BP/Harness with wetsuit?

[Dryglove]

CRDiver once bubbled...
Actually, the instructor at Halcyon I spoke with said there really isn't anything I can do about it. If you dive with a thick wetsuit, and dive relatively deep, it simply won't fit as well as with a drysuit.

Hmmmm......Sounds like a good excuse to get a drysuit. Ditch that wetsuit and come over to the dry side.

 

[MikeFerrara]

CRDiver once bubbled...
Thanks for all your replies. I might try a depth-compensating buckle sometime. It just seems to me that using a backplate/harness isn't nearly as practical as a good BC for single tank divers such as myself. Comparing it to a Zeagle, it lacks surface comfort, has fewer attacment points (at least in the case of a DIR harness), and needs underwater adjustment at depth and consequent re-adjustment while ascending. The obvious positives are bullet-proof construction and greater streamlining, but I'm not convinced that these two factors outway the pluses of a well-built BC. My Ranger with a crotch strap fits great, and even when carrying my 130 with a 19 cu. ft. pony, it has always felt secure and comfortable, whether I'm at 30 or 130 feet.

A harness (or DIR harness as you called it) has all the attachment points I need and I have $0.25 that says I carry more gear than you do. By contrast a Zeagle Ranger has more d-rings but none that make a good attachment point for anything really because there all in the wrong place, the wrong type or have a quick release in the way.

BTW, on the rare occassion that I dive a single tank or with a wet suit, I'm plenty comfy in my bp/wing. I don't re-adjust the harness with depth but if you did it wouldn't take any more effort than snugging up your bc straps or a weight belt.

I guess I don't see any plusses to a bc but use whatever makes you happy.

 

[CRDiver]

I don't subscribe the DIR gear management philosophy (I used a DIR harness just because it's easier to adjust and cheaper, plus I used it when I dove doubles), so I won't comment on your points, but I guess I hoped a backplate would be as care-free as my Zeagle, which I have never had to adjust in any way, during any dive. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks.

 

[MikeFerrara]

CRDiver once bubbled...
I don't subscribe the DIR gear management philosophy (I used a DIR harness just because it's easier to adjust and cheaper, plus I used it when I dove doubles), so I won't comment on your points, but I guess I hoped a backplate would be as care-free as my Zeagle, which I have never had to adjust in any way, during any dive. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks.

You were the one to mention DIR. I never use the term to describe my own diving. I don't even refer to it as a DIR harness because divers were using it in the same way long before there was such a thing as DIR.

Also long before I ever heard of DIR I tried to get the d-ring placement on a Ranger to work and I couldn't.

No argument that I use has anything to do with DIR.

 

[bgbill]

I dive a Halcyon SS BP and Eclipse 30 lb wing with single LP 121's and LP 125's, with a wetsuit and dive to 220' and have never had a problem with having to readjust it at depth.

When I dive double LP 121's or 125's or HP 120's I use the same Halcyon Harness and SS BP, just a different wing, and still have no problems in the water with it.

Once it is adjusted properly you shouldn't have any problems with it, it is a lot more streamlined than any other BC out there. My previous BC was the Black Diamond which is a nice BC but I prefer a BP and Wing.

I never dove with a drysuit before but I doubt that it would make much difference, I don't think the wetsuit is going to crush that much at the moderate depths you are diving, 60-120 FSW.

I have used a 7 Mil semi dry suit at 220' and did not have any noticable problems with the wetsuit crushing and causing a loose fit.

Even if the wetsuit did compress 100% down to 0 mil you are only talking about 13 millimeter's which is about 1/2".

 

[chrpai]

bgbill once bubbled...

Even if the wetsuit did compress 100% down to 0 mil you are only talking about 13 millimeter's which is about 1/2".

That doesn't seem right.

Lets say someone has a 40" waist.
Lets say their waist is a circle.
Lets say they are wearing a 2 pc 6.5mil suit for a total thickness of 13mil or .50".

The diameter would be 12.7" without a wetsuit. With a wetsuit (uncompressed) it would be 13.7". However with a wetsuit the circumfrance would be 43".

So assuming 100% compression that would be a 3" difference.

 

[gqllc]

Your response using 3.14159 is correct.

 

[cornfed]

CRDiver once bubbled...
I guess I hoped a backplate would be as care-free as my Zeagle, which I have never had to adjust in any way, during any dive. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks.

I dive a BP/Wing with singles in 2 piece 7mm suit. Most of my dives are in the 60-100 ft range. I've never had a problem with my rig and haven't had to adjust it on decent or ascent. I haven't dove a zeagle ranger (or whatever it is you have) but my bp harness is a lot less trouble then when I dove with a "regular" BC (and the few dives I made with a transpac). With a traditional BC I would have to adjust things because they straps would work themselves loose while diving.

 

[AquaBob]

chrpai once bubbled...


That doesn't seem right.

Lets say someone has a 40" waist.
Lets say their waist is a circle.
Lets say they are wearing a 2 pc 6.5mil suit for a total thickness of 13mil or .50".

The diameter would be 12.7" without a wetsuit. With a wetsuit (uncompressed) it would be 13.7". However with a wetsuit the circumfrance would be 43".

So assuming 100% compression that would be a 3" difference.

Good example, but really more math than you need.

Adding an inch to ANY diameter will add about 3 (pi) inches to the circumference.

...Come to think of it, over the years I think my circumference has been increased by pie.