DIR from the start? Zeagle Express Tech

[Johanan]

Sveiki! (That means Hallo in Latvian)

I am not a young man but a new diver. I have come to the inevitable point where every newbie gets most thrilled - choosing his own equipment.:blinking: There the questions start to come. I browsed different websites and got attracted to the DIR approach. My budget wouldn't allow me to own several different gears. I'm also not good at getting my stuff sold. Perhaps you can help me to come close to what I want with the first try?

Here in the forum I found a great review about Zeagle Express Tech BC. It said exactly what I hoped for: it might be the first and the last BC I ever need:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...h-first-last-bc-most-will-ever-need-want.html
As I understand, Express Tech is not exactly a BP&W as it has a soft plate instead of SS or AL. Any shortcomings to the DIR standards because of that? The feature that puzzled me most is the elastic retractor. Would it create the same problems why the DIR sites advise not to use bungied wings: rugged surface that causes more drag; trapping the air; difficulty to inflate the bladder orally; dificulty to use the BC as a "third regulator"? Any other advise?

Thanks!
Janis (Latvian form of John)

 

[Scott L]

Zeagle's Express Tech BCD is probaly the best non BP/wing on the market. That said, it's shortcoming as compared to a BP/wing system are considerable. You would be best served either purcasing a used BP/wing or simply saving longer in order to afford new...

 

[Johanan]

Thanks, Scott! Could you say something more about the advantages of a BP&W over the Express Tech?

 

[gsk3]

John - Questions about DIR are best asked in the DIR forum. Unfortunately it is a topic that tends to attract controversy, and so the rules in that forum tend to keep things a bit more on topic.

That said, look at the GUE equipment requirements for Fundies here:
GUE Fundamentals | Global Underwater Explorers

You will see that the Transpac/Transplate solutions like the Zeagle are not suitable.

Backplate System: A rigid and flat platform, of metal construction with minimal padding, held to a diver by one continuous piece of nylon webbing. This webbing should be adjustable through the plate and should use a buckle to secure the system at the waist. A crotch strap attached to the lower end of this platform and looped through the waistband would prevent the system from riding up a diver's back. A knife should be secured to the waist on the left webbing tab. This webbing should support five D-rings; the first should be placed at the left hip, the second should be placed in line with a diver's right collarbone, the third should be placed in line with the diver's left collarbone, the fourth and fifth should be affixed to the crotch strap to use while scootering or towing/stowing gear. The harness below the diver's arms should have small restrictive bands to allow for the placement of reserve light powered by three in-line c-cell batteries (where necessary). The system should retain a minimalist approach with no unnecessary components.

Part of the reason for that is that DIR is a system designed to expand from basic diving all the way out to expedition diving. At some point, the non-rigid BC solutions just stop scaling. They tend to not hold doubles particularly rigidly, tend to be too buoyant (so you have to add unnecessary lead), and tend to just have too much clutter.

Finally, you can get a BP/W for less money than a fancy BC in most cases.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board Janis.

The ET is a very functional BC but it will not cut it in the DIR world, they are big on having the exact same gear. If you plan to go with doubles any time soon it will not do a good job with them, otherwise they are nice BCs. There is somewhat of a myth about the BP/wing that seems to have you sold. That is, is you will only need one. While it is possible to press one or more of the components into multiple uses and swap other parts in and out or have a rig set up as a middle of the road compromise, in realilty that does not happen- at least not for long. Most everyone who dives this type BC and dives a wide range of diving conditions ends up with 2 or 3 complete sets. A light AL, plastic or fabric (like the ET) and a small wing for travel up to a SS plate and large wing for dry suit and doubles. The cost of the BP and webbing itself is not worth the hassle of swapping the other components around and spending the time to reset everything. There will be those who tell you this is not true but ask them how what their range of diving is, how many BPs they have and how they stay set up.

And by the way, the ET is a BP/wing.

 

[danvolker]

Sveiki! (That means Hallo in Latvian)

I am not a young man but a new diver. I have come to the inevitable point where every newbie gets most thrilled - choosing his own equipment.:blinking: There the questions start to come. I browsed different websites and got attracted to the DIR approach. My budget wouldn't allow me to own several different gears. I'm also not good at getting my stuff sold. Perhaps you can help me to come close to what I want with the first try?

Here in the forum I found a great review about Zeagle Express Tech BC. It said exactly what I hoped for: it might be the first and the last BC I ever need:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...h-first-last-bc-most-will-ever-need-want.html
As I understand, Express Tech is not exactly a BP&W as it has a soft plate instead of SS or AL. Any shortcomings to the DIR standards because of that? The feature that puzzled me most is the elastic retractor. Would it create the same problems why the DIR sites advise not to use bungied wings: rugged surface that causes more drag; trapping the air; difficulty to inflate the bladder orally; dificulty to use the BC as a "third regulator"? Any other advise?

Thanks!
Janis (Latvian form of John)

A major difference between a soft bc like the Zeagle, and a bp/wing like a Halcyon, is the solid feeling you have when diving it---with the soft system, the tank moves around on your back--you get the intertia of the tank moving one way by a kick, then change course, and the tank "moves" on your back...this changes your trim in the water, and to people like me, is very annoying. For DIR, optimal trim is assumed for us, and a bc that allows the tank to move around independant of the diver, is a retarded idea none of the DIR crowd will accept.
If you were using a 40 cu foot tank, it would probably be fairly stable....with an 80 it is going to move quite a bit....with a hp 100 ( so you can actually use Nitrox bottom times on 90 foot dives---ie., al 80's are essentially worthless tanks for this) the hp 100 has significantly more inertial mass than the 80, and will rock around much more on your back, upsetting trim more.....you don't have to go to using doubles to feel the issue....of course, you put doubles on, and I expect the zeagel would be really pathetic...

 

[Johanan]

Hi!

Thank you very much for the concise replies to my question! They are indeed informative and helpful. I dive mostly in Latvia. The water usually is on the cold side even in summer. The main diving attraction in Latvia are the many wrecks in the Baltic sea. There are merchants, battle ships from the WWII, submarines etc. The depth is 8-40m (25-130ft), temperature 7-10C (45-50F). I assume it means a dry suit and the equipment as streamlinded as possible.

www.diveriga.lv - Iegremd

Thank you again!

Janis
(I registered as John in order to save me explanations that I'm not a woman.

P.S. Ooops! I'm embarassed to break the rules with my very first post by asking a DIR question in this forum. But ScubaBoard forum is the most informative among all the I've seen. Couldn't help but ask...

 

[Johanan]

Yes, another question - what kind of weights would you reccomend?

J.

 

[danvolker]

Hi!

Thank you very much for the concise replies to my question! They are indeed informative and helpful. I dive mostly in Latvia. The water usually is on the cold side even in summer. The main diving attraction in Latvia are the many wrecks in the Baltic sea. There are merchants, battle ships from the WWII, submarines etc. The depth is 8-40m (25-130ft), temperature 7-10C (45-50F). I assume it means a dry suit and the equipment as streamlinded as possible.

www.diveriga.lv - Iegremd

Thank you again!

Janis
(I registered as John in order to save me explanations that I'm not a woman.

P.S. Ooops! I'm embarassed to break the rules with my very first post by asking a DIR question in this forum. But ScubaBoard forum is the most informative among all the I've seen. Couldn't help but ask...

Wow... I like the diveboat!!!!

 

[The Chairman]

DIR compliant or not, the Express Tech is an awesome choice. I have dove it extensively and have found that the most ardent detractors have never dove one... go figure. :shocked2: Its incredibly stable and has little detectable shift that would hurt your trim or buoyancy. At least it has never affected mine, and while I am often mistaken for a DIR diver I don't buy into the extreme gear regimentation. That such a great BC is automatically rejected by the DIR advocates as not being "not optimal" is a good example of why I don't buy into their mantra. So you know, I almost always dive a 120 or 130 and people often complement me on my trim and poise while diving. It's simply the best choice for me, diving here in Florida as I do.

That being said, the only reason I would NOT recommend the Express Tech for you, is your cold water diving requirement. Using a HEAVY back plate (like Fred T's) would allow you to remove a lot of weight from your weight belt. Ocean + Dry Suit = Lots of Lead. I used my Express Tech with a 7 mil suit off of Catalina Island with an Aluminum tank. Mind you, I utilize a weight harness system from DUI (another DIR "No-No") and while I was able to wear enough lead to dive, it was close. A steel tank would have been great and a heavy back plate would have been even better. With all the traveling I do, its the best combination of light weight, stability and ruggedness, even when I go to colder waters. Yes, I will probably still dive the Express Tech in Catalina next year, but I will be SURE that I have a steel tank. For me, the tank makes all the difference.

FWIW, I was the OP of the thread you cited. So yeah, I am biased based on my experiences diving both Back Plate and Wings as well as the ET.