AbyssalPlains
Contributor
Thanks,
I spent some time on the phone with Tobin and he steered me away from the integrated inflator/octo. I'll probably go with him since he spent an hour educating me.
First, congratulations at your decision to consider going into BP/W first. I made the switch only recently, as I wasn't even aware of BP/W setups existed when I bought my first BC a little over two years ago. Now that I have put the first ten dives on my BP/W setup, I am amazed at how much I have been missing. Right off the bat, I shaved ten (10!) pounds off my weight requirements, just for starters. And the enjoyment of the unrestricting feel of a Hogarthian harness doesn't stop there.
I had a similar experience with Tobin. I had called a different manufacturer where I was given every impression that the people there weren't interested in my business, but Tobin took the time to explain it all to me. I did end up buying his set-up, and when I compare it to for example Dive Rite, I find it hard to believe that I even considered that stuff before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that one brand or setup is necessarily better than another, but the DSS BP/W beats everything I've seen in terms of ease of use and streamlined profile. With a DSS setup you don't have to spend big bucks on a cumbersome piece of metal called a single tank adapter, and everything is really thought out well and snaps into place. I have compared pretty much every BP and W on the market and the DSS BPs appear to me as the ones with the best craftsmanship. They are the only ones whose webbing slots are rubberized, which I first thought was a useless gimmick, but after a friend and DiveRite user showing me her webbing that is totally chafed and about to fall apart from rubbing at the slots, I was a believer in the rubberized slots. If you don't plan on doing any double tank diving soon, don't go over 30 pounds of lift with your wing. I found it to be more than plenty, even with a very thick suit. I see those people diving singles with their 40-lbs wings flopping all over the place and it just makes me sad. Can't go wrong with your DSS setup!