DSS Gear- live sighting in the wild...

[divesergeant]

There are a relatively small number of DSS BP/W setups floating around and I have never seen another one, until yesterday.

Imagine my pleasure when I looked across the diveboat here on Bonaire and saw a SS BP with 17 wing. So the other diver and I chatted.

We both seem to love our rigs. Buying experience was the same also; tell Tobin about us and how we dive and he guides us to the right setup. He damn near refuses to sell you stuff you don't need.

Happily diving my DSS stuff...
DiveSergeant

 

[gbf]

There were 5 of us ( wife, 2 daughters, 1 sil, me) all with DSS rigs. I've never noticed another DSS rig on Bon, besides us. I don't think there are necessarily a small number, just that we tend to dive on our own a lot and don't really notice other people's gear. In fact we actively avoid other divers so maybe that explains it.

Tobin does offer up good advice - Once I chose to ignore him, and to my chagrin, discovered he was right.

 

[divesergeant]

Hi gbf,

You might be right. DSS divers might be wired a bit different and head to the less-populated areas or boats with a small number of divers.

On boats, it always seems that people gravitate to my gear and pepper with questions. And they are amazed at the light weight of the kydex plate.

All in all, for tropical travel it is ideal. I use a 3 pound weight and am well balanced and streamlined.

 

[scuba127]

Count me in...I've been diving Bonaire for around 20 years and the last 10 or so with a DSS Steel Back Plate and 20lb. DSS wing....

 

[Lorenzoid]

Would you expect to see more? DSS has a relatively small piece of the BP/W pie, which is itself a small piece of the overall market for BCs. So it's hardly surprising to me that we see so relatively few of them.

Out of tropical destinations, my wife and I have taken our DSS rigs (steel plate and Torus 26 wings) on our last couple of trips to Bonaire, and before that to Cozumel/Tulum, and Roatan. We'll be taking them to Indonesia this year. Aside from ourselves, the only other DSS wing I have seen in the tropics was on the Roatan trip. I'm sure they are out there, but I won't be surprised if my sightings are few and far between.

 

[divesergeant]

I know Tobin only has a small shop, and agree that it is a niche market for BP/W setups. Hence my excitement seeing another of his rigs in the wild!

I think lots of people look at our setups and think that they are only for tech divers and that depresses the potential sales. Is there a legitimate reason why a new diver should not be learning on a BP/W?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think lots of people look at our setups and think that they are only for tech divers and that depresses the potential sales. Is there a legitimate reason why a new diver should not be learning on a BP/W?

I see more and more BP/Ws on warm-water recreational divers in places like Cozumel and Bonaire. I think the "tech" stigma has faded.

No, the reasons are not very "legitmate." From prior discussions of this topic, it seems the main reason is that jacket-style BCs with bells and whistles offer a higher profit margin than bare-bones BP/Ws. No matter how well made they may be, you can only charge so much for what the customer can plainly perceive is nothing but a metal plate, some webbing, and an air cell. A secondary, perhaps slightly more "legitimate," reason seems to be that since a BP/W requires a bit more adjustment to fit an individual diver than a jacket-style BC, the jacket style is often preferred for rental BCs.

Beyond that, it seems to come down to personal preference. Some people feel jacket-style BCs are constrictive and uncomfortable, while others feel comfort in the sense of being enveloped by the jacket-style BC. I suppose I can understand how some newer divers might convince themselves they prefer the feel of a jacket-style BC.