New diver, looking at equipment to grow with me

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TSandM:
Although contemplating technical diving without the intestinal fortitude to spend obscene sums of money on gear is inadvisable :)
No kidding. I think I've spent upwards of $20k on gear in the last year... yikes! :11:

But regardless of that -- a "hogarthian" backplate/wing-based rig such as that used by DIR divers is a good way to go whether you wish to get into technical diving or not. It has the virtues of simplicity and ruggedness, and will never need to be tossed out when you "upgrade" to more advanced diving.
 
You should definitely get a BP/W, but don't think of it as saving money by buying just one set of gear for all of your diving. You will still have to buy more. I have a Halcyon stainless steel backplate and 30 lb singles wing. Soon I will move to doubles, and I will probably buy an aluminum backplate and 40 doubles wing. I still have to a new bc, but the advantage is that the doubles BP/W works exactly the same way as the singles BP/W. I will not have to learn a whole new system. I only have to learn the part that is different, and the double tanks and manifold.

IMO the best brands are Halcyon, Oxycheq, Golem Gear, DSS. Dive Rite makes a few wings that will work adequately with both singles and doubles, but don't work really well with either. It is better to use a singles wing with singles, and a doubles wing with doubles. I would stay away from OMS. They make some good stuff, but a lot of their wings are wrapped in bungees, and that can be an entanglement hazard, and cause other problems. I don't know much about Apeks BCs, but they make excellent regs.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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