Need A Couple Questions Answered.

[tracydr]

im 225lbs. thats the same setup as i was thinking. i was wondering if i should be considering integrated weight pouches.

I use the DSS BP/wing. I have some Halcyon pockets that my husband had extra from his Halcyon setup but I'm thinking of getting the DSS weighted plate to add to my plate.
sowmthing to think of though. The weights in the Jalcyon pocket are ditch able and movable. The weights on the DSS plate are there to stay. For me, that would make all of my weight on my back. I would have no ditch able weight at all and notching that I could move to another location, either.
I only needed the 18 pound wing, even with my drysuit. I talked to Tobin and he helped me decide on the right set-up. Part of the decision is that I use a shorter tank. He didn't want me to get a wing flat from the wing being longer than the tank, something I would have never thought of or known.
I haven't ever tried flooding my drysuit but it seems to be plenty of lift for me in any situation, so far.much, much better than the BC I was using, which didn't have nearly enough lift for when I was diving cold water.

 

[Colliam7]

The H gear...well as i said before, i want the adjustablity. and as said before, plastic clips and extra webbing are a No No. The Cinch system seems pretty cool.

I am not altogether sure what the 'cinch' system offers that a simple harness does not. I must have missed the part about no plastic clips - e.g. a quick release - but that isn't a problem. OK, you don't want a quick release, or 'plastic'. NP. That was not clear from your earlier post, but a reasonable position, nonetheless. I have to ask: How does the 'cinch' system offer anything that a 'standard' one piece harness not? Not disagreeing with your choice, just asking for clarification.

But as far as i know, there are no H dealers anywhere close to me.

So, why would you consider a Halcyon rig? Again, I own Halcyon gear, so I am not 'bashing' the 'H' brand. I am just trying to understand your rationale (since you did ask for help on this forum.)

The Atomic Regs....well there Atomic regs. I can afford good gear, and when i think about it, my regs are not the type of thing i want to base on price.

Atomics are good gear. Are they sold by a local dealer? I don't think that Atomics stands out as a brand uniquely better than, say, Apeks, Zeagle, or Mares, for example. If I wanted to spend money on regs I would, personally, go with Apeks, but that is just me. Again, not disagreeing with your specific choice, just curious about the 'Why'.

Does DSS make a Similar system to Cinch. Their glide harness i believe it is? Again, im open to all options, brands, and price ranges of gear. I just want to know that i am getting the best gear possible for the money.

Is there something unique about the 'cinch system' that I am missing, compared to a simple one piece harness?

and that im getting the best deal possible. According to Dan's, the H prices are set by H, and there is no negotiation. however, they can give deals when packages with other brands.

Dan's is right. The bigger question is, whether the 'H' is worth it. That is what people are trying to get you to consider.

this may sound materialistic, but i do want it to look like good gear as well as perform good.

Not a problem. The GOOD news for you, most gear - DSS, Oxycheq, Dive Rite, Zeagle, OMS, HOG, AND Halcyon -will 'look' good'. It will perfom well, in addition.

 

[4sak3n]

DSS offers a cinch system as well. All you need to do is spend $40 to buy this: https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=1340 and you are good to go. Now, $460 + $40 sounds a lot more reasonable to me than ~$1000. Especially considering that there is no difference in quality, function or fit between the two brands. In fact, I would hazard a guess that DSS' customer support is so far beyond H's that it is almost pathetic. This is based on multiple conversations with Tobin, a very generous offer that he made me when my wing failed* despite me being in a different country, years and years of seeing happy customer after happy customer posting on various boards as well as trawling through a handful of complaints about H gear/service on the same boards. Don't get me wrong, H gear is great. I rarely see any complaints about the gear or their customer service. But you never see any complaints about DSS' gear or service and in my books never >> rarely.

I own a DSS singles tank tank system, have dived it for close to 200 dives and, although I haven't dived Halcyon gear, have had H stuff in my hands and serviced it and I can tell you that the only difference in quality between it and DSS is the quality of the 'brand name'. i.e. you are paying nearly double what you would for the warm fuzzy feeling of saying: 'I own Halcyon gear.' It is a status symbol, nothing more or less.

I understand that a brand name is (relatively speaking) valuable and that some brands are worth paying more for. Hell ... I feel this way about ScubaPro regs. My ScubaPro reg is as much a status symbol as a well designed, quality little piece of kit. But there is no way in hell I would ever pay DOUBLE just for the name. Sadly I suspect that if I were to buy a new SP reg it would be double these days.

To put this into perspective: with the money you save from going with DSS over H I could add a seal ring system to my dry suit, refit my dry glove ring system, buy two sets of silicone seals (one spare) for both the neck and wrists, buy a spare set of dry gloves, buy the installation tools and tape and glue, buy a Xerotherm wrist warmer and still have change left over. A lot of change. I could even pay for a company to fit the seal ring systems to my dry suit and still have change. Probably not enough change to buy a dry glove ring system after that but I already have a dry glove system.

Me, personally, I would skip the H gear, spend less than a tenth of those savings on a glide adaptor for a DSS system and get a bombproof BP/W from DSS that kicks ass where it should: underwater rather than the branding department.

Needless to say: YMMV.

*and before someone gets smartsy: it was a pinch flat i.e. totally my fault.

 

[adamp69]

The cinch system lets the one piece harness adjust freely and easily without having and plastic clips or buckles, and without moving any of the accessories.

I am going to call DSS. I've just been trying to find gear in canada. Just simply cuz I want it yesterday. Lol. Like I said before. I'm not opposed to any brand. I want adjustability or easy entry/exit. I originally thought the DR transplate looked good. But As aome of u pointed out, i can see how plastic clips and buckles are a weak point in the system.

As for the regs. Same deal. I'm not stuck on any one brand. Just looking to get high quality, dependable gear for the best price possible.

 

[fnfalman]

ok. this is good. The H gear...well as i said before, i want the adjustablity. and as said before, plastic clips and extra webbing are a No No. The Cinch system seems pretty cool. But as far as i know, there are no H dealers anywhere close to me. The Atomic Regs....well there Atomic regs. I can afford good gear, and when i think about it, my regs are not the type of thing i want to base on price. Does DSS make a Similar system to Cinch. Their glide harness i believe it is? Again, im open to all options, brands, and price ranges of gear. I just want to know that i am getting the best gear possible for the money. and that im getting the best deal possible. According to Dan's, the H prices are set by H, and there is no negotiation. however, they can give deals when packages with other brands. thanks tho everyone.

this may sound materialistic, but i do want it to look like good gear as well as perform good.

The bottom line is that it's YOUR money. Spend it any which way you want. You've been informed of more economical options, but if you like the Blue H or the Dive Rite Flag, then knock yourself out. Who cares if the salty ones look at you funny all decked out in Gucci Gears? It's your money and the gear works.

As far as Atomic regs go, they're good stuff BUT they are of piston design and you really have to watch them a bit closer than a diaphram design because of the very cold water in your area of the world. In order for a piston first stage to not freeze and freeflow, the manufacturer would pack fancy grease in it (Cristolube or Tribolube), but even then it's still not a sure thing. I love my Atomic regs but when I was doing ice diving in the lakes of Idaho, I went with my el cheapo Aqualung Titan LX diaphram reg. Though to be fare, I also used my Atomic M1 down to 40-F with zero issues.

---------- Post Merged at 01:05 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:02 PM ----------

I originally thought the DR transplate looked good. But As aome of u pointed out, i can see how plastic clips and buckles are a weak point in the system.

.

There are a lot of theoretical weak points on a dive rig. Just remember that Dive Rite is a world class outfit. They don't make gears so that tech divers would go out and get themselves killed due to failure.

 

[adamp69]

Talked with Tobin from DSS today. great guy! did a good job of educating me in Wing lift calculation and rig setup. As i've tried to say before. i dont care about the brand name. I just want to get the right gear. I know DSS has the right gear. my only worry is shipping. and of course, crossing the border. Dive shops are few and far between here. lol. The other Unfortunate thing here is that DSS doesnt sell regs. I was really hoping i could get a full setup for a killer price somewhere.

 

[gcarter]

Talked with Tobin from DSS today. great guy! did a good job of educating me in Wing lift calculation and rig setup. As i've tried to say before. i dont care about the brand name. I just want to get the right gear. I know DSS has the right gear. my only worry is shipping. and of course, crossing the border. Dive shops are few and far between here. lol. The other Unfortunate thing here is that DSS doesnt sell regs. I was really hoping i could get a full setup for a killer price somewhere.

If you like what you heard from Tobin, you can get it through Dan's - he is a dealer. That would avoid the whole border thing.

 

[adamp69]

oh really? cool. dan's didnt mention that

 

[NAM001]

I have a dss rig, and i suppose in the big picture is is no real difference than any other rig. it has its fine benifits as do others. what i like about it is that the plate is made for bolt on steel weight plates. I put on a 4# on each side for a total of 8 when i go into salt water of fresh water with doubles and my farmer john 3mm. other than that the steel bp with out the weights are good for my 3mm shorty in fresh water. as far as diagnosing what you need, tobin is verey good and gets, your prospective rig, right on the phone. like others have said do not attempt the combo single doubles wing thing. you will in the end regret it.

I'm 100% sure i want a BP/W. I've been doing alot of research and looking at different products. I'm still a little unsure if i want a harness with shoulder padding and quick release, or just a pure tek harness. My question is about back plates. Are different BPs designed to work differently? Do all BPs need STA's for single tank diving? Is there really a wing out there that is able to do both single and double tanks? or am i better off just focusing on single tank setup for now and purchasing a new wing later? I know alot of ppl recommend DSS, but I was a little confused with the site and the rig config. I should mention that I am in Newfoundland canada and my diving well be primarily cold water.

So with all that in mind, anyone wanna recommend a good setup for me.

My local Dive shop carries HOG gear, and gave me a great price on a BP/W, harness and Reg setup

Thanks. Thank god for this site

 

[adamp69]

I Agree. Tobin was great. Gave me a real lesson in diving dynamics and buoyancy. the only variable is the drysuit i dont own yet. the could cause a problem with wing sizing. however tobin feels id be fine with a 35lbs wing. the weight plates are a great product. im surprised more brands arent doing it. Like I said before. my only issues is the distance and getting it across the border. Ièm almost tempted to buy the HOG setup that is available to me right now, while i wait. lol.