GUE training and deep diving

[David Novo]

Why not Halcyon? You can get quite good prices for Halcyon, especially if you are buying a set. Look at deepstop.de
Otherwise there are a lot of options. Tecline was not mentioned previously.

700 euros for a BPW is not a good price...

 

[taimen]

700 euros for a BPW is not a good price...

As a part of a set it is possible to get them with slightly less (if you need a whose set of equipment).
I have several buddies who dive Tecline Donut 22 and are happy, so that would be the recommendation for a less expensive BPW setup.

 

[ScubaSam]

There are a surprising number of people who take fundies just to become better rec divers.

Me, me, me!

I simply wanted to have better buoyancy control, better propulsion, and good buddy/team skills.

 

[Compressor]

Me, me, me!

I simply wanted to have better buoyancy control, better propulsion, and good buddy/team skills.

Kudos @ScubaSam . Same here when I took fundies.
I'm a better diver now (I think) but in my case not due to the instructor but
1. My own perseverance on improving my technique.
2. Other divers who help me achieve my goal.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I laughed out loud when I read this. When I took fundies, I had zero intentions of taking any more advanced GUE classes. When I have mentioned that, on here and in real life, people are very often surprised- I took fundies for the sole purpose of becoming a better recreational diver. To that end, I wish the DIR subforums were not a subset of the Technical Diving forum. There are a surprising number of people who take fundies just to become better rec divers.

I agree. And as you know, becoming a better rec-only diver was initially my only goal, too. I get the impression GUE is increasingly trying to attract the rec-only diver. Did you see the recent announcement aimed at recruiting “recreational instructors”?

 

[johnkendall]

700 euros for a BPW is not a good price...

That depends really. I still own and occasionally use the first Halcyon wing I bought (in 1999). I've had nothing but stellar service from them every time I broke something as well.

So yes, it's possibly more expensive than other options, but if you're looking at GUE training, then why not consider the equipment that has been designed by the same people that create the training? (Serious question)

 

[CptTightPants21]

700 euros for a BPW is not a good price...

No one said everything needs to be Halcyon brand
The Halcyon wings are the best and definitely worth the money.
The Halcyon back plates, while nice, are very expensive and you can find cheaper or other used options for about half the price.
Halcyon webbing is very nice and the Blue H's make keeping track of size and adjustments a breeze-it's a personal preference whether you pay up a little bit to get the nicer webbing. Won't break the bank if you do, won't kill you if you don't.

 

[PullYourselfTogetherMan]

I thought that this thread would benefit from a little peer-reviewed science.

A comparative evaluation of two decompression procedures for technical diving using inflammatory responses: compartmental versus ratio deco

Thanks to my instructor, Mer, for the link.

 

[elgoog]

I thought that this thread would benefit from a little peer-reviewed science.

A comparative evaluation of two decompression procedures for technical diving using inflammatory responses: compartmental versus ratio deco

Thanks to my instructor, Mer, for the link.

Dear lord, why did you bring THAT up?!?!?!? C'mon, man!!!

 

[jlcnuke]

That depends really. I still own and occasionally use the first Halcyon wing I bought (in 1999). I've had nothing but stellar service from them every time I broke something as well.

So yes, it's possibly more expensive than other options, but if you're looking at GUE training, then why not consider the equipment that has been designed by the same people that create the training? (Serious question)

If there is quality equipment that accomplishes the same purposes for 60% of the price, why pay the premium?

Don't get me wrong, I like my Elcipse set-up, but the webbing isn't better than cheap webbing I've got elsewhere. The backplate isn't any sturdier or otherwise materially different from cheaper plates, and the wing isn't twice the quality of one that costs half as much. If I hadn't found mine on sale for $350 used, I'd have never paid full price for a Halcyon setup personally.