First BP/Wing Dive

After 2 weeks of nail biting my Halcyon MC system arrived. So eagerly I drive out to do my first time with it!

The setup:

The webbing was threaded already in the backplate with rubber loops/d-rings/etc all in the right places. Even with help from a seasoned BP diver, it took a good 30 minutes of sliding straps around to get a good snug, but comfortable fit. Another 30 minutes to get it ready to dive.

This is NOT a step into a size medium and pull a few fastex buckles kind of thing. Make sure you have the time. Fortunately I and my friend were at the boat a good 1 1/2 hours early.

Pre dive:

Can we say.. uncomfortable.. at first. New rig's will do that. Took me a good 10 minutes to get into the thing, get my regs sorted out, and get into the water. I can see this quickly getting faster.. but its new, so I will take some adjusting.

I notice a few things right off. The inflator hose is SHORT.. and when I say short I mean totally not long. But its a good short, no a great short... in fact its just right. I can breath. Well, I could breath with my poodle jacket, but I never realized just how restricting it was. I mean I can FULLY breath with no restrictions. The rig is clean. Everything tucks out of the way, but accessible. My lights are snug, my hoses fall in line better, my SPG is handy.

The dive:

I had surprisingly little difficulty getting used to the rig under water. Just bang, horizontal and neutral. I never new just how much body english and sculling I was using with the poodle jacket to get horizontal. At this point I knew I would never EVER dive anything else. I did have some minor problems dumping air from the wing and manipulating the back dump, but I am positive I will have a handle on this in a few more dives.

Final impressions:

Wow. I have a few minor things I need to take care of.. but I love this thing.

Jim,

I'm glad you liked your new setup. When I got mine, I looked at my instructor doing the adjustment and thought-"Man, this is going to be tough when he's not around!". A couple of years later and I switch harness back and forth in 5 minutes or so. It's just practice-and I like to fiddle with stuff!

The cleanliness in the chest area is what first got my attention. Nothing holding me in but a couple of straps, and smooth flow thru the water.

Couple of suggestions on the back dump. Tie a couple of knots in the end of the string-not too large. Also, Uncle Pug taught me this one: Make an "OK" with your thumb and index finger on the valve, and then squeeze it down until you grasp the cord. Sure beats stabbing in the dark!

Enjoy your new toy!

Good to hear you liked it. I resently got mine and had the same feelings, I am not going back.

Chad

JimC wrote...
I can breath. Well, I could breath with my poodle jacket, but I never realized just how restricting it was.

Click to expand...

Amen! That shortness of breath on the surface was what originally turned me away from jacket BCs and towards BPs.

JimC wrote...
My lights are snug, my hoses fall in line better, my SPG is handy.

Click to expand...

Do you have it rigged DIR-style to your left hip D-ring? With a Pioneer wing, I often have difficulties reclipping it during the dive...so much so that I'm halfway considering adding a retractor.

Congrats on your new BP!

metridium once bubbled...
With a Pioneer wing, I often have difficulties reclipping it during the dive...so much so that I'm halfway considering adding a retractor.

Click to expand...

Don't just yet.... keep working at it and you will get it. Look at the picture... this is how I hold the hose and bolt snap for unclipping, viewing and clipping back in place. Of course I am usually using drygloves but they do not make it easier

Holding the bolt snap this way makes it easy to sweep along the waist strap and hook the D-ring... if it is laying down flat it is also easy to lift it up with a finger and clip it off.

I hold the hose between my little finger and ring finger.

Thanks for the pic, UP. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

Oddly enough, reclipping it while wearing the Explorer wings was consistently child's play....probably because it looped up from the bottom of the wing instead of curling in laterally.

metridium once bubbled...
it looped up from the bottom of the wing instead of curling in laterally.

Click to expand...

What do you mean?

Are you putting the hose between the wing and tank???

I have my SPG hose completely free from any interference with the wing... so whether Explorer or Pioneer makes no difference...

And holding the hose and bolt snap like this gives me complete control... very fast and easy to find too:

I reach back with my left hand and catch the hose, run my hand down and grasp the hose between my pinky and ring finger... the bolt snap in my palm and then usr my thumb open it... also note that I have the opening facing back.

Uncle Pug wrote...

What do you mean?

Are you putting the hose between the wing and tank???

Click to expand...

That's how it's routed, yes...though I think we may mean different things. In neither case is the hose trapped by the wing. It's just that it seems to go naturally down, then out around the Pioneer wing, and loop into the D-ring.

With the Explorer, its natural alignment seems to be down behind the wing, then up under the lower edge to the D-ring.

...that you bring the SPG hose over the front of the wing right from the first stage for both the singles and the doubles... at least give it a try on one dive each and then let me know how it works.

My bet is that you are gonna be a happy camper

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

Don't just yet.... keep working at it and you will get it. Look at the picture... this is how I hold the hose and bolt snap for unclipping, viewing and clipping back in place. Of course I am usually using drygloves but they do not make it easier

Holding the bolt snap this way makes it easy to sweep along the waist strap and hook the D-ring... if it is laying down flat it is also easy to lift it up with a finger and clip it off.

I hold the hose between my little finger and ring finger.

Click to expand...

UP nice pic but wasn't that an OMS gauge?

Isn't that against DIR policy...ehehehehe