LavaSurfer:
I would like something versatile. I would guess that 70-80% of my time would be spent with a single AL80 doing reef dives or wall dives with the wife. The time on these dives would be the NDL for the dives or until I run out of gas. She always lasts longer than I.
Cave diving or Cavern diving would be probably done without my wife and would be the other 20-30% of my time. More technical, duals with lots of gadgets i.e lights, reels etc
Then there is the time that I want to spend on a wreck or wall and use doubles and potentially get into situations where I have to deal with DECO. Those are not in the near future (18 Months) but I want to move in that direction. Basically these dives would be in the ranges of AIR or EAN and not stepping into the world of trimix at all. Not yet anyway.
Scooter, sorry... everytime I sit down to respond something comes up and I have to run...
I think that you misunderstood what I meant about versatility. Forget doubles and deco and caves and walls for a minute. Think exposure protection. With that in mind... and if I'm reading you right... it seems that you are pretty much using light suits... a polartec or a 3 mil... for almost all of your diving right now. As such, you have a relatively light weight requirement. You are not using a thick wetsuit or a drysuit with a thick undergarment and you're not switching back and forth between different suits like some of us here that dive cold water one day and really warm water the next.
So... maybe you don't really want a "versatile rig". Maybe... you might like a rig that is especially tuned to the light exposure protection, warm water diving.
If so, then a relatively small wing would be very sweet. The absolute best, IMHO, is the Halcyon Batwing. It is a single layer bladder, tiny 18 pound lift, horseshoe design. It almost disappears between the backplate and cylinder. For travel, it folds up very small and takes up little space... much less than any of the inner bladder/ outer shell type wings of higher lift. It is well crafted with a rugged material and solid seams and has an appropriately short corrugated inflator hose and an old style, dependable... yet easily replacable... inflator.
It also is quite unique and uncommon to see at dive sites because... and here's the catch... they don't make it any more. Nevertheless, they can still be found in great shape... sometimes even new... by keeping an eye on the gear sections here and over on TDS. IMO, for light exposure protection, low weight requirement, warm water diving, this baby is t$ts... a classic light weight wing. If minimalism is a goal, then this is The Minimalist. You'll feel slick as butter wearing this wing.
If you are not so keen on waiting for one to show up, then there are some other wings that might fit the bill. I believe that Tobin makes a small 20# wing and the Oxycheq 18# Razor might still be available. Though I have no personal experience with either, I would guess that both are very nice given the rep of these two manufacturers.
The disadvantage to a tiny wing is of course... versatilty. Though they probably would be just fine for use with moderate weight requirements, they won't cut it if you go to a heavy wetsuit or a drysuit with thick undergarments. For those situations a larger wing in the 27 to 35 pound lift is more typical.
As far as a plate and harness is concerned, the most unique solutions available are products from Deep Sea Supply. If you appreciate fine craftmanship, then you will be delighted with Tobin's plates. They are significantly flatter than most of the other plates, resulting in a lower profile and this presumably makes reaching the valves a little easier. I like the molded in grommets that Tobin has placed in the webbing slots. They reduce wear on the straps but more importantly make adustments a snap... much quicker and easier than messing with the triglides found on most other harnesses.
Deep Sea also offers a lightweight Kydex plate that might interest you. If you are really counting pounds with your luggage in mind, then this is going to be the lightest plate you are going to find. When you get to your destination, however, you are going to have to suppliment this plate with some weight either on a belt or in some cam band weight pockets. Personally, I never get that tight with my packing, and often travel with both a standard SS and AL plate. I prefer to have all the weight on my back and this usually means a SS plate and STA or an AL plate, STA and cannister light.
There are several other very nice plates available. Again, if you are looking for something original or a little special then you could try to find a FredT plate. Fred's plates are special because...well... they're FredT plates. I think his plates really stand out when one is looking for a thicker, heavier plate... like a 9 or 12 or even 15 pound plate. Still... all of Fred's stuff is very nice. The only problem is that since Katrina, Fred's plates are pretty hard to come by. I suppose you could pm him here on SB and ask if he is back in business. But, as far as I know, he still isn't offering plates at this time.
Of course, the plates from Halcyon and Oxycheq are fine as well. Standard, basic stuff. Very nice quality.
Regarding harnesses and hardware... Oxycheq, Deep Sea Supply, and Halcyon have some really good stuff. I get my webbing from Reef Scuba... as innexpensive as you will find for quality webbing and without the silly logos found on the Halcyon webbing. I then order my hardware form Oxycheq. I also have found that the crotch strap from DSS is too short. I get mine from Oxycheq and Extreme Exposure.
LavaSurfer:
What do you have in mind?
I'm just trying to get to know you a little better so that I can give some suggestions that might be just right for you. I have some other ideas but I gotta run.
