OperationZulu
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I currently dive with hogarthian aluminum BP/W with a 30lb donut bladder and STA. After about 5 years of abuse, the thread on the bladder has finally crumbled and I now currently find myself in the market for a replacement bladder. For some time I had also been thinking about adding the OMS profile to my rig to give me a very quick side mount option but I have not been able to find a supplier with stock. I may be stupid, but I cant even seem to find them on the OMS website? Replacing the bladder and adding the profile would set me back in the region of USD250.
With this in mind, I recently came across the Hollis 75. I was told by the owner that she managed to get it for USD499 and could not speak highly enough of it. It looked like a pretty decent piece of equipment but even on the face of it I had a few concerns/thoughts
Basically I think my first question is as follows: Can I do away with the harness of the SMS 75 and mount it to my current back plate and single webbing harness? If possible, with the ability to switch position of the dump valve and corrugated inflator hose, I think this would become a very flexible and versatile rig for me. Do Hollis sell each element of the standalone? Or do you have to buy the entire rig?
My second question has to do with the bungees on the SMS 75. I understand the bladder used on this is exactly the same as the SMS 100. Therefore, if you remove the bungee from the top half of the wing, and had it placed on a back plate, you should theoretically get the same lift capacity of the SMS 100 which could be effectively used, say for doubles?
Before answering please understand that I am aware of the other hybrid options on the market (UTD etc) and I am also aware that many view you either make a commitment to a dedicated back plate wing set up for singles/doubles or you buy a dedicated SM system like the Razor. I am asking the questions above because I want to tailor the rig to my specific needs and am interested in understanding whether anyone has made the modifications to the SMS 75 I am talking about above. I dont seem to be able to find any resources. Thoughts very welcome!
With this in mind, I recently came across the Hollis 75. I was told by the owner that she managed to get it for USD499 and could not speak highly enough of it. It looked like a pretty decent piece of equipment but even on the face of it I had a few concerns/thoughts
- The harness system looks overly complicated. Reading around I see most people claim this helps with out of the box adjustments, ready to dive in 10 minutes blah blah. Given I already have a nicely fitting harness that I have been using for years I am not sure all those plastic toggles etc are a benefit to me. It just looks like more stuff that might break?
- The harness seems to be made up of quite a number of separate sections. Follows from above, I would prefer the simplicity of the single piece of webbing I currently have on my backplate. The Halcyon webbing is soft enough that I do not experience the digging or cutting into the lower back so many people complain about.
- Obviously, as designed for SM, the corrugated inflator hose is located on the lower left hip. Does anyone know if this can be interchanged with the dump valve on the top left hand side in the event you wanted to dive single back mounted?
Basically I think my first question is as follows: Can I do away with the harness of the SMS 75 and mount it to my current back plate and single webbing harness? If possible, with the ability to switch position of the dump valve and corrugated inflator hose, I think this would become a very flexible and versatile rig for me. Do Hollis sell each element of the standalone? Or do you have to buy the entire rig?
My second question has to do with the bungees on the SMS 75. I understand the bladder used on this is exactly the same as the SMS 100. Therefore, if you remove the bungee from the top half of the wing, and had it placed on a back plate, you should theoretically get the same lift capacity of the SMS 100 which could be effectively used, say for doubles?
Before answering please understand that I am aware of the other hybrid options on the market (UTD etc) and I am also aware that many view you either make a commitment to a dedicated back plate wing set up for singles/doubles or you buy a dedicated SM system like the Razor. I am asking the questions above because I want to tailor the rig to my specific needs and am interested in understanding whether anyone has made the modifications to the SMS 75 I am talking about above. I dont seem to be able to find any resources. Thoughts very welcome!