bkotheimer
Contributor
Did my first dive with my Torus 26 and SS BP at Veteran's Park (Redondo) on Saturday. Got a lot of help from some of the regulars there with the final config. These guys were diving OMS, DiveRite, Halcyon and the like, with all the same DIR-inspired configuration that I've been reading about here.
They suggested a single inner tube around both the corrugated hose and the inflator hose (but not the webbing), far up toward the top, then the standard bungee on just the corrugated hose at the d-ring keeper. Made sense to me, so I went with that.
They loved the finish on the backplate, especially the reinforced slots. Definitely a sexy rig.
Only one potential negative.... they weren't crazy about the turned-up d-rings on the shoulder straps and would have either reversed them so they pointed down or replaced them with flat ones.
But enough of what others thought.... I loved it! Everything felt natural and intuitive, and I really appreciated not being squeezed by a jacket. And having less weight on the belt (about half, in fact) was awesome.
I'm getting a little rotating of the tank sideways (as if the tank were the hand on a clock), but I think I just need to tighten the straps a wee bit to account for compression.
Any of the sensation by the first-time BP/W user (of which I am one) that they're being pushed forward while floating on the surface is easily countered by just leaning back. The rig is actually very comfortable to lean back in and paddle around on one's back.
Finally, I appreciated being able to take it apart easily, fill the wing with fresh water and swish it around to rinse it out. Easy and modular.... I'm going to like this thing.
They suggested a single inner tube around both the corrugated hose and the inflator hose (but not the webbing), far up toward the top, then the standard bungee on just the corrugated hose at the d-ring keeper. Made sense to me, so I went with that.
They loved the finish on the backplate, especially the reinforced slots. Definitely a sexy rig.
Only one potential negative.... they weren't crazy about the turned-up d-rings on the shoulder straps and would have either reversed them so they pointed down or replaced them with flat ones.
But enough of what others thought.... I loved it! Everything felt natural and intuitive, and I really appreciated not being squeezed by a jacket. And having less weight on the belt (about half, in fact) was awesome.
I'm getting a little rotating of the tank sideways (as if the tank were the hand on a clock), but I think I just need to tighten the straps a wee bit to account for compression.
Any of the sensation by the first-time BP/W user (of which I am one) that they're being pushed forward while floating on the surface is easily countered by just leaning back. The rig is actually very comfortable to lean back in and paddle around on one's back.
Finally, I appreciated being able to take it apart easily, fill the wing with fresh water and swish it around to rinse it out. Easy and modular.... I'm going to like this thing.