Halcyon products confusion

[BarryNL]

I'm thinking of getting the Halcyon Eclipse MC system with weighted STA for single tank diving and I'm looking for a bit of advice on any of the following:

Firstly, am I right in thinking that for cold water (Netherlands) diving with a steel 12 or 15 litre tank and drysuit I'd be better off getting the 40lbs lift model than the 30lbs?

Secondly, if I want to go to doubles later can I simply switch the wing for an Evolve and keep everything else or do I need a new backplate/harnass/storage pack as well?

Finally, what's a reasonable price for the Eclipse MC system with weighted STA in Europe?

Thanks In Advance.

 

[El Orans]

I'm thinking of getting the Halcyon Eclipse MC system with weighted STA for single tank diving.

Good choice.

Firstly, am I right in thinking that for cold water (Netherlands) diving with a steel 12 or 15 litre tank and drysuit I'd be better off getting the 40lbs lift model than the 30lbs?

You should be OK with 30 lbs.

Secondly, if I want to go to doubles later can I simply switch the wing for an Evolve and keep everything else or do I need a new backplate/harnass/storage pack as well?

Yes, just switch your wing.

Frogkick.nl

 

[dbg40]

What suit are you diving? I use the 30 lb wing, steel 119 single tank. 7 mm wet, no added wt. at all. Dry with a CLX 450, 300 polar fleece, 16 lbs extra. Same suit with 400 wt undergarments, 24 lbs SW. The 30 works well for me. The nice thing about the plate is, you need only unbolt the eclipse wing and STA, and bolt on the double wing, and bands for your doubles. Nothing else changes and it's very easy to do. I can't help with the cost, I can only tell you that the full Eclipse setup here in the US is about 625.00 USD. Im looking into the new Evolve wing myself, looks pretty nice. Good luck.

 

[BarryNL]

What suit are you diving?

I'm diving a Northern Diver DiveMaster - 4mm crushed neoprene. It never gets warm enough here to worry about a wet suit as well

 

[BarryNL]

Good choice.

I hope so - I'm off to do a PADI Discover Tech this weekend just to get the feel of diving with a wing (and doubles and DIR reg. setup). If it all feels good I'll be emptying my bank account next week. :eek_2:

 

[PerroneFord]

If his drysuit floods, is that 30 going to provide enough lift?

 

[El Orans]

If his drysuit floods, is that 30 going to provide enough lift?

That's why you carry a liftbag. Redundant buoyancy.

 

[BarryNL]

That's why you carry a liftbag. Redundant buoyancy.

Is that safe? Isn't there a risk of dropping or losing the liftbag once inflated?

Still, I would have thought that even with the steel plate and weighted STA I'd still need a couple of kilos of lead on a belt which can be dropped. I currently use 7kg on the weight belt for the 15 litre Faber steel tank (plus 1.5kg on the ankles - not very DIR I know).

 

[El Orans]

Is that safe? Isn't there a risk of dropping or losing the liftbag once inflated?

Tha's why you have chest D-rings.

Complete your journey to the Dark Side here:
ScubaBoard > Scuba Diving Central > Technical Diving Specialties > DIR.

 

[dbg40]

Ditchable wt. is not really an option with a Halcyon BPW, The belt goes on first, then the BPW, and the crotch strap pretty much cancells any chance of dumping wt. easily.