Hello folks,
Yes I am still lurking and learning. I did buy the Hollis AL BP/W, Elite II harness and S38 wing - and absolutely loved it, in spite of my fears about fit. The LDS I bought it from - Seven Seas Scuba in Monterrey - was extremely helpful in educating me about the gear, and the Manager - Louis Powell - got in the water with me for a dive to put the finishing touches on the fit. Without him, I would probably still be tweaking it, but Louis knew exactly what he was doing and had everything sitting perfectly. I could not be happier, and I look forward to a lot of fun diving with the rig.
As an addition, my LDS here in Seattle - Underwater Sports - was able to arrange for a demo SMS100 from the Hollis Rep for me to try in their pool. I really enjoyed the rig, and felt extremely comfortable in the water. I tried Single Tank AL80 back mount as well as Single Tank Side-mount - and absolutely loved it. With no formal training I had no difficulty with control and trim, even while swinging the tank underwater - although I am sure an experienced instructor could point out at least a dozen things wrong with my technique... I will definitely be getting into Sidemount later on down the road, but for now I am going to dive and gain as much experience as I can.
Thanks again to all for your help and advice.
Noam