Another kit query (BC / Wing)...

Well, here's another lost soul with equipment questions - after all the
reading I've done I need some advice!

I'm about to buy my first set of kit, and need a BC / Wing, regs - I've
settled on a basic Apeks reg set - TX40's etc, the problem is the BC.

ATM, I dive in a semi-dry, and won't be getting a drysuit for a while yet,
and all my diving (so far) is in the UK. I might get off this rock once in a
while, but as far as I can see, It'll be the UK for the most part.

I don't want to go straight onto a twinset, but to have the option in the
future would be great.

I like the idea of the Halcyon Eclipse / Pioneer, but am not sure if it's
suitable for regular use in a semidry. Does anyone use one of these, what
with it being for a single tank?

Also, I've yet to do my SD depth progression to 35m, but am very keen to
dive Scapa Flow, is a single tank configuration going to be suitable?

Ok, thats about all I can think of - hopefully I can get an idea before the
dive show!

Thanks in advance,


Jeff.

Further to this - does anyone know of a cheap single tank adapter for a
Halcyon (or similar) wing system?

I'm looking for something similar to the Combro backplate, the STA offered
by www.dirdirect.com is £82 for a bit of laser cut SS and a couple of metres
of webbing - bit over the top IMHO. Would Combro be able to knock one up -
possibly with an intergrated weight bar as well?

TIA,


Jeff.


"Jeff S" <jeffNOSPAMPLEASE@razorworks.com> wrote in message
news:bonl60$8sr$1$830fa795@news.demon.co.uk...
> Well, here's another lost soul with equipment questions - after all the
> reading I've done I need some advice!
>
> I'm about to buy my first set of kit, and need a BC / Wing, regs - I've
> settled on a basic Apeks reg set - TX40's etc, the problem is the BC.
>
> ATM, I dive in a semi-dry, and won't be getting a drysuit for a while yet,
> and all my diving (so far) is in the UK. I might get off this rock once in
a
> while, but as far as I can see, It'll be the UK for the most part.
>
> I don't want to go straight onto a twinset, but to have the option in the
> future would be great.
>
> I like the idea of the Halcyon Eclipse / Pioneer, but am not sure if it's
> suitable for regular use in a semidry. Does anyone use one of these, what
> with it being for a single tank?
>
> Also, I've yet to do my SD depth progression to 35m, but am very keen to
> dive Scapa Flow, is a single tank configuration going to be suitable?
>
> Ok, thats about all I can think of - hopefully I can get an idea before
the
> dive show!
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> Jeff.
>
>
>

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 09:18:55 -0000, "Jeff S"
<jeffNOSPAMPLEASE@razorworks.com> wrote:

<snip>
>
>Also, I've yet to do my SD depth progression to 35m, but am very keen to
>dive Scapa Flow, is a single tank configuration going to be suitable?


>Jeff.

8 out of our group of 10 who went to scapa recently were diving
singles with ponies. They all seemed to have a good time, though Andy
and I (on twins) took great pleasure in waving goodbye from the bottom
of the KPW as they started running low on gas!

David

Dive rite do a single plate.. BC1088SMP

Its perfectly good.

> I like the idea of the Halcyon Eclipse / Pioneer, but am not
> sure if it's suitable for regular use in a semidry. Does
> anyone use one of these, what with it being for a single
> tank?

Yes. I've got a Pioneer (as do a number of other members of my club) and the
club now owns a couple of Eclipses as well. You probably won't be able to
get the Pioneer in the UK anymore (at least, not easily) as it's not CE
marked. They're both excellent wings, although the more recent versions of
the Pioneer have (IMO) annoying rods to "stabilise" the cylinder which
(again, IMO) are best removed and replaced with a proper single tank
adaptor.

Iain

Did you get the "Complete System" like the one at DIR Direct, or did you set
up your own harness, backplate etc?

BTW, has anyone dealt with DIR Direct? Any good? (They've got a complete
Eclipse setup for just under £400...)

I'm at a bit of a loss as there are no experienced wing users in my club,
and of course you get the usual responses about them - not very helpful.

From what I can see it'll suit what I want to do now and in the future - I
just don't know enough about these things to jump in and say "yep, that'll
work well" or the opposite!



"Iain Smith" <iainmsmith@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:gvUrb.2225$Tc2.16741@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> > I like the idea of the Halcyon Eclipse / Pioneer, but am not
> > sure if it's suitable for regular use in a semidry. Does
> > anyone use one of these, what with it being for a single
> > tank?
>
> Yes. I've got a Pioneer (as do a number of other members of my club) and
the
> club now owns a couple of Eclipses as well. You probably won't be able to
> get the Pioneer in the UK anymore (at least, not easily) as it's not CE
> marked. They're both excellent wings, although the more recent versions of
> the Pioneer have (IMO) annoying rods to "stabilise" the cylinder which
> (again, IMO) are best removed and replaced with a proper single tank
> adaptor.
>
> Iain
>
>

> Did you get the "Complete System" like the one at DIR Direct,
> or did you set up your own harness, backplate etc?

I got the "prototype" for the plate that a friend was making for himself in
a university department. It bore a curious resemblance to a Dive Rite. But
cost me £2.50. I then rigged my own harness.

The question is how much you can be bothered to smooth the edges off a
Combro plate. If you've got time and the tools, they're probably your
cheapest source of backplates (£30 plus P&P, IIRC). Harness parts are easy
to come by, although even if you bought the Halcyon harness for £51 (!!!),
the Combro backplate and the Halcyon wing, you're still saving about £80.
You can, however, get the harness + parts for an awful lot less! You will,
however, need a single tank adaptor. I haven't found any sensibly priced
commercial sources as yet (it is, after all, only a piece of aluminium
channel with two holes and four slots cut into it!)

> BTW, has anyone dealt with DIR Direct? Any good? (They've got
> a complete Eclipse setup for just under £400...)

I've dealt with the same people ("Underwater Explorers" in Portland) on a
number of occasions and get on very well with them. I don't think I've
bought anything through their website yet, but it's only a matter of time.

> From what I can see it'll suit what I want to do now and in
> the future - I just don't know enough about these things to
> jump in and say "yep, that'll work well" or the opposite!

I found that my Pioneer wing plus backplate/harness worked really well for
all the single tank diving that I have done. I did find that for pool
teaching, my steel plate was too heavy, so rigged an AL plate as well. When
I went to a twinset, I substituted an Explorer wing. And, most recently, I
replaced my drysuit and suddenly found that there was too much weight in my
steel plate. So I may well end up with an AL plate for everything.

In other words, for complete versatility, you need at least an AL plate plus
two wings. However, the modular nature of the kit means that you add what
you need when you need it.

Iain

Thanks Iain,

Good to get some feedback from someone who's used the wing - just got to
decide whether to sort out my own harness, backplate and STA now!



"Iain Smith" <iainmsmith@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:Jcesb.452$0M2.280@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...
> > Did you get the "Complete System" like the one at DIR Direct,
> > or did you set up your own harness, backplate etc?
>
> I got the "prototype" for the plate that a friend was making for himself
in
> a university department. It bore a curious resemblance to a Dive Rite. But
> cost me £2.50. I then rigged my own harness.
>
> The question is how much you can be bothered to smooth the edges off a
> Combro plate. If you've got time and the tools, they're probably your
> cheapest source of backplates (£30 plus P&P, IIRC). Harness parts are easy
> to come by, although even if you bought the Halcyon harness for £51 (!!!),
> the Combro backplate and the Halcyon wing, you're still saving about £80.
> You can, however, get the harness + parts for an awful lot less! You will,
> however, need a single tank adaptor. I haven't found any sensibly priced
> commercial sources as yet (it is, after all, only a piece of aluminium
> channel with two holes and four slots cut into it!)
>
> > BTW, has anyone dealt with DIR Direct? Any good? (They've got
> > a complete Eclipse setup for just under £400...)
>
> I've dealt with the same people ("Underwater Explorers" in Portland) on a
> number of occasions and get on very well with them. I don't think I've
> bought anything through their website yet, but it's only a matter of time.
>
> > From what I can see it'll suit what I want to do now and in
> > the future - I just don't know enough about these things to
> > jump in and say "yep, that'll work well" or the opposite!
>
> I found that my Pioneer wing plus backplate/harness worked really well for
> all the single tank diving that I have done. I did find that for pool
> teaching, my steel plate was too heavy, so rigged an AL plate as well.
When
> I went to a twinset, I substituted an Explorer wing. And, most recently, I
> replaced my drysuit and suddenly found that there was too much weight in
my
> steel plate. So I may well end up with an AL plate for everything.
>
> In other words, for complete versatility, you need at least an AL plate
plus
> two wings. However, the modular nature of the kit means that you add what
> you need when you need it.
>
> Iain
>
>

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 09:16:54 -0000, "Jeff S"
<jeffNOSPAMPLEASE@razorworks.com> wrote:

>Thanks Iain,
>
>Good to get some feedback from someone who's used the wing - just got to
>decide whether to sort out my own harness, backplate and STA now!
>

Do it!
- Its easy
- Its a lot cheaper
- Once done you break the thought of "I should not by mucking about
with dive kit myself"



Pete
diving 'at' melbourne 'dot' me 'dot' uk

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 09:16:54 -0000, "Jeff S"
<jeffNOSPAMPLEASE@razorworks.com> wrote:

>Thanks Iain,
>
>Good to get some feedback from someone who's used the wing - just got to
>decide whether to sort out my own harness, backplate and STA now!

A word of advice, if you do rig your own (which I recommend), leave
_lots_ of webbing at both ends and do not cut it down until you have
been in the water a few times. I got mine rigged perfectly (or so I
thought) on land when I got it in the water it was far too high up my
back and I had to rethink the whole thing. This required bigger arm
loops and seriously ate into the bit that went around my waist -
ATEOTD, I just about go away with it.

Laz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A foolproof method for sculpting an Elephant:
First, get a huge block of marble. Then, chip away
everything that doesn't look like an Elephant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Change "nospam" to "ntlworld" to reply.