BP&W Comfort?

[supajaydub]

Hi all

I'm sure you guys will be able to help answer this question I have.

Is a BP&W setup with hogarthian harness comfortable to wear without an exposure suit?

I'm looking at buying a BP&W setup because I understand that it generally gives you better trim in the water, for me this would be very helpful because I'm very much enjoying my UW photography and it would help to have a bit better trim.

And since I live in Dubai and do most of my diving here in warm waters and also the standard tropical holiday destinations (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Red Sea etc) I need to know if it will be comfortable without an exposure suit? Should I get something with padded shoulders straps and a back pad?

Also take into consideration that I will be moving to the technical diving route as soon as I get some more free time from work.

Thanks

 

[D_B]

I've seen that you can purchase a neoprene pad to slide up around the webbing for the shoulder area

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hi all

I'm sure you guys will be able to help answer this question I have.

Is a BP&W setup with hogarthian harness comfortable to wear without an exposure suit?

I'm looking at buying a BP&W setup because I understand that it generally gives you better trim in the water, for me this would be very helpful because I'm very much enjoying my UW photography and it would help to have a bit better trim.

And since I live in Dubai and do most of my diving here in warm waters and also the standard tropical holiday destinations (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Red Sea etc) I need to know if it will be comfortable without an exposure suit? Should I get something with padded shoulders straps and a back pad?

Also take into consideration that I will be moving to the technical diving route as soon as I get some more free time from work.

Thanks

A BP&W looks like it might not be comfortable, but they really are.

No need for any padding, even in a T-shirt. You can always find a "donor" wetsuit to cut up if you really find you need padding. Most do not.

A correctly sized and adjusted BP&W essentially "disappears" under water.

With a SS plate, reg and full al 80 a BP&W is only about 10 lbs negative anyway....

Tobin

 

[RJP]

Also take into consideration that I will be moving to the technical diving route as soon as I get some more free time from work.

Thanks

Then you don't really want anything BUT a BP/W rig.

I think a HOG rig would be fine without a wet/drysuit, but you might want to wear a rash-guard shirt or something.

As mentioned above, there are neoprene pads you can add to the shoulder straps.

There's no need for back padding or anything. The plate lays flat on your back, no need to pad it.

 

[D_B]

I should have added that it's more for when your out of the water

 

[sebach]

Hi all

I'm sure you guys will be able to help answer this question I have.

Is a BP&W setup with hogarthian harness comfortable to wear without an exposure suit?

I'm looking at buying a BP&W setup because I understand that it generally gives you better trim in the water, for me this would be very helpful because I'm very much enjoying my UW photography and it would help to have a bit better trim.

And since I live in Dubai and do most of my diving here in warm waters and also the standard tropical holiday destinations (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Red Sea etc) I need to know if it will be comfortable without an exposure suit? Should I get something with padded shoulders straps and a back pad?

Also take into consideration that I will be moving to the technical diving route as soon as I get some more free time from work.

Thanks

I use BP&P with hogarthian harness, without any kind of pad, from light rec configuration (2.5mm wetsuit, 1 12l alu tank) to full tek configuration (drysuit, 12l twinset, 3 alu or steel stages), and it's very comfortable.
I can even dive without a wetsuit. In that case, in the water it is still confortable, but if you have to carry your tank on your shoulders for too long outside the harness can be abrasive. But then you just need a t-shirt or something like that and it will still be ok.

 

[TSandM]

If I were going to have to do a lot of walking in my gear, I'd put some kind of neoprene pad on the shoulder straps. That's the only thing that would be uncomfortable. But I also have bony collarbones, and one has a plate in it

 

[FireInMyBones]

I agree with the above posts. I like using a rash-guard just to guard from...rashes from the harness out of the water. In water, it does disappear. The rash guard is also good in water against Jelly fish.

 

[rongoodman]

I've done dives in mine in a T-shirt without issue in or out of the water. I can relate to the Lynn's hardware issue, but mine doesn't seem to cause any problem.

 

[Peter_C]

I use a Freedom Plate for single tank diving and have another plate for dubs. Since my Freedom Plate wraps around my body and has no sharp edges, with a little softer harness webbing, it is ultra comfy against my bare skin. Would I wear my other plate without anything? Probably not, but I only use it with a drysuit and doubles.

Check out the yard sale behind me. Simple gear configuration is the best! He even has his computer on the wrong wrist