MNScuba.com

Hi guys.  Does anybody know if there's a dive shop around here that sells Halcyon Backplate & Wings?  I'd kinda like to try 'em out to see how they feel.  Thanks!  :

According to Halcyon's website there is only one Halcyon dealer in MN and that is Mick's Scuba way up in Moorhead.

Harrumph.  That's what I was afraid of.  I was kinda hoping their website was not up to date.  Why do you suppose nobody in the Cities carries Halcyon yet?

Good question.  I haven't seen any shops that carry BP/Wings setups around here either.  Regular jacket and back inflation style BC's that the shops carry I assume are more marketable because they have all the little trinkits and D-rings etc...that look more appealing or "tech" looking to the basic recreational diver.  I haven't personally tried a BP/Wing myself yet but would like to because I've heard so much hype about them.  By chance have you checked out <br>  They carry the Halcyon line and apparently even let you try the stuff out and if you don't like it you can send it back which is pretty cool.

There was a local store that was a distributor and that may have been because the owner wanted to buy personal gear.  I asked at another store and the owner was told by Halcyon that it would take a minimum $3000 order to open the dealership.  Tech equipment is not that big a market here for that store to want to keep that much stuff around given that he already deals OMS and Dive Rite.   Additionally, locally OMS and Dive Rite are much more popular with the stores with Abysmal possibly getting into the market  Add to that I think that some of the stores aren't big on the Halcyon/DIR connection. <br><br>The way to try one locally would probably be to find some kind soul who uses one who would be willing to let you take one for a spin.  There are a couple of us here, I can think of at least 3, that use Halcyon Pioneer wings.  If you are looking for Explorer wings I can't point you at anyone.<br><br>As far as backplates go, it really doesn't matter whose plate you use.  There are less expensive plates out there that do the same job: AUL, Dive Rite, OMS, Abysmal, as well as one or two individuals who make them on the side.  I have a Dive Rite Al plate and an OMS ss plate.  They work equally well.  It is also less expensive to rig your own harness.  The wing definitely makes a difference.  I have a Dive Rite Trek wing and a Pioneer 36.  I much prefer to dive the Pioneer.   I am keeping the Trek wing around in case I decide to set up a pair of Al twins.<br><br>Joel<br><br><br><br>

Scuba Center has service staff that can help you with a BP & Wing for Diverite, OMS, or Abyssmal.<br><br>I am going to start looking in to a BP & Wing myself this summer.<br><br>

Thanks for all your help, guys.  From what I've read, the BP & Wings should have a broader appeal than just for techs.  I like its jacket-less streamlined simplicity.  Kinda like Feng-Shui diving    I'll check out Scuba Center, Starfish.  Thanks.

Apparently they do appeal to more and more as many jacket-style companies are coming out with a Winf design.<br><br>I've decided against the one I was looking at from Amer-sea because I want to be able to easily adjust for 6mm wetsuit here in MN or a skin in Cozumel or some place warm.  I am between sizes.<br><br>AGain, any info you can pass along is good.  We all seem to be interested but there isn't much experience with this subject amongst the MN group.<br>

As far as adjustment goes, as long as the body doesn't change, the setup of the harness for the most part doesn't change.  If I am out right now I wear a drysuit, when I have been in a pool watching a class I wear a 3mm shorty.  The only thing I change on my harness is the crotch strap length.  There is a little too much crotch strap length with the shorty.  The shoulder straps don't get changed.  The harness is not meant to be god-awful tight.  If it was you couldn't get into and out of it.  Really the only time there would be a major change in the harness is if someone else were to adjust it to themselves.  Bp/wings aren't that hard to work with.  <br><br>Bp/wings may not be common to people on this board (I know of two who post here, including myself, who only wear bp/wings), but I can think of a reasonable number of people in town who wear them all of the time and I can think of one shop where I am pretty sure that a bp/wing is pretty much all the guys who work there wear. <br><br>They are out there, you just need to find the people who use them.<br><br>JoelW

This weekend I ordered an OMS BP & Wing at:<br><br>SCUBA Dive + Travel<br>4741 Chicago Ave. South<br>Minneapolis, MN 55407<br>612//823/7210<br>fax 823/1605<br><br>www.scubadiveandtravel.com<br><br>Richard Dreher//Owner<br><br>He was friendly and knowledgeable.<br><br>Richard dives long hose and was teaching a TriMix class when we got there.  Had some great photos on the shop walls of him in Florida caves.