BP/W with one piece harness NOT for everyone
- Thread starter Dogbowl
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red_barbarian
Contributor
Diving needs to be fun or you will give it up. If the setup causes you pain, it;s unlikely you will be having a lot of fun day after day. If you fail to have fun the outcome is likely you will take up a new en-devour and the industry will ever see you again.
There are a number of solutions that may change your outcome:
1) move to standard jacket BC (Ug it hurts me just to say that
)
I teach in what students want to learn in or shops require me to teach in, so I own one of these. Somehow I manage to maintain good trim, hold my depth, help students, and enable them to have a good time. Would I grab that rig for a personal dive, never! There are a lot of dive pros out there that dive very nicely in them. Never forget the gear can help you get to be a better diver quicker, but a good diver can make utter rubbish work well.
2) Try the hybrid back inflate jackets (I'm built like your husband, but had to teach in one for a while for shop merchandising, just hate them) I'd almost rather dive with a manual inflate horse collar, for me they are the worst of both worlds, but some like them. So try one in the pool.
3) look at a H style harness (transpack among others) A reasonable solution from which you may migrate back to the hog harness later at a low cost. During the time you use that, you might encounter option 4
4) get a mentor to help with your kit and make it right for both of you - no matter what you choose, don't stop learning how to make your gear work for you better. It will increase your enjoyment in the water and help you have the desire to stay in diving.
There are a number of solutions that may change your outcome:
1) move to standard jacket BC (Ug it hurts me just to say that
)I teach in what students want to learn in or shops require me to teach in, so I own one of these. Somehow I manage to maintain good trim, hold my depth, help students, and enable them to have a good time.
Would I grab that rig for a personal dive, never! There are a lot of dive pros out there that dive very nicely in them. Never forget the gear can help you get to be a better diver quicker, but a good diver can make utter rubbish work well.2) Try the hybrid back inflate jackets (I'm built like your husband, but had to teach in one for a while for shop merchandising, just hate them) I'd almost rather dive with a manual inflate horse collar, for me they are the worst of both worlds, but some like them. So try one in the pool.
3) look at a H style harness (transpack among others) A reasonable solution from which you may migrate back to the hog harness later at a low cost. During the time you use that, you might encounter option 4
4) get a mentor to help with your kit and make it right for both of you - no matter what you choose, don't stop learning how to make your gear work for you better. It will increase your enjoyment in the water and help you have the desire to stay in diving.
I like the ScubaForce setup.
One of my instructors in IDC has a setup with the Cobra QR buckles. I hadn't seen that before but had considering doing it a while back. After going through Rescue Diver I can see the value in it when removing a diver from their kit. I'll almost definitely be switching mine over to these.
Any idea why this one only has one QR buckle instead of two?
I'm using the UTD adjustable harness UTD Quick Adjust System · UTD Scuba Diving
Yes, it looks way to simple to work, but it does. No cutting of your webbing and I'm only using half (on the non-buckle side) I can go from a rashguard, to a 3 mm wetsuit, to a drysuit without having to make other adjustments.
Yes, it looks way to simple to work, but it does. No cutting of your webbing and I'm only using half (on the non-buckle side) I can go from a rashguard, to a 3 mm wetsuit, to a drysuit without having to make other adjustments.
I've a slider on one side only, too. You don't really need it on both sides unless you have shoulder mobility issues or something. On a typical cramped boat bench, or when you lift it off the ground then get the other arm in, one side's enough.
PSUSciDiver
Contributor
Only having a limited number of dives as your profile suggests, I would hold off on buying any gear. You won't know what works best or what you like best until you try different setups. A good way to do this is renting gear of different styles and brands. Dive shops also have 'demo days' which also give you a chance to test things out.
If I were you I'd consider holding out on buying and keep tying different gear whenever you get the opportunity.
Good luck!
**Edit** I just realized this is thread is quite old.
If I were you I'd consider holding out on buying and keep tying different gear whenever you get the opportunity.
Good luck!
**Edit** I just realized this is thread is quite old.
Last edited:
Lol this is an older thread and believe it or not, we still haven't purchased our bcd's yet! (BTW, I'm the OP) Life got busy, crap happens...you know the drill! Anyway, now that I've got some time now to revisit this, here I am back on scubaboard!
I know everything's a compromise and nothing will be perfect...and considering our trend (reality) has been only 1-2 trips down south per year, I think it makes the most sense now to opt for something like a travel bcd. I'm thinking about the Oceanic Biolite at the moment, but also looking at the oh so sexy Scubapro Hydros Pro and Tranpac XT.
Most dive shops I've come across so far only rent the jacket style bcds. I had to drive 1.5 hrs to try a bpw setup. I doubt I'll get a chance to try anything else, although my LDS might have the Biolite and Scubapro Hydros for me to try in the pool. Fingers crossed for THE ONE!
I know everything's a compromise and nothing will be perfect...and considering our trend (reality) has been only 1-2 trips down south per year, I think it makes the most sense now to opt for something like a travel bcd. I'm thinking about the Oceanic Biolite at the moment, but also looking at the oh so sexy Scubapro Hydros Pro and Tranpac XT.
Most dive shops I've come across so far only rent the jacket style bcds. I had to drive 1.5 hrs to try a bpw setup. I doubt I'll get a chance to try anything else, although my LDS might have the Biolite and Scubapro Hydros for me to try in the pool. Fingers crossed for THE ONE!
Welcome back @Dogbowl
My simple advice is, buy whatever you find most comfortable, and equally meets your foreseeable needs.
I personally own a one piece webbing harness and steel back plate set up which I use with my drysuit, about 3 months a year. It's okay and serves a purpose that it has teh weight I need (but is possibly going to be to changed for next season)
My second rig is my transpac harness with all its padding and plastic clips. I love it. I only boat dive but find it really comfortable. I need and carry very little lead in the summer. I've owned it for 3 years, and put over 350 dives on it. Dubai is a very harsh environment with the heat and high UV which destroys plastics. My Transpac has had no damage, despite teh conditions and that it often lies on a deck of a rolling boat.
I will probably move to a Transplate Harness for my Drysuit in the Winter.
With the Dive Rite Wings I have removed their silly crotch strap with plastic clip and replaced it with a normale webbing crotch strap
My third and most recent purchase is my Aqualung Axiom BCD. I brought it just to use for teaching students (subject to me passing IE in August) in the pool and for the occasional open water lesson, because I wanted a BCD similar to the one's they were wearing and didn't want my wing constantly in the pool.
I do really like it. It is just as comfortable as my wing, and just as stable. There is nothing I can do in my wing that I can't do in my BCD (except sling stage and deco bottles). It has enough pockets for me to stow my instructor slates, compass (mounted on a slate) with d-rings to hold my dsmb, reel and lift bag etc for ocean diving. I have dived it with my steels and normal Ali S80. Its good. In use it's mainly back inflate, the pockets only inflate when you pump it up on the surface
I do miss not having a crotch strap as the BCD does ride up slightly at the surface (mainly in the pool) but just needs a tug underwater to get it into shape again. In my location it cost less than the Dive rite rig and about the same as a one piece webbing rig and bladder.
My simple advice is, buy whatever you find most comfortable, and equally meets your foreseeable needs.
I personally own a one piece webbing harness and steel back plate set up which I use with my drysuit, about 3 months a year. It's okay and serves a purpose that it has teh weight I need (but is possibly going to be to changed for next season)
My second rig is my transpac harness with all its padding and plastic clips. I love it. I only boat dive but find it really comfortable. I need and carry very little lead in the summer. I've owned it for 3 years, and put over 350 dives on it. Dubai is a very harsh environment with the heat and high UV which destroys plastics. My Transpac has had no damage, despite teh conditions and that it often lies on a deck of a rolling boat.
I will probably move to a Transplate Harness for my Drysuit in the Winter.
With the Dive Rite Wings I have removed their silly crotch strap with plastic clip and replaced it with a normale webbing crotch strap
My third and most recent purchase is my Aqualung Axiom BCD. I brought it just to use for teaching students (subject to me passing IE in August) in the pool and for the occasional open water lesson, because I wanted a BCD similar to the one's they were wearing and didn't want my wing constantly in the pool.
I do really like it. It is just as comfortable as my wing, and just as stable. There is nothing I can do in my wing that I can't do in my BCD (except sling stage and deco bottles). It has enough pockets for me to stow my instructor slates, compass (mounted on a slate) with d-rings to hold my dsmb, reel and lift bag etc for ocean diving. I have dived it with my steels and normal Ali S80. Its good. In use it's mainly back inflate, the pockets only inflate when you pump it up on the surface
I do miss not having a crotch strap as the BCD does ride up slightly at the surface (mainly in the pool) but just needs a tug underwater to get it into shape again. In my location it cost less than the Dive rite rig and about the same as a one piece webbing rig and bladder.
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