Well Pro-DIR'ers,
I have to say - I've tried about everything out there as a newbie - DIR, recreational gear, jacket BC's, back inflation BC's, OMS bungee wings, Halcyon rigs - and the guys on this board were right.
Fact is, there is nothing out there currently that beats this DIR rig and philosophy. Nothing. I've tried all kinds of hose configurations, etc. Nothing, and I mean nothing, works as well as having the long hose setup. Its clean, the backup reg is out of your way - its not dangling or dragging - you can find it with your eyes closed if need be or in the dark or a silt out.
As far as the BP and harness goes - there isn't ANY jacket BC that I tried that is as inexpensive as a BP, as versatile, easy to adjust to EACH person's size or suit config. Nothing. Its inexpensive, bulletproof. Its simple, clean, and unrestrictive around one's chest and waist. You have plenty of room to hang bottles if you need, camera's, or in my case these days - an underwater metal detector.
Fight all you want, troll all you want - try and defend your setup to the death - I did. I fought it as hard as anyone can. I put up a good fight.
But the fact remains, that DIR is the best thing going to date. It simply works - is simple and hell, and doesn't thrive on the latest fads, styles, trends, etc. Its here to stay.
From what I have seen, it can work as nicely in 60 ft of recreational diving as well as deeper dives. Its versatile that you can BUY ONCE - ONE RIG - and adapt it to whatever you choose to do, if you advance and grow into more technical diving, deeper diving, or not. Its compact, packs easily, and costs about a full $10 in webbing to re-web a rig, repair it, fix it, etc. Mess up your harness, and you can be back in business in about 30 mins. Heck, everyone sells 2" webbing these days. When you adjust something on that harness - it STAYS in place. Its doesn't slip, slide, or move again. It doesn't get 'out of adjustment' and can never break.
The wings are clean and w/o problems. While you MAY have to get your butt UP to dump air when horizontal - thats no big deal. There are no bands to trap and hold air, have to adjust or play with, replace or balance out from the left to right wide of the wing. I'm telling you, I've been there. I spent more time trying to figure out why a 100# bungee wing didn't trim properly with a single tank. I spent more time adjusting, loosening and tightening bungees on each side to balance out inflation issues. Why? More crap to break or tinker with.
The DIR harness will NEVER come off of your body. Never. All this BS about a DIR harness being uncomfortable vs. an IQ Pack or Trans Pac is pure BS. One you put a BP on with a wetsuit or drysuit, you don't even knows its there.
So, take it from someone who sent full cicrcle, around and around again - tried this, tried that....eBay made lost of money on my mistakes.
These guys on the board may be arrogant - they may be tough. Thats because they have learned - from experience - the hard way, perhaps - on what WORKS and what DOESN'T.
And I'll telling you - DIR is simply the most logical, best designed safe system for diving - ANY kind of diving.
Save yourself TONS of money, aggravation, etc.
Just buy a BP and wing and be done with it. Take the money you save on weight integrated BC's, gimmicks, pockets, etc. and just invest $188 for a Halcyon BP and be done with it. Its still cheaper in the long run vs. some $450 BC that is as restrictive as a barrel around your waist.
I could have bought a boat on what I could have saved if I had just stayed with DIR and worked at it.
Live and learn...
