Halycon BC, wings and harness

[Mverick]

Some answers to think about.

"1. Its too hard to adjust the webbing harness to accommodate different weights of wetsuits - be they .5mm, 3mm or 7mm. "

You wont be changing from a .5mm to a 3mm or a 7mm in the same day. Unless you choose the wrong one to begin with. I even have a Dry suit and swap it with a pair of shorts in the same day at the quarry. Once you're used to adjusting it, it isn't that difficult.


"2. Without a chest strap, the rig keeps shifting, at times, the tank was at 45 deg angles to my spine...not very stable. Probably if I had tightened up the shoulder straps and crotch strap, that would have corrected it, but I dislike how much work it takes to adjust that harness to fit correctly. Its a major project in getting the webbing in/out of the keepers and the belt buckle. "

Sounds like you had it way to loose. I've never had one shift that much. Not even on my first dives with it. Adjust the harness before you put the tank on it. Then it's easy.

"3. I don't like the way that the inflator hose goes thru a piece of bungee cord at the left shoulder D-ring, it impeded one from getting the inflator hose totally overhead (vertical) when you want to let air OUT of the rig...I found myself having to shift my weight to my right side of my body, in an effort to get my left side high up to vent the air OUT of the wings... "

It's in that cord so it's easy to find. You probably had the cord to low on your chest. Should be farther up on your shoulder.

"5. I LIKE Fastex buckles, they are quick and easy to adjust tighter or looser, and lets face it - have you ever heard of ANYONE losing their BC because of quick release buckles? "

Yes, I've seen people loose there BC because of a broken quick release buckle. A lot of times. I've seen them crack and break on a dive boat too. Which meant no diving for that guy. Seen it more than once or twice too.

It doesn't sound like you gave it a chance. Sounds like you tried it in a pool once and made your decision based on that. Everything isn't quick and easy. Sometimes you need a little experience. I read your post about Koplin back plates. How would you know they are the best if you had never dove one? You say they excel in quality, craftsmanship, and quality. Yet you had never used it. Kinda like saying a Chevy is a wonderful reliable car and you've never drove one. It's just sat in your garage for 4 weeks with you looking at it every now and then. Koplin might make great plates but they are 304 stainless while the FredT is 316 Stainless. Which is a better alloy for corrosion resistance in the scuba enviroments. And I have a couple of 304's too. But the 316 is definately a better metal for corrosion resistance.

The Mares is a nice rig. Hope you'll be happy with it. I'd buy the other from you but I don't have a need for that big of a wing. I use a 27lb on mine. Unless I'm doing doubles....... And I hope you don't put doubles on the Mares.........

 

[Scuba446]

Hey,
I'll bet I won't!

Lets face it - BP's and wings aren't for everyone...and just because a guy chooses to dive differantly than some others don't make his rig inferior or wrong.

I postd MY results to share MY experieces with others AND, announce the fatc that it IS for sale, in case someone is seeking a rig such as mine.

Enough said...its time to get some water time logged and experience and stop talking and discussing it on message boards so much!

Later!

 

[Scuba446]

I have instructor's who have dove for many years, and dove dives like the Bibb & Duane, and never needed anything more than their usual BC's..

So...

 

[UncleJT]

Originally posted by Scuba446
I have instructor's who have dove for many years, and dove dives like the Bibb & Duane, and never needed anything more than their usual BC's.. So..

So what, my mother can beat up your mother. Shaddup already and go dive like YOU keep spouting off. Stop making your lack of experience so blatantly obvious and go get the experience you keep talking about.

- JT

 

[Mverick]

Yea, What he said.

By the way, I said the Mares was a nice rig. I have 3 buddies that dive them. I have a Transpac 2 I use in the pool. Use rental gear when I'm with the students so I can show them how to use there gear.

But I still use my BP when I have the choice to.

And about that" I have instructors stuff". IF you only knew......

Go diving, have fun and be safe.

 

[Uncle Pug]

...he isn't certified yet.

 

[JamesK]

Great. So you are a rec diver, and the BC works just fine for you. That is fine. However, if you ever get into any technical diving, you will be kicking yourself in the arse wondering why you sold your BP and harness. If the Mares is more comfortable to you, and you like the security blanket feeling you get from it, then dive it.

 

[Scuba446]

OK,
Obviously, we got off to a bad start here, and I take the credit for that.

I am a Newbie, and not done certifying yet. I thought I knew alot of about the mechanics of all this, but as I go on here, I am learning that I know nothing really.

I based my idea that DIR was better as I do believe in the KISS theory, and I like the idea of the long hose. Just made sense to me. I based this on not by MY experience, but by common sense, that just sounded right to me, and based on many divers I have spone to, much more experienced that I am - as I admit.

I'm havign some probelms here trying to get this BP and wings system to work.

Instructors in my scuba shop have told me, you should have gotten the Transpac harness, you should have a sternum strap, thats why your having problems.

I have tried to cite the DIR book and info that I have read. Mnay people (including many of you) who have years of tech diving, has told me that this system is the way to go - for a variety of reasons. And in such, I have trusted your ideas and experiences. Your certainly have more than I do.

I have no DIR, BP or wings 'mentor' up here to help - in person. In fact, I hear that many around here do not dive DIR. So supportive, they aren't.

I guess I'm frustrated and not sure whats wrong with my setup, and why. And not sure on where to begin.

IF I do get certified and stay in the sport, maybe one day I would like to dive some wrecks and stuff....but thats a long way off yet. But, I did want a system thatw as going to be able to grow with me as such, and I thought a BP could do all that vs a BC.

I have endorsed a BC so much, because thats all I have used - to date. What little experience I have, it with a BC and nothing else. And that seemed to work out OK. But thats a pool....

Help!

 

[Scubaroo]

Scuba446,

If you really want to restart, try grabbing a copy of Jarrod Jablonski's book, "Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving". There are sections on gear configuration, including how your harness should fit, and a whole bunch of other things like why chest straps are a poor idea (pressure on the chest increasing breathing resistance), quick release buckles (I've had to help a guy put his BC back on underwater because it "quick released" on him), and numerous other tips and bits of information. I agree with your earlier post, harnesses can be a ***** to resize, but generally you're diving the same suit all of the time anyway! No-one goes from a 0.5mm to a 7mm suit in the same day, and say you were going on vacation somewhere warm, just tighten the crotchstrap up a little to pull the shoulder straps tight, and you're set. It does sound like you had your shoulder straps very loose, but don't let what the harness feels like out of the water while standing up influence your decision - it's when you're in the water horizontal what counts. Like you, I don't have any DIR buddies or mentors, heck, none of my buddies have even heard of the long hose configuration, but it's been through listening to the experiences of more experienced divers on this board and asking for their suggestions that I've been able to adapt to this system. I'm still not completely DIR, but it's an ongoing process.

Just stick to it, get your certification, get some dives in, and you'll realise the benefits of the backplate, and come to enjoy the sense of freedom from not being "wrapped up" inside of a jacket BC. Most of the gear configuration you would encounter in a rec class is a dumbed down version, to put the masses through certification so they can go vacation diving, which is the only diving a lot of "divers" do - once a year in the Bahamas or Bali. Kind of stuff that makes the cover of Skin Diver magazine. I take it from your enthusiam that you're not going to fall into this category. Learning to dive is a process that puts most people way outside of their comfort zone at first, but as you progress you'll start to enjoy it more, and be able to just go diving and forget about gear and configuration issues. Each encounter with scuba isn't meant to be a philosophical debate over which piece of equipment suits you best - that's not what diving's about - it's all about the purdy fishes

Ben

 

[Scubaroo]

Hey,

Since when did words like ***** get blanked out?!?



My bad.

Ben