Won a DUI Delta BC - Keep or Sell?

davehicks · Jul 1, 2003

So I just won a free DUI Delta wing style BC. Should I keep it or sell it?

I currently use a SeaQuest Balance BC, for both cold Northwest drysuit diving and the occasional warm water trip. It is sort of no-frills, but it's served me pretty well so far.

The DUI Delta looks very nice and well made, but it is considerably more bulky than the SeaQuest and I am not sure I like the weight pockets. I am very accustomed to droping my integrated weights once I finish a dive and need to change the tank. The DUI weight pockets have a rather complicated attachment that makes reattachment a real chore. I suppose I could unclip the whole weight assembly for this purpose...

On the other hand, the DUI has more and better attachment points for gear, dual tank straps, and several well placed air dumps. Of course being primarily a drysuit diver, I typically only use the BC on the surface. But then some people recommend using this sort of BC for lift and just put enough air in the drusuit to deal with squeeze.

And finally, I currently use and AIR2 on my Seaquest. Should I move it to the DUI, or it that a sacrilidge of some sort?

So I ask for advice from any DUI Delta owners. Is this a great and wonderful addition, or an unwelcome excuse to complicate my setup and change my diving style??

Dave

Lead_carrier · Jul 1, 2003

Sell the DUI. I love their drysuits but not super impressed with their bc's.

padishep · Jul 1, 2003

Your Airsource won't attach to the DUI.

Their older BC's had a bizarre thread size on the bladder and you had to use their inflator. I'm curious if that is still a problem.

shep

Zerogravity · Jul 2, 2003

Sell it and buy a BP/harness combination. You will proboably use the BP/Harness for the rest of your diving days. It's way more streamlined, efficient, flexible and adaptable.

ZG

ZoCrowes255 · Jul 3, 2003

Zerogravity once bubbled...
Sell it and buy a BP/harness combination. You will proboably use the BP/Harness for the rest of your diving days. It's way more streamlined, efficient, flexible and adaptable. ZG

Well that was completely unsolicited

padishep · Jul 3, 2003

I dived an early model DUI BCD for three yrs. They are well constructed and very tough. As you point out, they have a very flexible adjustment design that allows the user to fine tune the BCD for a perfect fit.

The BCD's are as well thought out and constructed as their drysuits.

You'll get alot of people harping about jumping on the BP wagon, but dive the DUI BCD a 1/2 dozen times or so and see if it works for you.......

if it doesn't- get in line with the rest of the clones and get yourself a BP.

shep

norcaldiver · Jul 3, 2003

I have an older Delta and love it. Mine has the plastic buckle on the waist-strap as opposed to the metal one.
It's super comfy, has a crotch strap built in, good heavy d rings to hook my video camera on, so adjustable that I have mine fitting like a second skin without feeling squished or pinched.

But, like you said, it is more bulky, and I'm not that fond of the wiehgt system either. It treads on like the Zeagles - kinda. I wish they had a more secure pocket, not just the velcro flap holding the weights in, but all in all, I've had mine for 2 years and it's freakin indistructable.

DIR Tec Diver · Jul 4, 2003

I had a Delta and gave it to my father after I certified him. Yes it was comfortable and worked well, but if you open it and look at the bladder as well as the LPI hose, those are the biggest areas of the wing that are suspect to me. Also personally I do not like any type of quick disconnect buckles so I removed the harness althgether and when I used it I had a backplat on it. In effect I was back to basics.

I put it back together gave it to my father and got the Pioneer wing from Halcyon, however get whatever wing you feel most comfortable with.

Zerogravity · Jul 4, 2003

padishep once bubbled... [/i

if it doesn't- get in line with the rest of the clones and get yourself a BP.

Typical attitude of rec dive industry drones: Ignore what works in ALL environments from tec/rec/cave in favor of a one dimensional and ill conceived system that she'll end up discarding later any way, especially If her diving ever progresses beyond its current limits and she takes cave or technical instruction. Ever hear of Hogarth? The BP/Harness system actualy pre-dates the traditional BC in it's current form. The BC is constantly evolving with new models by several of manufaturers every year. Why? Because they are all still trying to solve the problems that the BPHarness/Wing solved over 25 years ago. The BP/Harness really hasn't changed at all since it's inception. It has been modified slightly and there are slightly different harness types, but it hasn't changed. WHY?? Because it is the most streamlined, efficient, highly adaptable and flexible system there is. It's used in very demanding environments precisely because of what I just said, but it serves divers well no matter what the conditions, or the diving environment. It is being embraced by more and more "recreational" diver all the time. Many of them will never take advanced (cave/tec) training, but they still appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of the old school BP/Harness.
Calling people "clones" because they choose to use this system over another is as bad as DIR divers calling people "strokes" for NOT using the BP/Harness. The bottom line is, I guess, ue what works best for you and helps you to be a safe and happy diver However, if somthing works really well for alot of people, with a proven record in the most harsh environments, maybe it's worth checking out. ZG

DIR Tec Diver · Jul 4, 2003

Great Post Zero.

As you said there really is no place for people calling others clones, strokes.. whatever. The time I have spent in GUE training and with GUE and other DIR divers has been the opposite of what many people would think. They never call people strokes, they never belittle people. Especially those GUE instructors. They will not tolerate that crap. In fact they have made it a point to say that if they catch you acting like that they will pull your c-card.

Your post above was fantastic. It is funny how most things are getting back to the way they used to be. Back when it worked and worked well.

Won a DUI Delta BC - Keep or Sell?

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