Switching to backplate and wing

[Ayisha]

"Fundies" = Fundamentals Skills Course, organized by GUE ? Is that correct ?

Yes. Great course!

 

[Roger Hobden]

Yes. Great course!

Thanks !

I see they are organizing courses in BC and in Saskatchewan in 2017 and 2018. Do they give courses in other Provinces ?

 

[Ayisha]

Thanks !

I see they are organizing courses in BC and in Saskatchewan in 2017 and 2018. Do they give courses in other Provinces ?

Yes, absolutely. In Quebec you can check for GUE Fundamentals courses with Dany Dulak. In Ottawa, Ontario, you have Steve Blanchard. In the St Catherines, Ontario area, you have Jennifer Bush. In the Toronto area, there is Heison Chak.

You can check for GUE instructors in your area and when their courses are at: GUE Instructors | Global Underwater Explorers

 

[Roger Hobden]

Yes, absolutely. In Quebec you can check for GUE Fundamentals courses with Dany Dulak. In Ottawa, Ontario, you have Steve Blanchard. In the St Catherines, Ontario area, you have Jennifer Bush. In the Toronto area, there is Heison Chak.

You can check for GUE instructors in your area and when their courses are at: GUE Instructors | Global Underwater Explorers

Great ! Thank you very much !

 

[billt4sf]

"Fundies" = Fundamentals Skills Course, organized by GUE ? Is that correct ?

Yes.

My wife and I both took it. We didn't pass, but it was still the best course I ever took by far. Much of that was due to the instructor (Alberto Nava) and his patience. We actually took extra private sessions with him besides the class. Still didn't pass, but we got what we needed and more.

- Bill

 

[Diver_In_Pink]

When you dive in Thailand, do you use aluminum tanks, steel, or a mix?

After you finish DM, are you planning to become an instructor?

Regarding wing size, when you are in a drysuit and are carrying 35# of weight, imagine that you start a dive, go straight to maximum depth, and something happens to cause your drysuit to flood. You need to make sure your wing can lift you. If you have a bunch of weight you can ditch, a 30-something # wing is probably enough. If you can't or don't want to ditch any weight, then a 35# wing is probably not enough.

I dive with aluminium tanks both at home and in thailand.

I don't plan on becoming an instructor anytime soon!

 

[Diver_In_Pink]

Thanks everyone for the advise!

So far I'm leaning towards either Apeks or Halcyon with a steel backplate and 30lb wing with the possibility of adding a second wing in the future.

 

[large_diver]

I dive a steel BP at home with drysuit in New England; AL for travel. Steel vs. AL can make a rather big difference (7-9 lbs) in terms of travel weight, since I am often trying to fit dive gear and all clothing for a given trip into one 50lb travel bag (plus carrying on a camera backpack and reg bag). Having 2 BPs also means reduced need to mess with the harness.

 

[James R]

I dive a steel BP at home with drysuit in New England; AL for travel. Steel vs. AL can make a rather big difference (7-9 lbs) in terms of travel weight, since I am often trying to fit dive gear and all clothing for a given trip into one 50lb travel bag (plus carrying on a camera backpack and reg bag). Having 2 BPs also means reduced need to mess with the harness.

How do you get a 7-9lb difference in travel weight?

My Halcyon and ScubaPro steel plates both weigh 6lbs. My OMS AL plate weighs 2lbs. These are pretty standard weights.

 

[stuartv]

I dive with aluminium tanks both at home and in thailand.

I don't plan on becoming an instructor anytime soon!

In that case, I think you are definitely on the right track to get a SS plate.

Personally, I would strongly consider a small wing for Thailand and a bigger wing for drysuit diving.

I would definitely consider:

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package

$309 for a SS plate with a 25# wing. That should work well for Thailand.

Then you can look around for a bigger wing for use with your drysuit. A used wing would be an excellent option and with the DGX package plus a used bigger wing, you can very likely keep the total cost under what you will spend for just a brand new Apeks or Halcyon rig. If you really shop well, you could probably even get a new second wing and still keep the cost for the whole deal to less than what a new A or H would cost.

If you were planning to go for an Instructor certification, then I would say to consider getting an integrated BCD, instead of a BP/W. I think many places do not allow their instructors to teach in a BP/W. They want the instructor to be in the same style of BCD that the students are using. They want the instructor to have a cummerbund and a sternum strap and quick-release weight pockets and no crotch strap, so that when they demonstrate skills like BCD remove/replace, they do everything just the same way the students will do it. But, since you do not plan to go for Instructor, that is not as much of a concern. Though, it does seem POSSIBLE that some places will want DMs that are assisting with classes to also be in the same style BCD as the students. At the shop where I DM, they want instructors in an integrated BCD, but they have no issue with DMs using a BP/W, since the DMs are not allowed by (SDI) standard to demonstrate skills anyway.