Well here it goes
I purchased my first knighthawk when they first came out.I had it for about a year and then sold it due to unforseen circumstances.Basically after serving some time in the army reserves and getting out,6 mos later i somehow got reinstated back into active duty for 1 year due to the Sept 11 events.
After i got back home and got settled i went back to my LDS and purchased another knighthawk.I have always liked my knighthawk and think its a great bc.About my only complaints are how the tank sits when you are out of the water.The bc seems to droop down and hang back.With a BP the tank is right there stuck to your back and not hanging down by your butt out of the water.The other thing i didnt care for are the adjustable harness straps that seem to loosen by themselves every once in a while.I will admit that the adjustable straps do make the knighthawk a little easier to get on and off but not by much.
So why did i change
Well thanks to pug and others on this board i discovered a diving style called DIR.Actually i dont know whether to hate them or thank them.......
ut: . I know my bank acct hates them:blahblah:
Some of my other reason for changing over is that i wanted to use a cannister light without strapping it to my tank.I really liked how modular the BP/wing set up is.I have a place for my cannister light,my back up light attaches to my harness and tucks nicely under my arm,my lift bag tucks nicely into the backplate.The backplate is comfy and allows me to remove 6lbs off of my waist.The harness set up is really secure and quite comfortable.
Another big reason for the change was the option to dive doubles in the future without having to buy a whole another bc.I just really like how the whole DIR equip system fits together and is easily changed to fit your diving needs.Try placing a cannister light on a knighthawk along with a back up light,lift bag and its not near as clean as the BP/wing set up.
In the water my trim was really nice with the BP.My trim was usually ok with the knighthawk but didnt seem as stable or natural as my BP.The BP seems to glide throught the water really nice and never experienced any air trapping.I have noticed some air trapping from time to time with my knighthawk but nothing to bad that wasnt easily solved.
My opinion of the knighthwak is that it is probably one of the best bc's for somebody who is a recreational diver with no interrest in going into tech style of diving later.
The nice thing about my halcyon set up is that it is easily adapted for use as a open water rig and is easily adaptable for doubles,tech diving or whatever i desire to pursue.
Let me add that this is just my opinion and do not want to start another DIR war.DIR style of diving and gear works for me which is why i chose to switch over.Another big reason was the ability to expand my diving options as my experience grows using the same setup with some minor changes.
