divermike1989:
I've been looking at the DSS complete singles rig and the transpac 2 w/ trek wing. Can anyone recommend one or the other based on experiences and pros/cons please. to give you an idea of what kind of diving I'm going to use it for. I'll be taking rescue in september, DM nexdt year, and am applying to 3 military academies w/ hopes of becoming a military diver. I will also be getting into tech diving when I turn 18. When I do I would get a bigger wing w/ more lift but until them I wan't to stick to the singles wing and get use to the BP/W.
I've owned and dived both. I sold my TransPac ... I still own my DSS rig. That should tell you something about my preferences.
The two wings could not be more different. The Trek wing is short and wide ... the DSS wing (either the LCD or the Torus) is long and narrow. To my concern, long and narrow performs far better for a singles rig. Personally, I found the Trek to be a bit more "squirrelly" in terms of stability and ease of venting. On the other hand, the Torus wing is the best performing singles wing I've tried so far.
I also prefer a backplate to a softpack harness ... it simply holds the tank more rigidly, and feels more like a part of your body when you move. There's a noticeable difference, both underwater and on those shore dives where you're schlepping gear on your back into and out of the water.
Now, you could always go with the TransPlate instead of the TransPac, but I would still say the DSS offers advantages over the DR ... comparing the two plates. The DSS backplate is about an inch shorter, the corners are more rounded, it's flatter, got a shallower channel, and it's got those wonderful rubber inserts in the tank straps. To the diver that means a more comfortable plate, one that holds your tank closer to your body, and one that won't put undue wear on your (expensive) harness straps.
The only place I'd give the nod to Dive Rite is in the harness. I like the TransPac/TransPlate harness, as well as their integrated weight system. On the other hand, the DSS ProFit is also a quality product ... but although you can put weight pockets on it, the soft webbing does not accommodate them as well as the Dive Rite harness.
All things considered, I'd go with the better performance and comfort offered by the DSS product ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)