Halcyon webbing wearing out quickly

[Arnaud]

I've had my B/P (Halcyon) for less than six months and the webbing is already showing some significant wear and tear (at the top of the plate, where the webbing goes in & out).

Could I be doing something wrong (it's definitely not too tight or loose)? How often do you guys replace it?

 

[Dryglove]

Arnaud once bubbled...
Could I be doing something wrong (it's definitely not too tight or loose)? How often do you guys replace it?

I have seen some sites where they place inner tube over the high wear areas. You would have to partially unthread your harness to place the inner tube in the correct spots.I have thought about doing it to mine as my webbing is also wearing very quickly.

 

[Scubaroo]

You might have scored a backplate with burred slots - I had a Halcyon plate like this, and it chewed up my webbing in one of the slots. Simple solution is to go to a hardware store and spend $3 on a circular file used for sharpening chainsaw blades - it fits in the slots perfectly, and once you've removed all of the webbing, just touch up each slot to remove any burrs. I think emery paper would work just as well and be cheaper, but the file was something I had lying around.

Reef Scuba sell replacement webbing, I just changed mine after 18 months of use - not because it was frayed, but because changing from a wetsuit to a drysuit left it a little short. The webbing is super strong, and I wasn't going to replace it until it was cut through at least a quarter of the way. It's pretty cheap, and depending on your size and exposure protection, you'll want around 11-14 feet of it, 14 feet should give you *plenty* of slack to play with.

 

[Arnaud]

I'm going to take to B/P back to store to compare the slots against a brand new model. Maybe they can also buy me a new harness...

 

[cyklon_300]

has cuts at each slot position, but they stopped getting any larger after they reached about 1/8" deep on each side...

You said yours was signficant...how deep are the tears?

 

[LUBOLD8431]

Halcyon has ALOT of plates out there right now that could cut you if handled wrong... Cuts the webbing pretty good too..

I swear, every week, I hear of another person that has one that is rough cut, and no finishing. Kinda scary... Tells you something about their quality control...

I would tell your LDS to do something for you... But basically, it just needs to be filed down.

Its a good plate, except for that...

FREDT, Koplin, and Highland Millworks all sell good plates that you wont have to worry about killing your webbing after three dives with it.

I have about a year and a half on my current webbing, and its running strong... (about 50 dives)...

 

[FredT]

Arnaud

I have a PDF file that is instructions for finishing a backplate. I sell mine both finished and unfinished, with the unfinished plates being a fair amount less expensive. The finishing instructions will work on ANY plate. Shoot me an e-mail to ftagge@goldinc.com and I'll reply with the instructions.

FT

 

[Arnaud]

Cyclon, I'd say it's about 1/8''. Fred, thanks for the offer. You can check your email.

First stop at the LDS on Tuesday (getting surgery on Monday) and I'll take it from there.

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

This is common with a lot of bp and harnesses, not inherent to Halcyon's. Actually the bps put out by Halcyon are some of the most finished and smooth I have seen.

However even on mine, I get wear and tear as my tanks are very very heavy and it is a lot of pressure on the edges of the straps even though the slots on mine are as smooth as silk. That's normal. Taking a smooth file and ensuring that there are no burrs or rough edges is a good idea, and a lot of people put the rubber tubing or duct tape on the shoulder area to help protect it. Personally I use the duct tape.

But no matter what, eventually you will need to replace the webbing

 

[ScoobieDooo]

"Reef Scuba sell replacement webbing, I just changed mine after 18 months of use - not because it was frayed, but because changing from a wetsuit to a drysuit left it a little short. The webbing is super strong, and I wasn't going to replace it until it was cut through at least a quarter of the way. It's pretty cheap, and depending on your size and exposure protection, you'll want around 11-14 feet of it, 14 feet should give you *plenty* of slack to play with."


This was my original concern when I dove a BP & wing originally about switching from a 3mm suit to a drysuit. Many said it wasn't a big issue - however, your posting suggests that some adjustments must be made ever time one wants to switch back and forth from one suit to another. Kinda a pain...
This was one of the reasons why I opted for the OMS IQ - however, I would have preferred to forego the Fastex buckle issue.

And whats up with Halcyon's quality control lately? I'm reading postings on staple-punctured wings, BP's with burrs, leaking wings.

?????