scottm
Contributor
Last weekend I had a chance to do 4 dives with my new DSS single tank rig (medium steel bp, hog harness, Torus 35). I love the setup, and figured I'd post here rather then email Tobin directly.
The shipping package is unbelievably small (my cat is currently enjoying it as a new bed). The harness took me awhile to rig properly, but wasn't particularly difficult. The reinforced slots are nice, and the fit and finish of the entire setup is very impressive. Compared to some other plates that seem to require some manual intervention with a dremel, the DSS plate looks like a piece of art.
The Torus wing vents easily and seemed to keep the air in just the right spot for me (to the point where I dove with a bit more drysuit squeeze then usual, because using the wing for it's purpose was easier then my prior BCD). I was quite happy with the length of the exhaust, and it sat neatly out of the way but was easy to grab to inflate or deflate. The rear dump is a little difficult to find with thick gloves on, so I may modify it, but I'll give it a chance. Probably the biggest adjustment was using it on the left side; my old BC had the butt dump on the right and I just naturally look there every time. I never felt like the wing was trapping air anywhere and honestly never really gave it a second thought... The inflater/mouthpiece seems "backwards" to me and I end up looping the hose under it, but I think this is a personal preference and could certainly be changed easily.
I struggle some to get the tank perfectly vertical (single HP120), and my first dive was fairly awkward as the tank was way too high and a bit crooked... Spending extra time on subsequent dives to verify the plate was straight after the cam bands were cinched down helps, but if anyone has any advice here I'd welcome it... The wobble-stopper-thing isn't quite big enough to really align the tank straight up and down. I'm sure I'll get better with practice, but I'm not neccessarily looking forward to setting up the tank on a rocking boat.
I still have some adjusting to do on the harness (started out too loose, then I think I went too far the other way), but I'm getting mixed opinions about whether or not I can trim the excess off before the settings are just right. Right now, I've got about 2 feet on each end of the waist strap extra (to the point that it's difficult to route the extra harness around my body without it flapping around). It's adjusted for my drysuit and thick undergarments, so I can't imagine needing much more slack then I already have. Is it safe to trim a bit off?
These were my first dives with a BPW (everyone I know who has one up here is in doubles) and I couldn't believe how much more comfortable the rig is underwater then my back inflate BC. I was able to drop a bunch of weight (at least 8 pounds) and keeping horizontal trim was much less difficult.
Rereading this post I realize I spent more time talking about problems then praising the setup, but I should emphasize how delighted I am with the setup. Any change this major takes some getting used to, and all my questions/quibbles are minor compared to how much better the rig as a whole feels underwater. I also want to thank Tobin again not just for having a great product, but for his patience in emailing back and forth sizing the rig, and for the amount of time he spends on boards like this talking with customers.
The shipping package is unbelievably small (my cat is currently enjoying it as a new bed). The harness took me awhile to rig properly, but wasn't particularly difficult. The reinforced slots are nice, and the fit and finish of the entire setup is very impressive. Compared to some other plates that seem to require some manual intervention with a dremel, the DSS plate looks like a piece of art.
The Torus wing vents easily and seemed to keep the air in just the right spot for me (to the point where I dove with a bit more drysuit squeeze then usual, because using the wing for it's purpose was easier then my prior BCD). I was quite happy with the length of the exhaust, and it sat neatly out of the way but was easy to grab to inflate or deflate. The rear dump is a little difficult to find with thick gloves on, so I may modify it, but I'll give it a chance. Probably the biggest adjustment was using it on the left side; my old BC had the butt dump on the right and I just naturally look there every time. I never felt like the wing was trapping air anywhere and honestly never really gave it a second thought... The inflater/mouthpiece seems "backwards" to me and I end up looping the hose under it, but I think this is a personal preference and could certainly be changed easily.
I struggle some to get the tank perfectly vertical (single HP120), and my first dive was fairly awkward as the tank was way too high and a bit crooked... Spending extra time on subsequent dives to verify the plate was straight after the cam bands were cinched down helps, but if anyone has any advice here I'd welcome it... The wobble-stopper-thing isn't quite big enough to really align the tank straight up and down. I'm sure I'll get better with practice, but I'm not neccessarily looking forward to setting up the tank on a rocking boat.
I still have some adjusting to do on the harness (started out too loose, then I think I went too far the other way), but I'm getting mixed opinions about whether or not I can trim the excess off before the settings are just right. Right now, I've got about 2 feet on each end of the waist strap extra (to the point that it's difficult to route the extra harness around my body without it flapping around). It's adjusted for my drysuit and thick undergarments, so I can't imagine needing much more slack then I already have. Is it safe to trim a bit off?
These were my first dives with a BPW (everyone I know who has one up here is in doubles) and I couldn't believe how much more comfortable the rig is underwater then my back inflate BC. I was able to drop a bunch of weight (at least 8 pounds) and keeping horizontal trim was much less difficult.
Rereading this post I realize I spent more time talking about problems then praising the setup, but I should emphasize how delighted I am with the setup. Any change this major takes some getting used to, and all my questions/quibbles are minor compared to how much better the rig as a whole feels underwater. I also want to thank Tobin again not just for having a great product, but for his patience in emailing back and forth sizing the rig, and for the amount of time he spends on boards like this talking with customers.
