'bout time too!

[FOX]

<font color='#348781'>Now that I’m a highly trained teckie diver, the BCD and 15l single really need to take a trip to ebay, I therefore now have a new shopping list!

Wing
Backplate
Harness
Twins (probably 10’s)
More regs
(oh my god, I think I’ll just start a heroin addiction, it’ll be cheaper!)

Being new to this type of thing, I have a few questions/concerns, most of which have probably been covered before but ‘hey ho’ here goes anyway!

After LIDS I have fallen in love with the Halcyon setup (Explorer 55, Stainless BP &amp; Harness), I’m certainly not DIR (DERRRRRR, would be more appropriate) but the kit looks top quality so I’m sorely tempted, does anyone in YDville dive this kit?

Having never used a single piece harness and read some of the posts here, I’m a bit wary about going down this route, though clearly there are advantages! What options would I have in respect to using a BCD type harness if I don’t get on with the single piece, are all wing components from all manufacturers interchangeable? I’ve found this on a website does anyone know what they mean, if so can you please enlighten me and give me an idea of how I can get hold of one!

I do a fair bit of diving abroad so need to consider weight, presumably an ali backplate would be more sensible but would the wing still be heavier than a BCD and how do I go about setting the rig up for single cylinders (bearing in mind a steel STA is going to be pretty heavy)?

Does anyone sell twin 10’s with decent valves and manifolds *and* decent bands or is it worth building a set of my own (not too keen on this)?

Phew! I can breathe out now!

Cheers

Ian



PS any cheap sources would also be greatly appreciated!

[Dominic]

The 55 might be a bit big for 10s...

If you want the backplate &amp; harness rig, I really would look at a cheaper source than Halcyon - whilst their plate is lovely and shiny, it's not the cheapest option.. I have a Combro steel and Dive Rite alu, they both cost £40 each. According to Dir Direct you'll pay more than that just for the harness..

If you mean you'd like to add clips to the shoulder straps etc, just about any buckle will fit as 2&quot; webbing is standard. Try a one-piece first tho, you might like it!

Whereabouts do you live? There's probably somebody nearby who's got a rig you could try out..

[Mark Powell]

Take a look at the Narked at 60 thread, I use their backplate and harness. Oh and bands.

I think twin 10s would be ideal for you. Many dive shops will supply you with a twinset complete with manifold, isolator and bands. Kent Diving or Runnymeade certainly will. However you may save quite a bit by buying it seperately and assembling it yourself.

I would recommend going for MDE valves. If you are doing a shutdown then good quality valves are very important.

Before you go for an all in one harness try it out in the water and see what it is like kitting up and dekitting. Some people get on with them no problem other people don't like them. It's like most things, you have to be comfortable with your kit.

Let me know if you want to have a play in Wraysbury to try anything out.

[MATTBIN]

Ian
not saying its THE way to go but I have a set of inverted 10's if you want to try that orientation out, but you'd have to add valve guard and longer hoses to your shopping list &nbsp;

Matt

[And]

<font color='#000080'>Hi Ian

I have the Explorer 55 and Explorer 40 and also a Pioneer 36. I have the Stainless Steel BP and the Aluminium.

The one piece harness will take some adjusting but is easy to get in and out of once you get the hang of it.

Halcyon is the kit used by most DIR divers. The UK GUE instructor recommends a 40lb wing for the UK as our cylinders are smaller than those used in the states.

I personally would recommend 12's rather then 10's as the balance in the water is better.

Diving abroad I took the SS BP and it was great. I had no difficulty in keeping under the weight limit. It was actually quicker to get in and out of than a BC and extremely comfortable. They have replaced this with an Eclipse now which is CE tested.

Hope that helps

Andy

[Andy Phillips]

WL,

God bless you mate, but there is no way on god's green earth that it is quicker to get out of a one piece harness than it is to get out of a BC, next time we meet I will bet you a bacon butty I can beat you.

Bit of a laugh for you, I got stuck in the boot of my car the other day, doing a kit check after a bit of re-arrangement, got stages, twin 15's and all the associated bits, went to take it off by sitting on the boot lip and fell in, 5 mins of strangled yelps of help before some one came and gave me a hand. I can still hear the giggles ringing in my ears of the people there.

Andrew

[And]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (andyp @ April 01 2004,12:59)]WL,

God bless you mate, but there is no way on god's green earth that it is quicker to get out of a one piece harness than it is to get out of a BC, next time we meet I will bet you a bacon butty I can beat you.

Bit of a laugh for you, I got stuck in the boot of my car the other day, doing a kit check after a bit of re-arrangement, got stages, twin 15's and all the associated bits, went to take it off by sitting on the boot lip and fell in, 5 mins of strangled yelps of help before some one came and gave me a hand. I can still hear the giggles ringing in my ears of the people there.

Andrew

<font color='#000080'>Hi

I meant abroad with super slim wetsuit et al. Not kitted up with UK clobber and twins.

Have done the boot thing myself a couple of times, so now I drive a van. Pay less co. car tax too

Andy

[FOX]

<font color='#348781'>My reasoning behind the 55lb is for future flexibility, 55lb may be a bit OTT for twin 10’s but would 40lb be ok for twin 12’s and a 10l stage in the future? That said I do like the idea of keeping everything as compact as possible.

The Halcyon stuff just looked to be really well engineered, it’s all I can do to keep my hand out of my wallet!  


Inverting?...

…I’ll leave that to the bats!

I’m interested in the Agir Brokk thread at the moment, is putting your own twins together really a job for a LDS?

Where did I put my lump hammer……

[MATTBIN]

Somebody posted a thread on here about how to put Twins together for yourself, I have lost the link, it was saved as a favourite but pooter bellied up so its gone, a search might find it again. Due to your comments on Inverting I shall not be searching the archives for you &nbsp;
Oh OK I might.

The Lump Hammer goes between the twins along with the crowbar!

Rgds
Matt

[beanie]

<font color='#8D38C9'>not slaggin DIR but I wouldn't buy halcyon
yes it's good kit well made (from the look of it and by reputation)
but it's well over priced
get a combro backplate and rig you own harnes for peanuts webbing is dirt cheap and therefore you can mess around with it replacing it when you balls it up to much to use.

see if you can borrow other peoples kit to play with in the water - it's alot different to use it rather than just see it

I'd lend you mine but I don't have enough of it left

if you fancy a red wing see my personal ad