BP/W for starting out in Boston/New England

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fr0stbyte047

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Messages
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Location
Cambridge, MA
# of dives
25 - 49
A little about myself, I'm a recreational AOW diver who's just recently (past 2 years) started doing wreck dives in NJ and just moved up to Boston. I've got about a total of almost 40 dives. I'm looking to finally invest in my own equipment after renting for so long and been reading about the BP/W setup. It seems like everyone recommends them and it seems like they're also better for dry suits (which I may pursue in the future).

What I've used in NJ was:
jacket-style BCD
7mm wetsuit, with booties, gloves, hood
steel 100's
16lb of weight

I'm also 5'6" and ~145lbs.

I'm a bit lost in using the calculators for lift weight and would like some recommendations on what to get. I'd like to save money, but also quality gear. I saw DeepSeaSupply has some combos that are good, but also DRIS has a deal for 330 right now (that some people mentioned will go to 300 on BF).

Thanks in advance!
 
I can recommend DSS. Tobin will not sell you something without first making sure it will work for you. And the set up and gear itself couldn't be simpler.
 
DSS is higher quality than the DRiS gear, but not by much. For some it is worth the extra price, and if you drive a BMW 5 series instead of a Toyota Camry, then sure, go the DSS route, it is a very similar comparison. The DRiS rig will go on deeper sale at BF, but not by much, so if you're diving between now and then, you may as well buy it instead of spending the $30 difference on rental. The HOG regs will also go on crazy sale at that point as well, so you can pick up everything in one go if you want.

They are much better for drysuits, but they're just much better in general. You should pursue drysuit instead of investing in a wetsuit, especially for the conditions in New England, been there done that.

SS backplate, SS cam bands, Tobins rigs don't use STA's so that's an extra 2lbs you won't get to add to the rig. They are generally 9-10lbs negative without an STA and 11-12lbs with an STA, so factor that into however much weight you dive with now. If you're only using 8lbs *highly unlikely, but possible*, then you don't want the STA because it will overweight you. I prefer STA's on singles rigs, but apparently Tobin's rigs are quite stable without them, haven't dove them, so can't comment personally
 
I'm trying to save where I can and for ~$150 less, the DRIS seems like the better deal, but is 28lb enough for me?

Is there anything else I would need with the package? People have talked about using bungees to ensure even air movement.

With the backplate, would I still need additional weight?

tbone - which HOG regs are you talking about? like these? Hog D1 Singles Regulator Package - Dive Right in Scuba How much do they go on sale for?
 
I'm trying to save where I can and for ~$150 less, the DRIS seems like the better deal, but is 28lb enough for me?

Is there anything else I would need with the package? People have talked about using bungees to ensure even air movement.

With the backplate, would I still need additional weight?

tbone - which HOG regs are you talking about? like these? Hog D1 Singles Regulator Package - Dive Right in Scuba How much do they go on sale for?

28lb wing for your size should be fine, remember the wing needs to float your rig without you int it.

I've got about 10 dives on a dss setup with his 30lb wing, after about 125 dives with a jacket BC. The first thing I think you'll find is that you will need a lot less weight to sink (I actually bought the dss bolt on plate weights, and returned them) I dive a dui clx 450, with a 200gr undergarment, and a thinsulate shirt and only use an additional 10lbs total to sink, and I way 210. ( you'll require a good weight check, and Tobin will tell you his method)

i must say say I weighed several different combo's a dss BP and W is quality and will likely be the last setup I need to buy, I wouldn't skimp $100 here . Have a conversation with them, he can be a little abrupt, but you will clearly walk away with gear that will work for your type of diving
 
Stay away from bungee wings. I have a DSS setup for both single and doubles and a HOG setup both ways also. I have to say the DSS rig is a much better singles setup particularly with the weight plates added for cold water diving. That being said I only use it when diving singles with my drysuit. For traveling I tend to use my HOG rig because one day I may be reef diving off a boat and the next day I may be diving doubles in a Cenote. The HOG rig with a STA tends to be more flexibly in configuration and plays better with wings from other manufacturers. I do like the stiff webbing Tobin at DSS sells. I use it on both rigs.
 
Stay away from bungee wings. I have a DSS setup for both single and doubles and a HOG setup both ways also. I have to say the DSS rig is a much better singles setup particularly with the weight plates added for cold water diving. That being said I only use it when diving singles with my drysuit. For traveling I tend to use my HOG rig because one day I may be reef diving off a boat and the next day I may be diving doubles in a Cenote. The HOG rig with a STA tends to be more flexibly in configuration and plays better with wings from other manufacturers. I do like the stiff webbing Tobin at DSS sells. I use it on both rigs.

I actually picked up an aluminum hollis backplate that lines the cambands up perfectly to my DSS 30, the 30 is very narrow , so no tacoing or overhang, so works as a warm water rig (at least for my needs) perfectly
 
how much lead do you wear? Can't answer the question without know that answer. The rig itself needs 12lbs of lift to keep it neutral, needs another 10ish lbs to keep your HP100 off the bottom, then however much lead you have, add that to your list, and you have the answer. So, if you're currently wearing 18lbs of lead or less with the HP100, which you shouldn't be wearing anywhere close to that, then you're good. 28lbs is plenty for drysuit diving as well. The bigger wings are needed if you're diving cave filled LP tanks that can hit 15lbs negative but are still only 1lb negative when empty, so a SS plate with a cave filled LP104 is almost 30lbs negative when full, plus 2lbs or so for regulators, and then whatever extra weight you need for buoyancy, then you need the big 40lb wings, especially if you have a pony bottle on there which is another 3-5lbs negative when full

Diving any of the steels to their service pressures with or without a pony bottle in whatever exposure protection will be fine for a 28lb wing. You will likely be pushing the limits of it if you blow straight down to the bottom with a full tank, but that's why you kept your total negative ballast under the 28lbs, rig+full tank buoyancy+regs+any ditchable weight. The rig has to be able to keep itself at the surface when everything is on it excluding you and your suit. If it can do that, you're fine, and a 28lb wing can do that with most any singles setup.

Yes that is the reg set I'm talking about, if it's on closeout they may be phasing it out, so you'll have to act fast on black friday if you wait that long


Oh, the big plus for me with STA's is the ease of swapping them back and forth if you dive doubles with the same plate. Most people have SS for singles, and AL, Kydex, or the new DiveRite lite SS plate for doubles since SS plates make them way too negative. I dive with a transpac for various reasons so STA's don't work with that, but I do have one dedicated for singles
 
I would not be so quick to assume that black Friday is going to be the same as it has been or that the same items will be on sale. The single tank set is not going to be phased out either.
 
I have a DSS wing and my buddy has a HOG wing. Both are high quality, and if I were buying a rig now, I'd probably go with HOG. Great quality and a great price. I don't have any experience with the DRIS wing, but their customer service can't be best and they stand by their products.

As for wing size, I've been diving a DSS Torus 26 wing for years and it suits me well for diving here in New England.

If you're looking at regs, HOG is great as well, although most regs out there these days are good quality.

I'm currently away for a bit, but feel free to shoot me a PM if you want to check out my DSS setup or borrow a HOG reg. I live north of Boston and am always looking to dive if I have the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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