bp/w harness type and time of use

[RAWalker]

Is it me or does it seem that the contineous webbing divers feel they need to convert everyone to their way of thinking while the deluxe harness users will speak up when asked and admit that there is no simple answer to what is best. It depends on the individual divers wants, likes and needs.
Seems at this point we have over 20% BP&W divers that are perfectly happy with their choice of a deluxe harness. This is a significantly large group that are not allowing their gear to collect dust in a closet or be sold on craigslist.
8% of these divers are converts from the simple web harness and decided the deluxe was worth the extra investment. This too is a significant group.

 

[DevonDiver]

8% of these divers are converts from the simple web harness and decided the deluxe was worth the extra investment. This too is a significant group.

Clutching at straws.......

How can you look at a 80% / 20% split and deduce that the minority was significant?

If advising someone what option to choose first, then it is entirely logical to suggest the cheapest and most popular option available.

Nobody is trying to 'convert' anyone here. But, when asked for advice, some of us attempt to provide the most cost-effect and likely solution to the users dilema.

Comfort harness is only favoured by 1 in 5 BP&W divers. Of those, nearly half have not tried a basic harness. Comfort harness is approximately 4-6 times more expensive than a basic harness.

To recommend that to a newbie would be totally illogical. I just couldn't comprehend why or how anyone could recommend a comfort harness as an initial purchase.

In contrast, 8 out of 10 BP&W divers prefer a single-piece harness. It serves their purpose and costs less than a single tank dive charter...

The basic single-piece harness is undeniably the best option to choose, when first moving to BP&W.

 

[knowone]

Or the manufacturers and plate lovers everywhere could bite the bullet and re design the poor twenty year plus model they have been mimicking, stop being restricted by the centre channel and put the top slots closer together.

Crossing or overtightening the harness or adding a chest strap would then not be required.

This system would spread the webb load slightly and it would no longer come directly up over your shoulder divits and this will negate or cancel out entirely harness slip offage.

Angled slots at the top I say
And a revamp of threading would not go astray

Oh! And a couple of extra sizes thanks.

Slightly is good.

 

[spectrum]

Depends what you call a comfort harness. I don't have any padding, pivot rings or a sternum strap. My Freedom plate is laced in a standard hog pattern but has shoulder release/sliders that make it easier to get in and out of. It also makes it transparent in fitting from trunks to dry.

Pete

 

[tbone1004]

Not all of the comfort harnesses are that expensive...

All of our students learn on a standard Hog harness though, and that's from day 1, if they choose to go over to another harness that's up to them with or without our advice. A lot of it stems from them being in a bathing suit when moving around with the Hog harnesses and they don't like it at all.

I'm glad I do fit in the 10% of us that have used both though...

On Andy's thing though. We do have a significant amount of our divers buy a Transplate or similar and switch back to single piece or the DR Deluxe harness which has the shoulder redirector thingamabobs and chest strap. If they are really really small or really really big, we'll usually direct them to a Transpac because they offer the real short variety and the extra tall. This is after watching them dive for 3 months with a Halcyon Eclipse in a pool, so they're well used to what a normall BP/w feels like. I know Tobin has other size plates, so does FredT and others, but we can get Transpacs for about the same price, and they usually like the extra flexibility with a soft plate, and also dive heavy steels, so it's less of a need to have steel plates

This was about what we dive though, not what we recommend to others. Every one of our students is put in HOG Harnesses from day 1, if they choose to switch that's on them, but they learn the advantages of 1 piece harnesses, and see all of the instructors and assistants diving pretty much every different BP/W combination out there, so they can at least see them, and can usually try them

 

[The Chairman]

Chest straps are a poor replacement for a crotch strap. That being said, I don't dive a continuous web OR a comfort harness either. Two pieces of web, one off of each shoulder, work for me.

However, knowone's suggestion about the slots being closer on a few models might help someone like TS&M.

 

[84turboz]

Started with a DR deluxe harness with QR. Now using single piece hog harness (and a crotch strap). Ended up being more comfortable in my case. Easy to get in and out of as long as you don't try to make it too tight. Easy whether removing in water to hand up or removing once in boat. Just use thumb in chest d-ring to slide off shoulder. Simple works best for me. Trick seems to be not to make it tight.

 

[DevonDiver]

I know Tobin has other size plates, so does FredT and others, .....

I was thinking about your dimensions and the difficulty you had with single-piece harness. Did you ever try a custom sized backplate? Lenthening the shoulder straps, by lengthening the backplate could make a difference?

Wasn't really a solution for you... I was just pondering.... lol

 

[Captain12Pk]

As you know Matt, I started with the IQ pack before moving to the single piece webbing. The only benefit I see in the comfort type harnesses is the ease of entry and exit. In the water they have too much monkley motion and too many D Rings. I wont go back.

 

[on_two_wheels]

As you know Matt, I started with the IQ pack before moving to the single piece webbing. The only benefit I see in the comfort type harnesses is the ease of entry and exit. In the water they have too much monkley motion and too many D Rings. I wont go back.

Nor will I. I passed on your IQ pack already...broke even.