for your advise!

Ha, no, not at all. But I have found that bigger guys are almost impossible to fit into jacket style BCs. There are a few out there that seem to do ok, but the nice thing about the BP/W setup is that there isn't tons of material all around you that has to be cut to fit just right.

 

[CamG]

Welcome to SB JSharp13! This is the place for questions and advice. There has been some great posts so far. I am currently sitting beside a Hollis Solo harness and a Switch Back harness , back plate , and the 65#Bunge Wing! This gear looks really good and cannot wait to get it wet! I have dove both jacket and back floatation BC's in my experience it was easier and alot more comfortable to dive the latter. When I bought my own gear there was no doubt. I purchased a Dive Rite Transpack and I have been very pleased! When I became interested in diving doubles I picked up a basic harness and S.S. back plate with a Wreck Tech Wing again Dive Rite. Both BC's are awesome. It would be worth your time to try different types to determine what works best for you. The major advantages; it is simple, trims /wieghts easy, allows freedom of movement, has easy D-rings for gear attachment, and most of all not wieght integrated. My wifes BC carries about 25 lbs in the pockets. How long will it be before a rip occurs? I would not be afraid to go with Hollis but as some have mentioned there are other manifactures also. The only disadvantage I have ever found is that pockets are extra but not a big deal. I have found that in the water I snap a pair of ankle 3.3 lb wieghts onto the bottom of my AL 80 when diving singles and it trims out like a dream! Great things are in store for you my friend the diving world is incredible! Dive as much and often as you can, try as much different gear as you can till you find your groove! Then keep it real, diving is life- life is diving! I can't get enough, in the pool training or open water it is all good! Have fun and good shopping! CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Grounded]

I'm not sure you could buy a jacket BC that is as inexpensive as this....

BackPlate and Wing Package, DIR and Technical, OxyCheq, BackPlate and Wing Package

 

[Nick_W]

I'm not sure you could buy a jacket BC that is as inexpensive as this....

BackPlate and Wing Package, DIR and Technical, OxyCheq, BackPlate and Wing Package

You can very easily pick up a jacket style BC for under $200. You're right, that's a heck of a deal for a pretty nice BP/W setup, but isn't by any means the cheapest option for a BC out there.

 

[surfin009]

I second the plug for DSS (deepseasupply.com) After getting certified (went through school and had about 14 dives and advanced cert) I decided to buy my gear. Had been reading on here about the bp&W the whole time and was slowly realizing i hated the way the jacket wrapped around me. Bought a DSS rig complete with plate, torus 26 wing and hog webbing. Just did dive # 26 yesterday. after 12 dives with the rig i can say i really love it. still working on boyancy but its getting better everyday. One of my favorite things about the wing system is how easy it is to clean. its such a pain to lift an entire jacket up with some integrated weights in it and rinse it off. the wing just comes off and is light and easy to clean. My system was like 500$ish after taxes and shipping (like 465 before?). get it and you wont regret it. oh, and btw, tobin talked to me for nearly an hour before i bought it explaining everything about the system and making sure i had the right wing. fantastic!

 

[JSharp13]

Update:

After all of that, and doing some more research online, as well as trying everything on, I finally made my purchase yesterday.

I purchased an Oceanic Excursion. Here is why:

First of all, I tried the Hollis on. Again, I am 6'5", 300 lbs. It really just didn't fit like I was hoping. I thought it would be easier to move around and reposition, but it really wasn't. When I tried the Excursion on, it felt immediately natural. It fit me much better right off the shelf. There is still some adjusting to do on the cumberbun, but otherwise it was very comfortable and was still pretty streamlined compared to a jacket.

Also, price was a factor. By the time I finished adding weight pockets, STA, and all the accessories, I was looking at around $900 for the whole Hollis setup. The Excursion ended up at just over $500.

Finally, for those of you who recommended websites, I wanted to buy from my local shop. There are several reasons for this. First, I now have all of my major equipment (reg, octo, computer, and BCD) from one shop. If I have a problem, I know who to talk to. DRIS was helpful as always, and when I tried on the Excursion, they didn't try to convince me to go back to the Hollis. They were happy to sell me the equipment that fit me best. Also, in general, I like to support the local shops. I really don't want them to go away, and buying my equipment there is the best way to prevent that. Sure, I might have been able to save 20 or 30 bucks by buying it online, but I believe that the benefits of buying at my local shop outweigh this price difference.

Thanks again to all of you for your help. I look forward to getting in the pool next week with my new BCD.

 

[CamG]

JSharp13 I am pleased to hear of your purchase! I am also sure you will recieve good customer service as well as help with future needs. It is a great feeling having your own gear that fits and pleases you! Now the fun begins, dive and train till it is like your skin and you know where all the snaps, releases, weight pockets, etc. are. Practice skills and don't forget the BC skills at surface and depth. This is great stuff, my dive buddies and myself practice this frequently on the training platform at our local quarry. This simple and fun skill can save your life! Training can be fun but needs to be serious also. Enjoy your new gear! CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Bob Vincent]

Bob Hollis owner and founder of Oceanic. Hollis is his signature line.