BP/W comfort type setup for a woman

[TSandM]

I'm 5'4", 120, and dive a Hog harness. If your GF is worried about the straps sliding off her shoulders (and it is a very reasonable concern) you can cross the straps behind her neck (run the strap from the right-hand upper slot to the left-hand lower slot). It totally solves the problem, and then you don't have a chest strap to cope with.

You can put a QR in a Hog harness.

 

[rivers]

I had the Hollis Elite harness in a small, and I could not get it tight enough to fit properly. I am now in a standard hog harness (5'3" 125lbs, athletic build). I find a standard hog harness to be comfortable, and I can adjust it to whichever exposure protection I am wearing. Exposure protection acts as built in padding . I would suggest starting with a standard hog harness and going from there. I'm fairly sure you can always add things like padding or even a quick disconnect as an after thought.

 

[lv2dive]

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything here, but if not for the sake of the friend of the OP, I'll contribute for future readers. I am 5'5" and slightly heavier but more importantly, I'm shortwaisted. I originally bought some sort of comfort/quick harness with my backplate. It came crisscrossed in back and rubbed the back of my neck to such an extent that I re-rigged it uncrossed. After that change, on each side, one of the pieces of hardware ended up placed in such a way that they literally dug into my arms and I ended up with huge bruises. I tried several ways to rerig it to work before I gave up and went to a Hog harness. Especially for shorter people, sometimes the "comfort" harnesses really create challenges.

I now have three backplates - the ones I dive regularly are the small or medium (not sure which) DSS SS and the small Halcyon SS. The smaller sizes are definitely a benefit for my height.

Also, the Hog harness is very easy to change when I switch exposure protection (not often).

From a non-BP/W perspective, I do have to say that I found the Sm/M Zuma very comfortable.

 

[Rainer]

My wife is just about your friend's size. She dives both an H plate and a DSS plate, both hog rigged. She's perfectly comfortable and the fit is perfect (it's all completely adjustable). I can understand your friend's apprehension about gear she doesn't understand, but a simple hog harness is the most comfortable style I've tried (nevermind the cheapest).

 

[Aqua-Andy]

If your friend insists on a comfort harness I have an IST deluxe harness I would be willing to send you for the price of shipping. It is missing the buckle and a couple d-rings because i used those parts on my HOG harness. I thought I needed a comfort harness and now dive just a standard HOG and could not be happier.

 

[geoff w]

My wife and I did a GUE demo day about 6 weeks ago with Steve Millington in his pool. We were diving 1994 vintage Scubapro Classic jacket BCs from when we first got certified. My wife is about 5' 3" and 105-110 lbs. Her jacket BC was always too big on her, even in a dry suit. In 1995 she got a Zeagle Escape, which she loved when we went to Bonaire. As soon as we got back, she started 3 years of dental implant surgery, and when she was cleared to dive again, she decided to go back to her jacket BC because she was used to it and it's what I was diving, even though she liked the Zeagle a lot better (she might be the only diver on the planet to go back to a jacket BC from a back inflate). At the GUE demo, we tried out Halcyon bp/wing setups in the pool and she absolutely loved it. Shortly after that, I came in to a Dive Rite merchandise credit and checked out all their gear. In the dive shop, my wife and I tried on the Dive Rite Transplate and the traditional hog continuous webbing setup. The Transplate fit my wife much better, and when we tested it out in Catalina last week she absolutely loved it in terms of comfort, fit and adjustability - it worked much better for her (and me) than the Halcyon with the continuous webbing harness. From a quick look, the Dive Rite Transplate looks pretty similar to the OMS comfort harness, so your best bet might be to find a LDS with stock and try on several different models to see what fits the best. I've been extremely happy with the Dive Rite gear I bought

 

[coralcruiser]

I use the transplate harness and think that if you get the XS, it will be just what she is looking for and she will love it! They're pricey but every once in a while you can find them new on ebay for under $100.

 

[spectrum]

Ideally I would do that, but we both have time constraints and I'm fairly certain I won't convince her into a hog setup.

Constraints or not she needs time to dive and that's all trying is. Almost any rig will need a few shakedown dives while she decides where weigh is best carried and ho tight or loose things need to be.

If she does not want a 1 PC harness then so be it. Neither did I. I built what i wanted based on a Freedom plate and it's working fine from trunks to drysuit. I frequently use my LH shoulder release to drop my tank without hassling the dry suit vent valve.

To do the sternum strap well you really want a tie off point. DSS and Dive-Rite I know have pivot rings or plates that let the shoulder straps make a detour somewhat down the chest. My wife is fond of sternum strap and uses one on her DS singles rig including her drysuit. If she is looking for a little more security on the shoulders crossing the straps out back may do the trick. I do agree, as does my wife that you are better off without adding padding.

Have her sketch what she wants then buy some parts and build it together like an erector set. Make her take ownership. That's the single nicest thing about a modular system. It's entirely adaptive as dive gear needs to be.

Pete

 

[ligersandtions]

Consider having your friend read this thread and make her decision then. There are lots of people who have said they tried the comfort harness and chest strap and it did not work well for them. It seems that most people who try the comfort harness eventually go to a continuous piece of webbing in the end....if you start with the continuous piece of webbing and give it a try first, you'll have saved money. If you hate it, you wasted ~$15....if you hate the comfort harness, you waste quite a bit more money.

Either way, it's sometimes hard for a friend to convince someone of something....but when a bunch of anonymous people online all say the same thing, it often seems to get the point across.

BTW, 5'-2" and 120 pounds -- hog harness.

 

[cagemaker]

Look at the Oxycheq Deluxe Harness. It has a very good contour for the shoulder straps that minimizes the tendency of the straps to dig into the armpits. Fastex buckles on both shoulder straps (I replaced them with SS). The minimal padding is integral to the straps, not sliders. This rig is adjustable at 3 locations. It has a chest strap which is also adjustable.

I went with this after using an H with hog for 2 years. I have a long torso and a beer belly and now use a FredT (Long) plate. After a year using the this plate with a hog setup and then a Fastex buckle sewn into the left side, I put the Oxycheq harness on it and it is much more comfortable for me. The SS buckles that replace the major Fastex is for my peace of mind that the plastic will not brake ......on the boat or from rough handling, dropping, etc. In the water the Fastex buckles "probably" would be fine. Stitched joints are strong, long lasting and easy to examine and repair before a problem would arise on a dive trip. For extensive deco in a cave a hog may be preferable.

I feel secure and confident for my rec and tech tendencies in the dives I do at my age and physical ability. If after using this harness your GF starts leaning towards a hog setup, sell the Oxycheq. I bought mine on ebay for half price and it was as new.