BCD problem -- no bad jokes, no sniggling, please....

[scubatexastony]

Seems to me it's hard to "fit" someone if you're not there in person.... proponents of the single piece web can't seem to grasp the simplistic engineering design of the DR. Sure the "hourglass" and "heman" body types have no problems with a single web harness, (mine works just fine, BTW. ) We were fortunate in having Maddiver giving tips on fitting when making our changes to BP/wings, but even he will attest to the better fit provided with the added pivot point in cases like my wife. (and Dee too)

(bigger ladel....more stirring) I'm courious to know the credentials of those condemning a piece of gear and their experience with that peice of gear. AND it would be nice to see that explaination of expericence or reference to data backing up the good or bad aspects.

I won't suggest or recommend the Halcyon as the only BP/wing set up as I only have 130 or so dives with it in the past year. I will say I personally find the construction is of high quality and it is holding up well. I will recommend the simplistic set up of a BP and it's major advantage of streamlining a diver and added ease of movement and bouyancy characteristics.

divemitress, try out any system you plan on getting, if possible. With your time constraints, I hope you have a place where you can get used to a new device prior to hitting the open water. Hope you have a great time on your vacation.

tony

 

[chickdiver]

Tony,

In response to your request, I ill provide my credentials and a little background, including my personal experiences wth various systems.

Diving 16 years
Begining my 9th year of teaching
Full Cave since 97
Cavern Instructor
Trimix Instructor
I am primarily a cave and "technical" diver, but I also still do the occasional single tank, warm water dive.
I teach primarily tech classes, but I am also an Instructor Trainer and I actively staff ITC's.

I began diving in a bright orange SCUBABPRO stab jacket. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, until SCUBAPRO came out with the "Classic". I still have my original classic, and I liked diving that, too. Back in '94 when I started getting into "tech" diving I acquired a Zeagle back inflate that was capable of handling doubles. I thought it was ungodly uncomfortable (later I found that it was because it lacked a backplate), but I was living on Guam, and that was what was availbale, and I just thought we all had to live with it.

Fast forward to '95 when I moved back to Florida and began Cave Diving- I got talked into buying a Tranpac II, which was LESS comfortable to me than the Zeagle had been. Oddly enough, I liked the simplicity of the BP/Harness setup, but my partner convinced me that I needed to TPII. Well, I got rid of it after 7 dives because not only was it uncomfortable, I had that rare occurance of having a quick release buckle break, during a dive. Let me tell you, if you have never had this exereince, you cannot truly appreciate how miserable it can be, I had about a 500' exit in a high flow system following the failure, and all I was thinking about was how to keep the doubles form shifting all over the place. So after that dive I got rid of it. That was so miserable I didn't sell, it, didn't fix it, I BURNED IT!!

So I started looking at other options, and originally went with the DR harness that e have been discussing here. I discovered a number of problems with the setup:

the straps were set to cross behind the neck, which I discovered was VERY uncomfortable, and it necessitated having the rings on each strap to adjust the bad angle created by the behind the neck cross. This also necessitated the use of a chest strap to pull the harness straps in to where they should be, but this, too was uncomfortable.

After about 6 months of diving this nearly every weekend and being miserable, I happened upon a harness with continuous webbing- I saw the solution to all my problems. Fromt he first time I dove one I was in love with it. I loved the simplicity, lack of failure points, and freedom it provided. I have 2 Backplates, an aluminum and a SS, this is all I dive anymore. I dive them in Mexico on shallow reefs in a bathing suit, I dont find that it "chaffs" anywhere. I dive them in a drysuit with 400G thinsulate and everything in between. I do not adjust the shoulder straps, ever. The waist strap is the key, the shoulder straps need to be loose, but if the waist strap fits right then it all comes together.

So theres my story, and,as you can see, I have reasons for being such an avid proponent of this system. I spent thousands of dollars on crap, and I hate to see others make the sae mistake.

 

[Natasha]

Chickdiver:
Just curious.. did you really burn it? Really set fire to it?

 

[chickdiver]

Yes M'am I did. Took it out in the backyard, jumped up and down on it a coupla times, threw some lighter fluid on it and lit a match. I was REALLY REALLY mad at the time.

 

[Cave Diver]

scubatexastony once bubbled...
We were fortunate in having Maddiver giving tips on fitting when making our changes to BP/wings, but even he will attest to the better fit provided with the added pivot point in cases like my wife. (and Dee too)

Has anyone seen or heard from Maddiver lately? He said he might be moving to Florida and I sent him a few messages lately with no response.

Re: BP/wings & one piece webbing vs. harness, I'll share my opinion.

I started diving with a Jacket. Thought it was okay, but not optimal.

I switched to TPII after I felt it's modular ability would grow with me as my diving progressed. It was much better than the jacket, but it took quite a bit of fidgeting with all of the buckles and adjustments for me to get it to fit "just right." Once I got it there, it felt pretty good, but adjustments seemed to loosen every couple of dives or so... Kind of annoying after a while, but bearable.

A friend gave me a BP several months ago and I bought the webbing for it, but was too lazy to go find a grommet and punch a hole in the webbing for the top tank bolt. I finally did that weekend before last, rigged all my harness, widened the slot to accept a 2" crotch strap (originally was only 1") and tried it out at the local mudhole on Thursday night.

I hafta admit, I was pretty impressed. I had my adjustments pretty well on from learning and listening to others that had a bp. I had no problems slipping it on or off, and in the water if felt perfectly comfortable. No shifting, no tightening, practically invisible in the water. It fit me better than anything else I have tried.

I will probably still use the TPII for diving singles, but I can pretty well gauranteee that I will use only my bp setup now on for doubles.

As a side note, I have another buddy with practically the same experience. Jacket, TPII, now BP. He feels practically the same way I do.

 

[Cave Diver]

chickdiver once bubbled...
Yes M'am I did. Took it out in the backyard, jumped up and down on it a coupla times, threw some lighter fluid on it and lit a match. I was REALLY REALLY mad at the time.

<Mental note: dont make Chickdiver mad>

I saw a quote on someone's profile: Teach a man how to start a fire, he will be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life!

<Wondering if DUI makes asbestos undergarments???>

 

[FredT]

chickdiver once bubbled...
Yes M'am I did. Took it out in the backyard, jumped up and down on it a coupla times, threw some lighter fluid on it and lit a match. I was REALLY REALLY mad at the time.

NEVER get this lady even mildly annoyed with you!:fire:

FT

 

[chickdiver]

I can take just about anything with a smile, unless it starts to screw with my diving, and then I believe in a "scorched earth" policy....ut:

 

[canuckdiver]

LOL, hmmmm, "scorched earth" policy

a woman who thinks like me, is into overkill!!

this could be scary ut:

 

[Dee]

chickdiver once bubbled...
...So I started looking at other options, and originally went with the DR harness that e have been discussing here. I discovered a number of problems with the setup:

the straps were set to cross behind the neck, which I discovered was VERY uncomfortable, and it necessitated having the rings on each strap to adjust the bad angle created by the behind the neck cross. This also necessitated the use of a chest strap to pull the harness straps in to where they should be, but this, too was uncomfortable.

After about 6 months of diving this nearly every weekend and being miserable, I happened upon a harness with continuous webbing- I saw the solution to all my problems. Fromt he first time I dove one I was in love with it. I loved the simplicity, lack of failure points, and freedom it provided. I have 2 Backplates, an aluminum and a SS, this is all I dive anymore. I dive them in Mexico on shallow reefs in a bathing suit, I dont find that it "chaffs" anywhere. I dive them in a drysuit with 400G thinsulate and everything in between. I do not adjust the shoulder straps, ever. The waist strap is the key, the shoulder straps need to be loose, but if the waist strap fits right then it all comes together.

So theres my story, and,as you can see, I have reasons for being such an avid proponent of this system. I spent thousands of dollars on crap, and I hate to see others make the sae mistake.

I don't cross my straps behind my neck, I find that very uncomfortable, too. And it doesn't matter which way you run the straps, there's no 'set' to them...at least not on mine. Since my straps run directly over my shoulders there's no bad angle to deal with. I don't need the chest strap to pull the shoulders into place. I like the feel of it whereas you don't, a matter of difference of opinion not good or bad, right or wrong.

You don't show a photo in your profile so I don't know what your 'shape' is but us women with full figures find the DR harness fits us better. If that's not the case for you, great.

I appreciate you trying to prevent others from making mistakes in buying gear...there we do agree. BTW, DR does make a Deluxe Harness without the quick release buckle.