If you could buy one of three things..?

[Sounder]

I like my GOLEM GEAR, although sounder will steer you toward Deep sea supply.

Yeah, I simply love everything DSS. bp/w, smb, instrument mounts, tools, everything... and the customer service is amazing. Salvo & DSS set the bar for top-shelf customer serice. The fact that I can pick up my cell phone and call Tobin or Barry (on speed dial), and have them answer the phone, means a lot.

[Penopolypants]

Harness, d-rings, BP, wing for a very fair price

Their prices have gone up....a full rig with a SS backplate and a 35# wing is $530 now. Compare that to $475 for Tobin's rig...meh. i agree that it's very well made.

So is Tobin's gear, though.

[Pez7378]

So, if you had $3000-$5000 to spend...what one item would you get?

What are your thoughts?
Shell
edited by pez

I'm just going to settle this once and for all. I think LJ would approve. The answer: A Dive Xtras X scooter!

[airsix]

Salvo & DSS set the bar for top-shelf customer serice.

And top-shelf product engineering. There is a very insightful thread on TDM where Tobin explains wing design. You never knew so much thought went into bladder shapes!

-Ben

[LCF]

Subtracting weight is a holistic concept, since all the weight you need stays the same.

This isn't absolutely true -- In theory, it is, because you balance all your positive and negative buoyancy. But in practice, something like an Al80 tank gives you MORE weight to schlep around, while at the same time REQUIRING weight to sink it. It's the same way with some BCs -- They have enough padding to be positively buoyant, and require more weight to sink them.

When you switch to steel tanks and a steel backplate, you actually drop total ballast from where you were before.

I think most of the advantages of a BP/W can be realized with clever use of trim and camband weights (you can't get the fit, though). Aluminum tanks can be compensated for. But nothing, nothing at all, compares with a good, bright, focused light for Pacific Northwest diving. If you can figure out a way to mount a Salvo canister light on your rig, that would absolutely be my number one recommendation. And I'm with Sounder -- a 21W Salvo can light is the cat's meow. Quality rocks, customer service is unreal.

If you don't want to spring for a can light, or can't mount one, you can buy a Photon Torpedo with the LED upgrade, which is a lovely, focused hand-held light under $200 (or at least, it used to be under $200). They make superb backup lights, when you do upgrade to your BP/W/can light setup

[Scubak]

If I was making a system...
I would get my regs squared away. A first (Primary) and a second (necklace) Top of the line, long hose and necklace.
I would buy my tanks as to what I was going to dive with a BP/W in consideration. I would do Steel 102 HP for singles...Lots of
air and comfortable and negative for weighting. Preferably 2 to start with. Get the majority of your weight in your gear.
Less on your weight belt...this helps distribute it onto your body for trim and such (packing it to dive site, swimming it up)
I would buy a can light. HID preferably.
Then I would buy the back plate and harness and wing... one for singles and preferably one to "graduate" to twins.
This is of course after I had gotten a dry suit...
All of this is under the assumption you have a great mask and jet fins...
Just my .02 PSI
Kirsten

[H20doctor]

First I would pm h20doctor and buy a light from him... Cause they rock !!! Then with the remain 300 I would by a HP 130 .. And never come up for air