To complement the wing , I was supplied with Tecline ’ s Stainless Steel 3mm backplate . This was my preference over the more lightweight aluminium option , as it allowed me to dispense with a similar amount of lead ( around 2kg ) from my belt .
Completing the buoyancy setup was the company ’ s QR Harness . Other than the two quick release buckles , which I found made donning and doffing just a little more comfortable , it simply consisted of two webbing shoulder straps , a waist strap with a stainless steel quick release buckle and a crotch strap .
A total of seven D-rings situated in all the usual places seemed about right without being overkill and a bungee ensured the corrugated hose and inflator remained close at hand .
Regs for twin-sets
The V2 ICE first stage is a dedicated left / right system for twinset configurations . Manufactured from maritime bronze and certified to EN 250 : 2014 CE1463 standards , the 300bar V2 ICE is a balanced diaphragm regulator with a dry chamber and dedicated cold water kit .
Weighing 790g apiece it ’ s a good , solid piece of kit ; between them , the pair look capable of coping with some pretty rough treatment . Providing two low pressure ports and a single high pressure port apiece , this allows for typical DIR configuration .
On the left side : primary second stage / wing inflation , on the right : backup second stage , drysuit inflation and SPG . All hoses
K-style inflation / dump valve
TEC2 second stage , showing Venturi and breathing resistance controls
V2 ICE first stage , with two low pressure and single high pressure ports are of the flexible braided type . The 2.1m long primary hose ( donated in an out of air situation ) tucked under my right arm , across the chest then back around the head . The shorter ( 61cm ) backup hung from my neck by its bungee .
If you also want to utilise a wireless transmitter to monitor gas consumption , the HP ports are angled in such a way that prevents this . An easy fix however , is using either a short hose extension or , as in my case , an angled HP adapter .
The identical , pneumatically-balanced TEC2 second stages are again solid-looking specimens ; while weighing only 260g apiece , they do appear more substantial to the eye .
With Teflon-coated metal parts and an additional heat exchanger for improved performance in cold waters , the TEC2 has diameter of 7cm protected via an outer ring of stainless steel . The circular central purge button , though small , was easy to locate and operate .
There are controls for both the Venturi effect ( a plus / minus lever ) and breathing resistance ( a ridged , silver clockwise / anticlockwise knob ). Adjacent to one another on the left side of the regulator , they proved more than adequate in operation even with the disadvantage of thick neoprene gloves .
I kept both methods of adjustment dialled to the minimum on the backup regulator and had no free-flow problems , either at the surface or at depth . Switching between the primary and backup was simple enough , although I ’ d preferred a slightly longer hose for the latter , which can be customspecified at the time of order .
In the water
I had a very enjoyable and comfortable series of dives with this setup , and it continued to grow on me more and more with each outing . The wing , backplate and harness matched perfectly and provided great all-round buoyancy characteristics – nicely horizontal orientation in the water and upright at the surface .
I certainly didn ’ t miss not having any ‘ extra ’ dump valves and the twin sevens / stainless backplate combo meant I could actually dive weight-free in my wetsuit . If it had been my own to keep , I ’ d definitely have trimmed off a little excess webbing on the harness and crotch strap in particular . In any event there were plenty of thick rubber bands to keep it all streamlined for the duration .
As first and second stages go , apart from the transmitter glitch , I couldn ’ t fault them . They were well on par with similarlyspecified market leaders . The breathing resistance knob in particular seemed to provide a wider degree of control than I ’ ve experienced in the past . Neil Hope
Large and easily accessed pull-dump
SCUBA SAYS
Tecline offers a wide variety of customisable kit configurations , which can be tailored to an individual ’ s requirements . This trio of wing , backplate and harness , paired with a duo of high performance cold water regulators proved a winning combination . It is an ideal system for UK diving .
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