Revolutionary hog system...

[mousehunter]

Ok, so my wife was hanging out after a dive, eating some pizza and talking about getting new equipment... Some of the other divers were telling her about a revolutionary new system that would be rolled out at dive shops everywhere in a couple of months. It would make going whole hog easy, one stop shopping. My wife forgot the rest of the details...

So here is the issue/game. If you are aware of such a system, please do tell. If not, imagine what one would be and make it up (but do tell which is real and which is imaginary).
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My imagination:
1) most likely-they were talking about a hybrid back flotation bc. Probably one piece, but maybe only putting adjustable straps on a hog back plate. Hardly revolutionary.

2) less likely - an adjustable strap system that attaches to any existing back plate. Used in shop only to get measurements so the shop can quickly adjust an actual one strap system quickly for you and the back plated used.

3) hollywood likely- an electronic system using a scale and camera(s) that measures your weight and volume, computes the buoyancy you need (and options to achieve it), compares your shape to various available plates to compute the best fitting plate for you given your diving style (suite, tanks, etc), and gives measurements so that the harness can be pre-adjusted - for you and your suit. Kind of like asking the forum for help....

 

[Lorenzoid]

Huh? I'm lost. What is meant by "going whole hog easy" in the context of a BC? Or does "hog" here refer to Hogarthian?

 

[mousehunter]

I had little clue what my wife had heard. So I was assuming everything and wanting to make a game out of the guesswork. But my initial assumption was a bc or bp/w. That said, given this was mostly likely entry level ease of sales dive shop related, they probably would be inclined to fill the shopping cart with everything from the tanks to dive lights.

Talked with stepson after the post. Appears they were amped up about a soon to be released aqualung modular system-not exactly what my wife had alluded to.

 

[MichaelMc]

Imagined: Non invasive cat scan/x-ray determines body density profile by cubic mm, lung normal and extended ranges. Technical stats on gear (regs, tanks, wetsuits, wetsuit depth compression curve, wing 3D inflation profile by angle) gives their densities. CAD system allows dressing diver with gear and profiling them though depths of dive phases and diver orientations, reporting buoyancy and trim of diver through breathing range and tank use. Providing suggestions for gear or gear position changes.

 

[Hoag]

My guess is that they were maybe talking about the Aqualung Outlaw BCD.

 

[MichaelMc]

My guess is that they were maybe talking about the Aqualung Outlaw BCD.

I like my version of "broke all the rules" and "provides the quickest and easiest way to customize for your most comfortable fit". It's much cooler.

 

[ams511]

My guess is that they were maybe talking about the Aqualung Outlaw BCD.

Probably so, but it is not revolutionary at all. Years ago Oxycheq came out with a soft plate that could be attached to a wing to make it like a BC. You could ad whatever else you wanted to it. The webbing was so adjustable it could be used for both and adult and child. Apeks, Mares, and I am sure a few others have something similar. Zeagle has the Express Tech that also has a softplate design. Again you can add what you want. The Outlaw seems to be AL's version of the Express Tech. I believe Dive Rite has something similar called the Travel Pac.

The 12lb lift version would be only for tropical diving where thin wet suits are used and little weight is carried. The 25lb lift version would be more versatile also but more bulky.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Sounds like the people you're wife was talking to fell for some marketing hype lock stock and barrel. In the ten years I have been diving I can't count how many times I have heard this line from some marketing add. The only company that I have seen come out with something that could be considered revolutionary or a game changer is HOG. And it was not the product that was special it was the direction that the company took in sales and service of their products.

 

[Colliam7]

Sounds like the people you're wife was talking to fell for some marketing hype lock stock and barrel.

I would have to agree. I don't see much in this system that is new or revolutionary. Apeks already had a very simple, fabric backplate (http://www.apeksdiving.com/us/products/bcds/product/ultralight-travel-plate.html), which is very functional. I have one, and like it. I am not an expert diver ('Designed for the expert diver . . .) as I don't see much appeal of this unit (other than the very light weight, I guess). But, it seems to me that the 'expert diver' would assemble a rig themselves, possibly using the travel plate as a foundation, rather than buy an already configured rig, irrespective of how flexible it is made to sound.