Halcyon — Thirty Years of Building the Gear Exploration Divers Actually Need
Halcyon started with a specific frustration: a group of divers who knew exactly what equipment they wanted and couldn't find it anywhere. Robert Carmichael and Jarrod Jablonski founded the company in 1996, and by 2001 had consolidated operations in High Springs, Florida — the heart of Florida's cave diving country, and as good a test environment for serious dive equipment as exists anywhere on earth. 2026 marks Halcyon's 30th anniversary, and the brand is still headquartered and manufacturing in High Springs.
What makes Halcyon genuinely different from most dive equipment companies is the manufacturing model. Most brands select products from an OEM catalog, add a logo, and ship from a warehouse. Halcyon designs, prototypes, builds, and tests everything in one facility. The machine shop handles lathe, drill, and welding work; the fabric room feeds an in-house RF welder, one of the few in the dive industry, which produces all bladders, wing shells, inflatable signal devices, and lift bags. Every bladder is inflated for 24 hours to test integrity before shipping. Every light is pressure tested to 90m/300ft. Quality control inspects every component on the way in and every finished product on the way out. The lifetime warranty on welded seams is only possible because the welding is done in-house, under controlled conditions, by the same team that designed the product.
The list of firsts that have come out of High Springs is long: the first exploration-grade rebreather system, the circular double-tank wing, the modular single-tank buoyancy compensator, the first commercially available P-Valve for drysuit divers, guideline spools, the first foldable underwater life raft, side-design guideline reels. These weren't marketing exercises — they were solutions to problems Halcyon's own divers encountered in Florida's caves and beyond.
At DiveCatalog.com, we carry the current Halcyon lineup as an authorized dealer: wings and BC systems, backplates, surface marker buoys, lift bags, and reels.
The Halcyon Product Range
Wings and BC Systems
Halcyon's wing and backplate systems follow the backplate-and-wing philosophy that's standard in technical and cave diving: a rigid plate (aluminum or stainless steel) provides ballast and structure, a harness wraps the diver, and a separate wing bladder provides buoyancy. This separates the structural and buoyancy functions that jacket-style BCDs combine into one unit — with meaningful benefits for trim, redundancy, and repairability.
The Eclipse Wing is Halcyon's single-cylinder BC, available in 20 lb, 30 lb, and 40 lb lift configurations, CE certified, and engineered for stable trim and low drag in recreational through technical applications. The urethane-coated nylon wing pairs with interchangeable aluminum or stainless steel backplates and ships with a 22-inch LP inflator hose. The Standard Single Tank System configurations combine Eclipse or Era wings with aluminum or stainless backplates in pre-configured packages, covering travel diving and technical training through the Halcyon Customize Tool for weight pockets, carbon fiber STA, and color personalization.
The Standard Twinset System uses the Evolve dual-bladder wing — 40 lb and 60 lb lift options — paired with an aluminum backplate and adjustable harness for twin-set cave, wreck, and decompression diving. The dual-bladder construction provides redundant lift: if one bladder fails, the other maintains buoyancy control. Upgrade options include the Legend MK2 wing, Cinch quick-adjust harness, and weight-pocket configurations.
Backplates
The Standard Stainless Steel Backplate is CNC-machined from polished 304 stainless steel for precise edges, consistent ballast distribution, and long-term corrosion resistance. The low-profile design preserves trim and streamlining underwater, with utility holes for attaching storage paks and drysuit inflation kits. Available in Standard, Small, and Long sizes to match different body proportions.
Surface Marker Buoys and Diver Alert Markers
Halcyon produces one of the most comprehensive DAM lineups in the industry, covering everything from a compact 1m closed-circuit unit to a 6-foot super-slim signal tube:
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Super Slim DAM (6'6"/1.8m): 200-denier nylon, No-Lock® connector for inflation at depth, integrated overpressure relief valve, multiple color combinations for position marking and emergency signaling. Deflates and packs into a thigh pocket or backplate storage pak.
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Big DAM (4.5"/1.4m, Yellow, Closed Circuit): High-visibility yellow with SOLAS reflective accents for daytime and low-light detection, abrasion-resistant coated fabric, oral inflation valve and dump valve, reinforced attachment points for reel or spool connection.
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Super Big DAM (6"/1.8m, 25cm wide, Closed Circuit): SOLAS reflective tape, dual-inflation options (LP hose or oral via No-Lock®), integrated overpressure relief valve, stows in a thigh pocket or backplate storage pack.
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Closed-Circuit DAM (1m/3.3ft): Welded seams, 6 lb lift, integrated overpressure relief, No-Lock® connector. The most compact option in the line, suited to tight storage on a BCD.
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Big Closed-Circuit DAM (18 kg/40 lb): For open-water signaling and emergency flotation, with an integrated overpressure relief valve, bottom dump for controlled venting, and No-Lock® connector for LP hose or oral inflation.
Lift Bags
The Closed-Circuit Lift Bag (80 lb/36.4 kg) uses 200-denier nylon with RF-welded seams — the same construction standard as Halcyon's signal devices. A one-way valve and overpressure relief control expansion during ascent, and a No-Lock® connector allows safe inflation from LP hose. Built for technical diving recovery, deco gas support, and surface marking in demanding conditions. Available in multiple colors.
Reels
The Defender Pro Guideline Reel (200ft, #24 line) uses precision-machined anodized aluminum construction with a spring-loaded lock-down pin and selectable free-spin or fully locked positions for secure one-handed line control in recreational and technical environments.
The Pathfinder Primary Reel pairs a Delrin body with a hard-coat aluminum handle, #24 braided nylon line, tension control, and an anti-lock mechanism that reduces snarl risk in overhead environments. Available in 400, 800, and 1200-foot configurations. Ambidextrous operation, stainless hardware, and a knurled lockdown screw perform reliably in cold or confined conditions.
Key Halcyon Technologies and Design Principles
No-Lock® Connector: Halcyon's proprietary inflation connector found across DAMs and lift bags, designed to accept both oral and LP hose inflation without a locking mechanism that could prevent quick detachment — a safety-relevant detail when controlling a rapidly ascending signal device from depth.
RF Welded Seams (Lifetime Warranty): Halcyon's in-house radio-frequency welder produces all bladders, wing shells, DAMs, and lift bags, with every welded seam covered by a lifetime warranty. The 24-hour inflation test on every bladder before shipping is only achievable because production is under one roof.
Dual-Bladder Wing (Evolve/Twinset): Two independent bladders in the twinset wing system provide redundant buoyancy — a fundamental safety principle in technical diving that jacket-style BCDs with a single bladder cannot provide.
SOLAS Reflective Tape (DAMs): The international maritime standard for retroreflective material used on life-saving equipment. On the Super Big DAM, SOLAS tape ensures the marker is detectable by rescue vessels in rough seas, low light, and at distance.
Why Buy Halcyon from DiveCatalog.com?
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Authorized Halcyon dealer — genuine products, full manufacturer warranty including lifetime warranty on welded seams
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Full Halcyon range — wings, backplates, DAMs, lift bags, and reels
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Expert advice — our team can help you choose and configure the right wing and backplate system
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Fast shipping — in-stock items ship within one business day
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Financing available — for complete twinset and single-tank systems
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Rewards program — earn points on every purchase
Frequently Asked Questions — Halcyon
Who founded Halcyon and when?
Robert Carmichael and Jarrod Jablonski founded Halcyon in 1996. By 2001, the company had consolidated operations in High Springs, Florida — the center of Florida's cave diving community. 2026 marks Halcyon's 30th anniversary.
Why are Halcyon products more expensive than comparable-looking gear from other brands?
Because they're genuinely manufactured differently. Halcyon designs, prototypes, machines, welds, and assembles products in-house in High Springs. Every bladder is inflation-tested for 24 hours. Every light is pressure-tested to 90m before shipping. The raw materials are sourced from military, aerospace, and medical supply chains rather than dive industry commodity suppliers. The lifetime warranty on welded seams is backed by the manufacturing process that produces them.
What is a backplate-and-wing system and why do technical divers prefer it?
A backplate-and-wing separates the structural and buoyancy functions of a BCD into two components: a rigid plate (providing ballast and a mounting point for the harness and cylinder) and a separate wing bladder (providing buoyancy). Compared to a jacket-style BCD, this allows better horizontal trim, true bladder redundancy in twinset configurations, easier component replacement and repair, and a more streamlined underwater profile. It's the standard configuration in cave, technical, and exploration diving.
What is the No-Lock® connector on Halcyon DAMs?
A proprietary connector on Halcyon's inflatable signal devices and lift bags that accepts both LP hose and oral inflation without a locking mechanism. The absence of a lock means the hose detaches quickly and reliably — important when you're controlling a rapidly ascending SMB from depth and need to release the inflator instantly.
What is the difference between open-circuit and closed-circuit SMBs?
An open-circuit SMB vents gas from the bottom as it ascends — which means it stays inflated as long as gas is being added but can lose volume if the inlet is underwater. A closed-circuit SMB traps gas inside with a one-way valve, maintaining volume regardless of orientation — more reliable for maintaining a consistent surface presence in rough conditions. All Halcyon DAMs in this collection are closed-circuit.
Browse the full Halcyon collection above and reach out if you'd like help choosing the right wing system, signal device, or reel for your diving.
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