SP Hydros Pro vs Halcyon Eclipse

[BoltSnap]

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.

Do you drink the extra sweetened KoolAid or the diet version????

 

[Curtis C]

I'm a new diver looking to buy my first BC. I plan on being in the sport for a long time so I don't want to buy a "beginner" BC and have to upgrade later. Right now my plan is to remain recreational but who knows what the future holds. I'm in Florida so most of my diving will be done around here and then wherever I travel, so warm water. Most of my diving will be done in a 3mm suit, possibly 5mm in the colder months.

Originally I was set on the ScubaPro Hydros Pro, but now after reading many threads on here I've been taking a look at the Halcyon Eclipse as a BP/W option. With the Halcyon I would probably go with the aluminum backplate and the 20lb wing. The XS hydros pro has 36lbs of lift which seems a little bit excessive for warm water diving.

Halcyon claims to be infinitely adjustable, but is there a limit to this? I'm a small female so I need it to be able to get small enough to hold me tight. The hydros pro has female sizes which is a plus. I have all scubapro products currently because I like the quality and easy access to being serviced. Do BP/W need to be serviced like other BCs? Both setups are similarly priced so that is not a factor.

If anyone has any other suggestions for a BC system for a small female I would definitely consider any possibilities. Thanks.

So you posted this back on March 15th. Did you get something? what did you get? I think the Halcyon is a good choice for a bp/w. I also think maybe a closer comparison to the SP Hydros would be the Halcyon Traveller.

 

[RainPilot]

Do you drink the extra sweetened KookAid or the diet version????

Which flavour does the ScubaPro koolaid come in?

 

[ronscuba]

I dive a BP/W with aluminum or soft backplate and 1 piece harness.

Watched the videos on the Hydros and what interested me most is the monprene backplate and shoulder harness. It offers comfort but no buoyancy because it is not foam. I frequently dive in just a rash shirt so I definitely notice a comfort difference from my bare webbing and my wife's padded adjustable harness. I chose bare webbing because I don't want the added buoyancy . So in my opinion, the Hydros with it's monprene, has an advantage here.

It will be interesting to see if Scubapro will offer a stripped down version or different wing size options. No weight pockets and no travel bag, could bring the pricing down to be competitive. Wing size options will let divers choose what best fits there diving.

 

[stuartv]

I dive a BP/W with aluminum or soft backplate and 1 piece harness.

Watched the videos on the Hydros and what interested me most is the monprene backplate and shoulder harness. It offers comfort but no buoyancy because it is not foam. I frequently dive in just a rash shirt so I definitely notice a comfort difference from my bare webbing and my wife's padded adjustable harness. I chose bare webbing because I don't want the added buoyancy . So in my opinion, the Hydros with it's monprene, has an advantage here.

It will be interesting to see if Scubapro will offer a stripped down version or different wing size options. No weight pockets and no travel bag, could bring the pricing down to be competitive. Wing size options will let divers choose what best fits there diving.

Have you checked out the xDeep Ghost? It says it has neutrally buoyant padding on the BP and the shoulder straps.

 

[BoltSnap]

I dive a BP/W with aluminum or soft backplate and 1 piece harness.

Watched the videos on the Hydros and what interested me most is the monprene backplate and shoulder harness. It offers comfort but no buoyancy because it is not foam. I frequently dive in just a rash shirt so I definitely notice a comfort difference from my bare webbing and my wife's padded adjustable harness. I chose bare webbing because I don't want the added buoyancy . So in my opinion, the Hydros with it's monprene, has an advantage here.

It will be interesting to see if Scubapro will offer a stripped down version or different wing size options. No weight pockets and no travel bag, could bring the pricing down to be competitive. Wing size options will let divers choose what best fits there diving.

I think that the current Hydros is a "platform" they will build other systems around in the future depending on need and market interest.

 

[BoltSnap]

Which flavour does the ScubaPro koolaid come in?

Sweet and sour!!

 

[lexvil]

If something happened to my bp/w I would replace it with a hydros but unless the bp/w is stolen it's not likely to need replacement in my remaining dive life.

 

[ronscuba]

I don't see myself switching either, but it is nice to see a recreational BCD with modular features. The modular aspects and wide choice of options is a big reason I use a BPW.

If Scubapro ever decided to sell the monoprene backplate by itself, I would definitely consider it.

 

[jd950]

I was on a dive boat last week with a guy diving a hydros (along with a variety of other setups, including three people using BPWs, one steel plate, one aluminum and one kydex/plastic). I asked the Hydros guy how he liked his BC and he said he really enjoyed it. He left the integrated weight pockets at home and used a weight belt. I noticed it looked extremely streamlined, did not appear to ride up on him or shift around, and it was dry VERY quickly after dives. He was able to pack it up small enough to carry on board the airline. He was able to travel with just two carry-ons despite having all his own gear. He also said the weight pockets went on and off quickly and it seems like if one wanted, they could be pulled off and packed separately to save space in a gear bag.

The BPW people seemed happy with their stuff too. They had a lot more shiny, dangly bits hanging off them then most people and the dive boat dudes who set up dtanks after each dive hated dealing with BPWs for some reason. Overall the BPWs looked about as streamlined as the Hydros, but seemed to require more fussing and two of the three BPW divers needed crotch straps to hold the BPWs in place during dives. One of the BPW divers told me he chose a BPW because he had trouble finding a BCD that fit properly (He is a really large guy). The guy with the Halcyon BPW didn't talk to anyone else on the boat so I have no idea whether he liked his BPW or anything else.

For my purposes, I would need to add a pocket and some sort of weight pocket to either a BPW or the Hydros. I am not currently looking for a new BC, but if I were, the Hydros would be a contender.

Actually, though, everyone seemed happy with what they were using, and no one seemed disadvantaged or handicapped by their gear choice, which seems to be a point often overlooked in BCD discussions on Scubaboard.