Posted by kelphead on March 04, 2000 at 20:38:34:
a drysuit and a back-inflate b.c.
actually, though, i would put more priority on the drysuit right now, especially since i can't afford BOTH.
here's what i've gathered and i would appreciate your input on all this:
**i will be going w/latex seals no matter what
**i'm shying away from the non-crushed neoprene based on the experience of other divers (ie, one loses insulation when the suit compresses at depth, etc)
**i was interested in crushed neoprene, but was told recently by a shop owner that crushed neoprene drysuits are heavier out of water after a dive than a wet wetsuit...is this true...?...
**trilam is the 3rd option, but i always got the sense from looking at brochures and reading other divers' comments that the trilam are 'baggy' suits compared to the crushed neo and that there would be more drag w/them. what say ye on this? [[and why is trilam less expensive than crushed neo if trilam sells more than crushed neo??]]
the pro for trilam is that it does dry more quickly than the crushed neo and is easier to repair in field.
i understand that there are many quality drysuit companies out there, but the one shop that i've started this conversation with only carries 'dui'. should i just stick w/'dui' when it comes to either trilam or crushed neo???
**also, what do you think about a 'dui' trilam suit WITH rock boots and front entry zipper for 1200$ brand new (not including any reinforcement work, such as at the knees, and not including the class)
now, in regards to the back-inflate b.c., i had attended the 'dir' seminar on the 'great escape' ~a month or so ago and i became very interested in the 'halcyon' single tank setup. i have borrowed a friend's 36# wing setup, but, alas, he does not own the wt integrated system which i would really like to test out as a complete system w/this rig before i make a final committment.
anyway, i was at the dive shop and asked the owner about the 'halcyon' system, but he seemed very reluctant to sell it. he steered me toward the 'zeagle ranger' instead and said that this back-inflate b.c. would fit a woman better. he told me that the 44# wing on the 'ranger' was ok to have, but that the 'halcyon' (27# wing single tank setup) was overkill for my type of diving. he called the 'zeagle ranger' a 'techreational' b.c. and the 'halcyon' a purely 'tehnicial' b.c. ...not that i have experience in technical diving, but both b.c.'s seemed to me to at least be in the same class/category. he also said you get more stuff w/the 'zeagle' ranger--but isn't this the opposite of 'dir' thinking...?...
my q to all of you is: why is the 44# wing 'zeagle ranger' b.c. considered more appropriate for socal recreational diving but the 27# wing single tank 'halcyon' b.c. not?
also, the 'halcyon' seemed more streamlined and less gadgety than the 'zeagle', but i was told that the 'zeagle' was just as streamlined, if not moreso, than the 'halcyon'.
the one thing i know i already don't like about the 'zeagle' b.c. is the wt integrated system--i'm used to the 'seaquest' version, which is more like the 'halcyon' system. i've read from other divers who own a 'zeagle' b.c. that the threading(??) of the wt integration is somewhat complicated on the 'zeagle'.
basically, i'm looking for more streamlining, better comfort, and an even better fit. when i did put on the 'halcyon' over my 2 piece wetsuit on dry land, it felt very comfortable: just like a backpack w/nothing in the front to bother me. of course, i did not have the wt pouches to try on at that time, though. i was told that it would be more difficult to fit me well in the 'halcyon', but, on the other hand, the 'zeagle ranger' looked like it would be bulkier on me. also, i was told that if i do get a drysuit, the streamlining issue will be moot whether i get a back-inflate b.c. or whether i stick w/my jacket style b.c.
any thoughts on this topic??? i would really appreciate the input, especially since i'm now more confused than i was before...(!!)
thanx!!
kelphead.