SP Hydros Pro vs Halcyon Eclipse
- Thread starter BullDiver
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No, but if I were going to dive with doubles I'd probably buy side mount specific rig like the Xdeep Stealth.
The wing never gets in the way, so why would I want to swap it out for a smaller one? I can dive in a rash guard in the tropics or a 7mm in cold water without modifying my BCD. I don't know, to me that's a good thing.
Maybe not by 6lbs, but I dropped a bunch of weight when I bought it and stopped renting. Since there are pockets I don't mind the lead. And it packs down small enough that I can get all my gear carry-on only.
The difference in price is hard for some to swallow, but I don't have much to spend my money on except airfare and scuba diving. So for me I don't care how much it costs and there's a ScubaPro dealer/service shop 15min my house.
Yea, like I said I'm really happy with it and am definitely not jealous of the BP/W guys in my club. In fact, some might be thinking about buying a Hydros
So it does not actually have all the benefits of a BP/W...
Why would you want to swap air cells? Well, until you try diving with a 20# wing and a rig that needs no weights added, at all, I guess you probably won't understand.
Oh, and my BP/W also fits in my carry-on, along with my full wetsuit, masks, booties, and all my other dive gear except regs (which go in my personal item carry-on), fins, and cutting devices.
The Hydros sounds nice, but it's not a BP/W and it does not have all the benefits of one. And from what I gather, the only real benefit it has over a BP/W is that it dries faster - which is cool.
The Hydros isn't meant to be an "all instances" BP/W replacement or to take its place in all scenarios. It is a third option in addition to the jacket and BP/W that caters to the recreational and advanced recreational local and travel segment while offering substantial customization and fit options.
No. That's why I said:
I understand that. I was simply addressing this statement:
No irony whatsoever. I asked a simple question. In between sips of BPW Kool Aid, you spew out a nonsensical answer trying to show us just how much you've learned about BPWs on SB and how they're a cure all for all the world's ills. After taking a look at pictures, you now concede that it is a back inflate. If you know what a jacket is, (and you had actually seen a Hydros), you would never have made that silly claim about it being a jacket.
Tralfamadore
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There is definitely always a big ole jug of BPW Kool-Aid in the fridge at the ScubaBoard Diner.
But, I think there may be some ScubaPro Kool-Aid out there somewhere, too....
They both have their pros and cons. No need to insist that either one is Best or even Better. I just like knowing what all the pros and cons of each one are.
But, I think there may be some ScubaPro Kool-Aid out there somewhere, too....
They both have their pros and cons. No need to insist that either one is Best or even Better. I just like knowing what all the pros and cons of each one are.
I went by my LDS at lunch today. They had some Hydros Pros in stock, so I spent a few minutes having a look at one.
Definitely too much plastic stuff on it for my tastes. With those pocket things fitted on the waist band, it was way too bulky for me to want to pack it or dive it. Without those pocket things, it would still be a wing so large that I would be missing my 23# Hog wing. 40.5# of lift! I only use a 45# wing when I dive double steels in a drysuit! As well as missing all the convenient D-rings I usually have that will let me attach a light or two, an SMB, and my camera, without having anything "dangling". And, I specifically mean the rigid D-rings I use which I find much easier to clip off to than the standard floppy D-rings. Having to look for and/or use two hands to clip stuff to your harness seems kind of sucky to me after diving for a while with a config that I can reliably and quickly clip stuff on and off using one hand and without looking.
If you presented me a BP/W with a tidy wing (like the 23 I use) and the Hydros Pro, with every option and attachment, and said "you can take either one of these to use for the next year, and then you have to return it," I would pick the BP/W. If there was no BP/W option, but there was an AquaLung Outlaw, I think I would pick the Outlaw over the Hydros, too. The Outlaw with the 12# wing would be super sweet for really warm water (i.e. board shorts) and an AL80. And the ability to swap to the 25# wing for diving with a wetsuit makes it my current favorite integrated BCD-I've-never-actually-dived-with.
Definitely too much plastic stuff on it for my tastes. With those pocket things fitted on the waist band, it was way too bulky for me to want to pack it or dive it. Without those pocket things, it would still be a wing so large that I would be missing my 23# Hog wing. 40.5# of lift! I only use a 45# wing when I dive double steels in a drysuit! As well as missing all the convenient D-rings I usually have that will let me attach a light or two, an SMB, and my camera, without having anything "dangling". And, I specifically mean the rigid D-rings I use which I find much easier to clip off to than the standard floppy D-rings. Having to look for and/or use two hands to clip stuff to your harness seems kind of sucky to me after diving for a while with a config that I can reliably and quickly clip stuff on and off using one hand and without looking.
If you presented me a BP/W with a tidy wing (like the 23 I use) and the Hydros Pro, with every option and attachment, and said "you can take either one of these to use for the next year, and then you have to return it," I would pick the BP/W. If there was no BP/W option, but there was an AquaLung Outlaw, I think I would pick the Outlaw over the Hydros, too. The Outlaw with the 12# wing would be super sweet for really warm water (i.e. board shorts) and an AL80. And the ability to swap to the 25# wing for diving with a wetsuit makes it my current favorite integrated BCD-I've-never-actually-dived-with.
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