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>I plan to get a set of wings and start using doubles. At the moment like most >Brits I dive a single cylinder with a pony. What are your thoughts on a wing >system that I can use at home for doubles and with a single on those frequent >trips where doubles (rentals) are rarely available? I am by no means one of the experts, but feel qualified to comment on this because I do a great variety of diving, including ocean wrecks, tropical reefs, caves, and low vis high current river diving. The backplate and wing with a one piece harness is the best possible setup for everything, and if configured properly, the only thing that changes are the wing and the addition of a single tank adaptor. Halcyon makes the correct wing for anything you want to do, and I have different ones for different tank setups. It is extremely important to properly match your tanks, wing and exposure protection. This is what makes the system work. My backup lights live on my harness no matter where I go, because they are almost invisible on a properly configured harness. The streamlining and simplicity are an asset anywhere, even on that 40' tropical reef dive with a single 80. Imagine kicking once and gliding effortlessly for tens of feet. And get this - my dive bag is lighter with a stainless steel backplate, single tank adaptor, and 2 wings than it was with my old tech bc! >From what I can fathom the DIR system puts a lot of dependancy on the >buddy (redundant timers etc?). What is the DIR thinking with regard to such >equipment under conditions of low vis and strong currents? You need to have a good buddy of like mind. I do alot of river diving, and even in very low vis my buddy and I stay in communication with our powerful cannister lights with the right bulbs, while looking for fossils and artifacts. We try to never stray out of light communication range. In these conditions the streamlining, proper balance, and simplicity of the rig pay off handsomely if you dive with a good buddy and keep the right mindset, and don't fall prey to the more is better way of thinking that can quickly muck up your rig. I have found that cutting tables and using a bottom timer is the only way to go on any dive which involves a square profile or planned decompression, and am finding that I can do better at multilevel and multiday no decompression diving without a computer if I do a little bit of depth and time planning for each dive. By paying attention, you learn what your own limits are instead of following an algorithm designed to keep the lawyers at bay. Keep reading this list, even if you get insulted. If you read and learn and follow the system, and are willing to work through the little difficulties you encounter with it along the way, you will be rewarded with much safer and more enjoyable dives. al -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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