My review of DSS Kydex Backplate & 20lb LCD Wing!

[jeffrey-c]

Tobin, I honestly don't know how you or anyone outside the major manufacturers make a living in this business! I think most people forget just how small the total available market is for scuba products. Looking at the stats in the US (info from DEMA) it is not a large or growing market: total certified divers are less than 3% of the population; only about 175k new divers are certified each year (a number almost 20% lower than a few years ago); majority of certified divers don't own their own equipment, and only 1/3 of those would consider purchasing gear.

I'm sure the niche of people who are willing to go outside the basic jacket BC mentality is a far smaller number as well, and it seems that many of those try to scrimp and save so much on their dive gear that I expect you must see very large price sensitivity in your market (look how many posts are on SB from people trying to do things like save $2 by getting brass boltsnaps instead of splurging the whopping $5 for a stainless version). And if you tried to service your market with different versions that appealed to each diver's specific desires you'd probably end up with 249,999 different product versions servicing 250,000 different diving consumers (I assume there are probably two people who coincidently want the same thing ).

I'm not in the dive business and given the market opportunity I don't think I'd ever want to be - as a businessman I don't find businesses with shrinking market size and increasing barriers to entry for new participants to be an attractive opportunity. But I'm glad you and others like you try - it's good to have choice other than the pablum products that the Big Few manufacturers pitch to the masses!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Tobin, I honestly don't know how you or anyone outside the major manufacturers make a living in this business! I think most people forget just how small the total available market is for scuba products. Looking at the stats in the US (info from DEMA) it is not a large or growing market: total certified divers are less than 3% of the population; only about 175k new divers are certified each year (a number almost 20% lower than a few years ago); majority of certified divers don't own their own equipment, and only 1/3 of those would consider purchasing gear.

I'm sure the niche of people who are willing to go outside the basic jacket BC mentality is a far smaller number as well, and it seems that many of those try to scrimp and save so much on their dive gear that I expect you must see very large price sensitivity in your market (look how many posts are on SB from people trying to do things like save $2 by getting brass boltsnaps instead of splurging the whopping $5 for a stainless version). And if you tried to service your market with different versions that appealed to each diver's specific desires you'd probably end up with 249,999 different product versions servicing 250,000 different diving consumers (I assume there are probably two people who coincidently want the same thing ).

I'm not in the dive business and given the market opportunity I don't think I'd ever want to be - as a businessman I don't find businesses with shrinking market size and increasing barriers to entry for new participants to be an attractive opportunity. But I'm glad you and others like you try - it's good to have choice other than the pablum products that the Big Few manufacturers pitch to the masses!

Jeff,

That a very accurate analysis of the market. Your correct it's not easy to make a buck. If I didn't enjoy the both the sport and challenge of design and manufacturing it would be hard to justify the effort.

Our "solution" to the problem is somewhat unique in that almost 100% of what DSS sells is designed and manufactured in house. While our direct costs are not low, we mimic Dell computer in that we configure what the user needs more or less as we receive the orders. Because we build what we sell we don't have to stock a lot of finished goods, just enough raw materials to produce them. Our higher costs of manufacturing is offset by our JIT stocking system.

Gotta run now, need to go make some more back plates!


Tobin

 

[reefrat]

A few people have asked about the weight of the Kydex BP with the 20lb wing.

I used the digital bathroom scales (that is all I have to weigh them) and took my weight 3 times without the BCD and 3 times holding it close to my centreline.
As far as I can tell the weight of the unit with the Halcyon weight pockets, mask pocket and line cutter is about 6.2 lbs.

I know it certainly feels light and with the wing removed and flattened the whole thing takes up very little space in my dive bag.

What I like about it is that it is a light travel BCD that is modular because I can increase the wing size if I need to and the weight pockets can be used (with standard weights found anywhere) to make it weigh the same as a stainless unit.

In fact I think these weight pockets, and the way fit on either side of the tank band very close to the wing are really essential to allow good horizontal or nuetral trim with this light BP and a single aluminium tank.
I won't be taking this BCD travelling without them!

 

[Vicente]

I'd love to see some good photos of this setup from a few angles.

I'm curious why the LCD wing and not the Torus wing?

I have a home-made rig that weighs 5 lbs for travel. Beuchat plastic backplate (with cushion pad), Halcyon 18-lb wing, single cam-strap, Hogarthian webbing, DiveRite single-zip pocket. No weight pockets I just zip-tie a 3-lb to the handle at my tropical destination put any additional on a belt. Works great. I never bothered installing a crotch-strap, seem to work just fine without it. At the time this rig got built, it was not at all about money it was about no one offering a light travel BP/W setup, so I had to cobble something together.

Despite the DeepSea solution being seemingly slightly heavier than mine, I like the flexibility. Mines a bit more tedious to take apart for one thing. DeepSea solution seems like it'd be a little less wiggly. Thinking about buying a new setup, keep seeking to improve, would love to hear any additional information you can pass along.

 

[cool_hardware52]

A couple quick points:

The reported weights in this thread are for a DSS Kydex, 20 lbs wing, harness, + 3rd party weight pockets and a mask pocket. I can get actual weights for just the DSS goods tomorow.

I have been waiting for DEMA to announce these, but I'll try to get some photo's and spec's of our new Tropical Travel Wing (TTW) up tomorrow. I can keep the other 4 or five new wings for DEMA

The TTW is 17 lbs of lift, Torus Shape, super narrow, single bladder wing. It's very light, very compact. The lift was of course tested in the assembled state, secured to a backplate with a tank mounted.

The TTW is constructed from 1000 Denier Cordura coated with 6.5 oz of urethane.

Tobin

 

[PacketSniffer]

A couple quick points:
<snip>I have been waiting for DEMA to announce these, but I'll try to get some photo's and spec's of our new Tropical Travel Wing (TTW) up tomorrow. I can keep the other 4 or five new wings for DEMA

Tobin,

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll see you at DEMA.

 

[cool_hardware52]

As promised some Rig weights:

DSS medium Kydex BackPlate, Hog harness and LCD 20 wing 5.2 lbs

DSS medium Kydex BackPlate, Hog Harness and TTW 17 wing 4.7 lbs

The actual weights are likely just bit less, because these include the full lenght of the webbing. Most users will trim off quite a bit.



Tobin

 

[thomjinx]

Thanks Reefrat and Tobin for the weight info! This is rarely listed for many pieces of gear. And thanks again Reefrat for the well-written review.

Tobin, your new TTW sounds like it has my name on it! 4.7 lbs! Now we're talking! I can't wait to learn more about it. I am sure you will get a good response at DEMA. I can't be there this year, I have too many projects going at once here.

Cheers,
Thomjinx