choosing a Harness system bp/w, Hollis/Scubapro ?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'll add another vote for the one piece harness.
You can order them online from places like Dive Right In Scuba, Scubatoys, North East Scuba Supply, and many others.
They run from about $40 to mid $50's.
Many or most have kits available that include everything you need including a crotch strap.
It's the most dirt simple, uncluttered, economical, and problem free way to go.

 

[bbarnett51]

Do you own a back plate and wing already?

 

[ams511]

I'll add another vote for the one piece harness.
You can order them online from places like Dive Right In Scuba, Scubatoys, North East Scuba Supply, and many others.
They run from about $40 to mid $50's.
Many or most have kits available that include everything you need including a crotch strap.
It's the most dirt simple, uncluttered, economical, and problem free way to go.

$27 at Cave Adventurers: Ca's Hogarthian Harness [cahogharness] - $27.00 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!!

 

[cosmossea]

Thank you all for the reply's, that's a huge help
Ill go with simple BP and wing, ill get the straps and probably shoulder support, also found a hollis back support if needed later ..

a quick Q - all the padded Harness setups are without back plate?! is it plastic or there's nothing in there ... ?

Do you own a back plate and wing already?

no yet. ill probably go with Al plate and Hollis s25 wing.
im sold on Hollis... so far everything I buy from them is top notch and simply feels great to me (fins, mask, 212)

---------- Post added June 29th, 2013 at 11:50 AM ----------

I don't have any experience with the Scubapro X-Tek Form harness but it is similar to the Dive Rite Transplate harness which I have used for five years for plain old fashion recreational diving. I like it.

Don't let the naysayers talk you into a single piece harness. If you like the quick adjustable harness with a bunch of D-rings on it, then that's what you should buy. It's not going to kill you, and it's only money. Plus it makes you look sexy. Chicks dig it whenever I wear my BPW with adjustable harness.

money is not an issue. its not that im rich.... far from it. but I always invest in the good stuff that will last and feels good... that's why money have no part here, specially regarding comfort and safety in diving.

thanks for the advice pal much appreciated.

 

[Andy Miller]

I am about to order a hollis bp/w this coming week and am pretty exited about it. From what I've read its quality stuff and is made up of the top quality material. The guy I dive with has a Halcyon Eclipse bp/w and loves it. He has over 700 dives on it over the past 6 years and it barely shows any wear. He has kind of been mentoring me into the gear to buy and the things he has helped me decide on is SS of the aluminum. Its heavier and you dont need as much weight on your belt. He also has a sweet weighted insert for the tank adapter which also helps get weight off the belt. Hes got 23 years of diving and has bought tons of junk and knows what he likes and I take his word on his opinion seriously. You will find a lot of people giving you cheaper ways to get what you want and yea they may be just as good and the expensive price is all from the logo but honestly that just means that they have a brand and a reputation to live up to. You can be assured that you aren't buying crap. The one piece harness means one thing. less s**t to fail.

 

[Karloss]

This is a very educational thread for me because I too am considering going with the BP/wing. My questions is are all BP'S more or less the same?. I ask because if I go to a BP it would be economical to use the bladder from my Zeagle Stilleto instead of buying a new one, would this work?? In other words would I have to buy a Zeagle BP or would any manufacturer work? Thanks.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Make your own harness. Choose a color you like, order the webbing and pieces you require. It's not that hard and you'll be happier (IMO)

 

[Greg Hamilton]

I use a halcyon and a home made plate system

My buddy had a system that had all the padding and buckles. He dove my halcyon system for the last 4 dives and says he will never go back.

 

[Tortuga68]

I use 3mm wetsuit and im not a big guy, slim.. around 170cm

If you wind up going the BP route, you might want to look at one of the manufacturers (e.g. Halycon, Deep Sea Supply) that offer a 'small' size BP

I would also recommend the plain one-piece harness, no padding

 

[victorzamora]

This is a very educational thread for me because I too am considering going with the BP/wing. My questions is are all BP'S more or less the same?. I ask because if I go to a BP it would be economical to use the bladder from my Zeagle Stilleto instead of buying a new one, would this work?? In other words would I have to buy a Zeagle BP or would any manufacturer work? Thanks.

After looking at it, the Stilleto wing will NOT work with a standard backplate/harness. Also, not all manufacturers are the same as far as backplates go. Not all wings match with all manufacturers. MOST do for the most part, but some don't. If you get the Hollis backplate and Hollis wing, they WILL match. I've had both. It also has the proper slots for a traditional one-piece harness. As far as the one-piece harness goes, my LDS sold me the Elite 2 harness (padding, extra crap) and I hated it. I regret that decision to this day. I'm in another BCD now, so it wasn't a life-ending decision (plus it would've been ~$30 to replace it). I dove a bare backplate and one-piece harness on my bare back and in a (really cheap) 2mm shorty. Without a t-shirt, I wouldn't recommend extended walks on the surface....but it wasn't bad. It didn't "dig" as much as "chafe"....just rubbed weird. With the 2mm shorty, I was PLENTY happy.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about "Custom building" your own harness. Buy a package from a company, and then if you want to change webbing color later it's like $10 to change it....but you can make sure you get enough, and make sure you get all of the components NEEDED. You can add/move/remove later and go the custom route later on, once you've got a better handle on it.

Also, at 170cm (5'7")....you shouldn't need a short plate. A standard plate should fit you fine.