DSS vs Halcyon

[diverjen]

Yeah Tobin walked me through fitting it to myself and said if I wanted the glide later I could get it later. The way I have it setup now I see no need,but if you are trying to compare the features of the two systems they both have a quick adjust feature.

Yes I forgot about those awesome weight plates good point!

 

[ams511]

The cinch quick adjust on the halcyon gear seems like a nice feature...and the padding as well, but like ams511 says I can probably find one that would work on the DSS if i really ended up feeling i needed it. And Im not sure those features are quite enough for me to justify the price difference I think.

The backplate pad (MC pack) is designed more to hold the SMB than to provide comfort. If you are diving up north then you will probably be in a 5-7 mil wetsuit so you will not feel it. I have the Eclipse not the Infinity, so I do not have the padding or the cinch on the plate.

If cost is a concern you can find a less expensive solution than either Halcyon or DSS. For example Dive Gear Express and Northeast Scuba Supply has a Dive Rite package for $300. You could also put together a Hollis package for around the same price From DGX, Cave Adventurers, or Leisure Pro.

Another thing is that you can ask your LDS for a discount on the Halcyon. I am not sure of the markup but I imagine he should be able to discount it by 20% or so.

 

[eelnoraa]

Cost aside, there some practical differences between the two approach. Halcyon's plate has a much steep band while DSS's is very flat. With Halcyon, you must use an STA. With DSS, you must NOT. The difference in usage is the tank will seat be further away from your back with Halcyon. Whether it is bad or good is really personal preference. I myself prefer to have tank further because my head tend to hit the first stage with flatter setup like DSS.

Being able to use weight plate for DSS plate is a big advantage for cold water divers, not so much for warmer water divers or double tank setup.

 

[ams511]

One of the nice things about the DSS plate is the ability to bolt on the weight plates Tobin makes. That can bring the plate up to 14 pounds of your ballast, making it easy to carry the rest on a belt or in a weight harness.

A properly adjusted harness doesn't need the slide ability of the Cinch, IMO. If you can't get in and out of your harness pretty easily, it's probably too tight.

The halcyon has an additional weight which can be added to the single tank adaptor to increase the weight to 12 lbs.

 

[NAM001]

I too have a tobin dss rig. I want to say that the rig you described is what i have other than the medium plate. i have a large so i guess that i am taller than you. for me the torus wing is prefect for me and my steel lp95 and 120 tanks. There is very little air bubble movement in the wing and as such the rig is very stable as war as trim goes. I also have the steel weight plates for salt water diving or dry suit diving in fresh water. they are bolt ons to the bp. This is unique to dss and is a super feature. Tobin tok my info did some calcs' and told me what i needed. I got it put it on and imediately layed horizontal in the water neutral in the column. I have 3 dss wings. one single and 2 doubles. both the doubles wings had leak problems, both were PROMPTLY repaired and returned and function to this date. I suspect that the torus26 will be the only wng you will ever need unless you go to a dry suit adn depending what type you may need one with more lift or one with the lift shifted slightly to the waist area

In regrds to halcion, thier gear is probably as good as any one elses are. They have the DIR stamp of approval on them so the cost will be a higher because of it.

I personally like the idea of not having to use an STA on the plate when diving single. dss alllows me to do that. dont know how halcion handles that so i cant comment. I suspect that if ou drop both manufacturers plates from an airplane at 5000 ft and check then out when they hit the ground they will both be similar preforming. A plate is a plate is a plate except for dss. and all wings are not created equal. If there was a downside to dss wings it is that the bladder is sewn in and not feild rermovable.

Hello - new diver looking at investing in a BP&W system. My local dive shop is a big advocate of Halcyon gear, but I have also heard good things about DSS and recently spoke with Tobin who suggested the following after a brief discussion:

Single Tank Rig w/ Medium Stainless Steel plate, Hogarthian Harness, Torus 26, Full Circle Style Single Tank Wing

I live in the northeast so the bulk of my diving would be up here although i def plan warm water diving trips at least once or twice a year. I dont presently use a dry suit but could see that as an option in the future...if that has an impact on the decision.

In regards to Halcyon...should the Halcyon travel BCD be a consideration? Is it comparable to the DSS rig that Tobin suggested or would I just be better off going that route if I didnt go for the Halcyon Infinity or Eclipse? the price of the DSS gear is also a lot easier to swallow than Halcyon...

Any help or insight would be great - thanks!

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I own both brands; doubles and singles rigs.
I think highly of both DSS and Halcyon, and have been very happy with them.

There are differences in price, and some varying design features. You are probably already quite familiar with the design differences if you've spent time reading up on both.....in my opinion, there is no difference in quality.

I will say that it is very hard to beat a DSS LCD 30 wit SS plate for an all around single tank rig. The shape of the wing is very streamlined, just a perfect shape for an aluminum 80 tank.

A few of my dive buddies have the Halcyon Traveler. It is a good BC, the best feature about it is the weight pockets on the back plate. Even if you are not using it for travel, it is nice to be able to make it an 8-12 lb. back plate.

The traveler come with a "cinch", harness adjustment, which is nice if you are interested in that sort of feature. At a price of $600, the traveler is a good deal.

Back to the DSS.......it's only $465, which is a steal, considering the quality. DSS also has a harness adjustment that can be added to the plate and still be under $500.

You'll see rigs that are cheaper than DSS, and some that cost more....but you won't find one that is better built.

Halcyon is very nice, I like mine a lot....but they are not better. Branding is part of why Halcyon costs more than the others.

As I said...it's really tough to beat the DSS LCD30. I like the LCD30 over the Torus26, because of the shape....but that's just personal preference.

A former dive buddy used to have the Torus26.

Have fun shopping. ;-)

 

[j2s]

Pretty much echo the majority's opinion of DSS....I've used both, I use gear regularly and am hard on it, especially the cave gear.....The DSS stuff holds up better.......Better + less = no brainer........

 

[thedariolama]

Thank u all again, you have really helped a ton, I really appreciate it and loving scubaboard this is such a great site, especially for a newbie.

 

[Teller]

Im sure DSS rigs are great, I have always heard good things about them. I recently picked up a Halcyon Eclipse system from Wayne at Dive Seekers and I love it. If you decide to go with the H brand call Wayne.

 

[Tug]

I have both DSS and Halcyon plates and wings. You can't go wrong with either as pretty much everyone else said. eelnoraa brought up some good differences between the two setups but what it ultimately comes down to is personal preference.

Where in the North East are you located? There are probably some folks around that dive both rigs if you wanted to check them out before buying.