Hydros Pro

[Cheizz]

Cost saving of BP/W over other kinds of BCDs I imagine.
I am just wondering what expensive extra options you would like. The Hydros Pro goes for about twice the price of a neat, basic DIR-style BP/W here in Europe...

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Cost saving of BP/W over other kinds of BCDs I imagine.
I am just wondering what expensive extra options you would like. The Hydros Pro goes for about twice the price of a neat, basic DIR-style BP/W here in Europe...

Right?? There’s not too many “extra” options you can put on a BPW. Trim pockets aren't that expensive…I feel like most come with tank straps already. A lot of wings don’t need single tank adapters anymore…idk maybe I’m missing something.

 

[Cheizz]

Some weight and/or trim pockets are all I can think of. Everything else would be accessorizing beyond what I would consider the BC. Unless those weight pockets come filled with gold or something, all I can think of is some fancy Halcyon unit to get me in the Hydros Pro price range.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Some weight and/or trim pockets are all I can think of. Everything else would be accessorizing beyond what I would consider the BC. Unless those weight pockets come filled with gold or something, all I can think of is some fancy Halcyon unit to get me in the Hydros Pro price range.

And at that point all you’re paying for is a name…I’m sure someone will flame me for that

 

[Cheizz]

Well, GUE shows Halcyon in all their videos. So that's what you need.

All kidding aside... Reading this entire thread it's mostly the 'sticky' back that counts as a net pro. (And even that has been criticized when donning.)
Maybe the fact that the Hydros Pro apparently packs quite small too, although many travel BCs feature that (and pack much smaller than the Hydros Pro).
To each his own, of course. Just trying to get to some bottom line here...

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I will always love my hydros.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Well, GUE shows Halcyon in all their videos. So that's what you need.

All kidding aside... Reading this entire thread it's mostly the 'sticky' back that counts as a net pro. (And even that has been criticized when donning.)
Maybe the fact that the Hydros Pro apparently packs quite small too, although many travel BCs feature that (and pack much smaller than the Hydros Pro).
To each his own, of course. Just trying to get to some bottom line here...

I guarantee you my back plate and wing pack better than a hydros pro. I literally just dissemble the entire thing, takes me 3 minutes to reassemble.

 

[Salacia2023]

I used a Halcyon and another BP I don't remember who made it. Both needed single tank adapters. I ended up wanting a thin layer of padding between the plate and my back. My back is bony and since I dive in tropical water, it's not like I can count on a thick layer of wetsuit to add padding.

I was extremely lucky I had women cave divers help get me fitted the first time. I'm a petite woman with a short torso and a large bust so things often require a significant amount of tweaking to end up with a "close enough for now" fit. That's exactly what happened with both BP/Ws. When it came to donning it on my own, I struggled getting it exactly how they had it and ended up with a delightful bruise on my left boob for my efforts. Getting webbing and buckles that would alleviate those issues quickly devolved into custom territory.

I reached a point where I felt the hassle wasn't worth it. I could be clipped into the Hydros Pro and be happily looking at fish underwater or I could be topside futzing with webbing. I chose the option that made getting me into the water faster and easier.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I used a Halcyon and another BP I don't remember who made it. Both needed single tank adapters. I ended up wanting a thin layer of padding between the plate and my back. My back is bony and since I dive in tropical water, it's not like I can count on a thick layer of wetsuit to add padding.

I was extremely lucky I had women cave divers help get me fitted the first time. I'm a petite woman with a short torso and a large bust so things often require a significant amount of tweaking to end up with a "close enough for now" fit. That's exactly what happened with both BP/Ws. When it came to donning it on my own, I struggled getting it exactly how they had it and ended up with a delightful bruise on my left boob for my efforts. Getting webbing and buckles that would alleviate those issues quickly devolved into custom territory.

I reached a point where I felt the hassle wasn't worth it. I could be clipped into the Hydros Pro and be happily looking at fish underwater or I could be topside futzing with webbing. I chose the option that made getting me into the water faster and easier.

You probably would have benefited from a deluxe type harness instead of a basic webbing. As long as you’re happy that’s all that matters.

 

[DS79]

I bought my Hydros Pro in Oct. 2018 and have meanwhile 400 dives on it.
I love how it feels under water (trim, handling...).
Great for traveling and even good for coldwater diving with lots of weights in the pockets.
My Tec-Buddies usually don't like it (without trying it) just because there is a lot of plastic and rather thin material on it - that's why it is so light, right?
I added an AIR2 to travel with even more streamlined equipment (I don't use an Octopus any more in warm water but I do add one on top in cold water, when we go with 2 first stages etc.).
Furthermore, I exchanged the D-rings with larger ones since I'm using deco stages and thick dry gloves.
I had to exhange the belly buckle twice (again - plastic). And some rubber pieces. So it's definitely not a heavy-duty-style piece of equipment but you can get spare parts easily and most of them are reasonably priced (except the bladder - try not to puncture it!). Exchanging them on the jacket is easy to do.
So yes, it's great.