Which BP/W system to buy?

[RJP]

Sure lots of divers here advocate continuous harness but how many of them dive only in ideal conditions. Trying it in the pool and being able to do a skill under real life conditions are often very different.

Yeah, here I am prepping for a dive in the "ideal conditions" of a crisp Autumn Sunday in NJ...

Blue skies, crystal clear water, flat seas...

Yeah, the "ideal" conditions here are just like a pool!

:cool2:

 

[fnfalman]

Just because someone is photographed in something doesn't mean it's his only option. I'd like to see a picture of him inside a wreck at 200 fsw wearing that gear. Then I'll believe he uses it exclusively.

Dive Rite as a company makes the claim that if there is a dive that you think you can't execute with the Transpac (you know, the one with paddings and danglies), contact them and they'd be more than glad to either show you how to do it or come and dive with you and show you how to do it. They didn't specify which type of dive, so I would assume that it includes penetration dive; be it cave or wreck.

Here's a picture from Dive Rite website showing a diver (sorry, not the CEO of Dive Rite) using the DR rebreather, which is carried on a Nomad BC, which is a version of the Transpac.

Here's another picture of the Nomad BC with sidemount doubles. But I'm sure that it's a faked photo because it wasn't taken underwater. You better tell'em that according to your expertise, they aren't Doing It Right and that they need to go back to school and learn about technical diving skills and that they need Hog harnesses.

 

[RJP]

You are diving at a location that doesn't allow divers to carry cutting tools.

Where on Earth (literally) is this place?

You are brought to the surface unconscious, not breathing and the rescuer is unfamiliar with your harness has no knife and is a long way from shore or a boat.
What do you think is about to happen?

He uses one of my three cutting tools to get me out. If he's not familiar enough with my gear and a knife to cut me out of my rig, the likelihood that he's going to be worth much in a rescue scenario overall is pretty slim.

Plus, where are he and I diving that we are a long way away from shore or a boat, with no cutting tools, and I'm unconscious? Other than being adrift somehwhere at sea? But now you're introducing more variables that go way beyond gear configuration question.

 

[rongoodman]

I don't see any need for quick releases, especially since I'm now diving my Hog harness much looser than I used to. I did look into them a year ago when recovering from a nasty arm fracture. If you think you need one, the A2 from Golem Gear will do what you need in as clean a fashion available. No padding or extra D-rings, just plain 2" webbing, and you could drop a set of steel doubles on those buckles without hurting them.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Dive Rite as a company makes the claim that if there is a dive that you think you can't execute with the Transpac (you know, the one with paddings and danglies), contact them and they'd be more than glad to either show you how to do it or come and dive with you and show you how to do it. They didn't specify which type of dive, so I would assume that it includes penetration dive; be it cave or wreck.

Here's a picture from Dive Rite website showing a diver (sorry, not the CEO of Dive Rite) using the DR rebreather, which is carried on a Nomad BC, which is a version of the Transpac.

Here's another picture of the Nomad BC with sidemount doubles. But I'm sure that it's a faked photo because it wasn't taken underwater. You better tell'em that according to your expertise, they aren't Doing It Right and that they need to go back to school and learn about technical diving skills and that they need Hog harnesses.

Wow....we are really reaching way beyond the original points here. Again....for every picture you show me of a diver wearing this stuff, 1000 pics can be found of divers wearing hog harnesses. What does that prove? As for my request, it was in relation to the owner since you used HIS expertise as support. I merely want to know if he dives into wrecks with that gear. Diving the yukon with it's 26 massive cutouts doesn't count. I'm talking about guys that explore unintentionally sunken wrecks with all internal structures intact. Speaking of that, neither of those pics are wrecks. For all I know they would be big enough caves to drive a bus through. Maybe not. Regardless, my comment was about the guy that sells what he's wearing. Does he wear it in wrecks 200 ft down? Or does his gear get more minimalistic? I'm not claiming to be an expert, then again, I"m not using a retail website to support my statements. My only observation is that the majority of divers entering risky environments (overhead, wrecks, etc) do use a minimalist approach.

 

[RAWalker]

And here we are in the new divers and those considering diving thread and you are posting pictures of yourself wearing a drysuit and diving doubles of nitrox. That seems a far leap from the training and abilities of the average diver. So lets see whats different besides your being equipped with a redundant gas source?
If you really want to take a statement out of context be my guest.
It is however clear that I was simply attempting to open the eyes of a new diver to making choices for themselve while considering their worst case scenario. Many of us here will make other choices but that is based on our skills, training, site conditions and abilities which may vary greatly from anyone elses.

Yeah, here I am prepping for a dive in the "ideal conditions" of a crisp Autumn Sunday in NJ...

Blue skies, crystal clear water, flat seas...

Yeah, the "ideal" conditions here are just like a pool!

:cool2:

 

[RJP]

My only observation is that the majority of divers entering risky environments (overhead, wrecks, etc) do use a minimalist approach.

You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?

I think you need a broader, deeper experience base before you can talk about what the "majority of divers" do...



Note: Just busting your chops. I agree that many/most of the better divers try to keep it minimalist, and I try to do so, and prefer to dive with folks who also do, but crewing on a wreck dive boat I can tell you that the truth is the vast majority of divers (even wreck divers) hit the water decked out like a Christmas tree in Macy's window. Now, I'm not advocating for that (just the opposite) but these folks mostly survive.

 

[RAWalker]

I agree that many/most of the better divers try to keep it minimalist, and I try to do so, and prefer to dive with folks who also do, but crewing on a wreck dive boat I can tell you that the truth is the vast majority of divers (even wreck divers) hit the water decked out like a Christmas tree in Macy's window. Now, I'm not advocating for that (just the opposite) but these folks mostly survive.

Thanks for the reality check.

 

[RJP]

Thanks for the reality check.

And most drunk drivers survive too... but I wouldn't consider that a "reality check" either.

 

[fnfalman]

Wow....we are really reaching way beyond the original points here. Again....for every picture you show me of a diver wearing this stuff, 1000 pics can be found of divers wearing hog harnesses. What does that prove? As for my request, it was in relation to the owner since you used HIS expertise as support. I merely want to know if he dives into wrecks with that gear. Diving the yukon with it's 26 massive cutouts doesn't count. I'm talking about guys that explore unintentionally sunken wrecks with all internal structures intact. Speaking of that, neither of those pics are wrecks. For all I know they would be big enough caves to drive a bus through. Maybe not. Regardless, my comment was about the guy that sells what he's wearing. Does he wear it in wrecks 200 ft down? Or does his gear get more minimalistic? I'm not claiming to be an expert, then again, I"m not using a retail website to support my statements. My only observation is that the majority of divers entering risky environments (overhead, wrecks, etc) do use a minimalist approach.

What does it prove? It proves that hard core technical divers do use adjustable harnesses.

It doesn't matter if 100:1 using Hog or even 1000:1 using Hog harness. Apparently there are professionals and dedicated divers out there that use adjustable harnesses by choice.

Your observation as a rec diver is about as good as mine. Neither you nor I have been trained in technical diving, so what makes you an expert on technical diving and technical diving equipment?

Let me guess, you're going to say that you defer to expert opinions, right?

Guess what? I'm deferring to expert opinions too: the two guys that head up the two most successful technical BCD companies in the world. The two guys that are world renown and world recognized as expert divers. I tell you what, when these two guys tell me that adjustable harnesses are for the dogs, then I'll switch over to Hog harness.

As far as Lamar Hires or his Dive Rite staff don't use adjustable harnesses to do penetration diving' once again, Dive Rite's policy is that if you think that there is a dive out there that cannot be executed by using a Transpac adjustable harness, let them know and they will either show you how or come and dive with you and show you how. Call them and say that you don't think that you can execute a true wreck penetration dive with their Transpac. Here's the phone number: (386) 752-1087. If you don't want to spare the dime, then contact them via email through their website http://www.diverite.com/contact/