Horse Collar

[rstofer]

I buckle the chest strap under the BC and have the end routed out through the head hole to be able to easily pull it for quick release. You do know how to thread the D rings for quick release I hope?

Yup! That part was easy.

My chest straps may be too long to have the buckle directly below the opening. I'll have to check that. I'm playing with the harness wearing a T shirt so measurements will change.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

You're mixing gear from different time periods. The harness you're using is from the time before BCs. The back pack with no chest strap is what is generally used with a horse collar.

Ah! No problem, I have one of the backpacks. I still have to fiddle with the webbing a bit to get it to fit. In fact, I may have to replace the webbing to get it long enough to fit.

It appears the regulator sits away from my back by an additional inch or more. Any problems with this?

Richard

 

[Walter]

It appears the regulator sits away from my back by an additional inch or more. Any problems with this?

Not for me. I've used my double hoses with both setups with no issues.

 

[rstofer]

Not for me. I've used my double hoses with both setups with no issues.

When I rigged the DA AM to an Al 50 and a US Divers backplate, I realized I can't get the backplate very far down before the bottom hits the boot. If I set it so that the backplate just hits, it doesn't appear that there will be enough room between the rear surface of the backplate and the regulator once I add the Phoenix nozzle. This may be unique to the US Divers backplate but it was seem that I have to mount the backplate so that the top edge of the handle is below the regulator can.

Are you using the referenced backplate with a PRAM? If so, where is the lower edge of the regulator with respect to the top of the backplate?

Richard

 

[Nemrod]

You're mixing gear from different time periods. The harness you're using is from the time before BCs. The back pack with no chest strap is what is generally used with a horse collar. With the two rigs you're planning to use, you have a couple of problems. First, they both have crotch straps. You won't be able to rig the horse collar crotch strap (remember to adjust it with the BC fully inflated) with the tank already on your back, so the horse collar has to go on first. With the tank harness you'll find it much easier to rig the chest strap prior to donning the BC. I'd suggest either using a back pack designed to use with a horse collar (no chest or crotch strap) or use the harness without a BC.

The correct order is horse collar then (not than) tank, then weight belt.

As for weighting, you should be neutrally buoyant at the surface with NO air in the BC and a near empty tank. With a 100 cu ft tank, you can weight yourself with a full tank, then add 7.5 lbs to compensate for the air you'll breathe during the dive. The problem with weighting yourself as you described is you'll be underweighted at the end of the dive. While you may (I wouldn't bet on it) very well be able to hold your safety stop, you'll be hard pressed to ascend slowly from your stop to the surface.

I tend to agree with Walter, while the vintage Sea Hunt/Navy harness can be used with a horsecollar BC it is from the time before the BC. The vintage Snug Pack from Voit and similar work great with a horsecollar and are vintage correct.

Some vintage hard packs will not work with the PRAM, thus my utilization of the stainless steel Snug Pack clone--the Freedom Plate.

I love my PRAMs in combination with modern gear but for vintage diving I use a standard regulator with banjo adapter and if I need LP I use a hookah adapter.

I don't agree with the weighting though, a vintage diver will be buoyant at the end of the dive and safety stops are not a vintage profile so there is no safety stop to hold.

N

 

[rstofer]

I have no problem reserving the PRAM for modern gear. If it doesn't work with the backpacks then I'll use it with my BP/W.

I still have the Mistral and RAM to use with the vintage harness or backplate. I'm just looking into the horse collar as a way of becoming buoyant at depth when my wetsuit compresses. Even then, depth is a relative concept. I don't plan to go vintage below about 30'.

Richard

 

[captain]

In regard to the horse collar with the vintage strap harness the Navy used them on their doubles exclusively with either the UDT flotation vest or the MK IV horse collar BC with oral inflation which is what I have on in my avatar. I did it, and still do it at times, the chest strap isn't a problem.

 

[rstofer]

That is where I wanted to get. An absolutely minimal configuration. That same horse collar is available with an oral inflator instead of the low pressure inflator. However, the dump valve on this version is near the bottom; kind of useless. The one with the full low pressure inflator has a dump valve at the top like the one you added to one of yours. Both have CO2 detonators. At the cost of CO2 cartridges, I won't be using that feature very often.

About 2/3 the way down the page here: Scuba BCD Oceanic BC Scuba Diving Tanks Scuba Diving Underwater Cameras

Richard

 

[Nemrod]

In regard to the horse collar with the vintage strap harness the Navy used them on their doubles exclusively with either the UDT flotation vest or the MK IV horse collar BC with oral inflation which is what I have on in my avatar. I did it, and still do it at times, the chest strap isn't a problem.

Me too, works fine once you figure it all out with the straps.

That horsecollar you are giving a link to just from the pic looks OK, you might also cruise ebay for a newer Sea Tec.

You can always purchase the one with the power inflator and then source a manual inflator for it from some piece of junk on ebay. Just a thought, that way you can have it both ways, it is easy to swap them as you know.

N

 

[Nemrod]

In regard to the horse collar with the vintage strap harness the Navy used them on their doubles exclusively with either the UDT flotation vest or the MK IV horse collar BC with oral inflation which is what I have on in my avatar. I did it, and still do it at times, the chest strap isn't a problem.

Me too, works fine once you figure it all out with the straps.

That horsecollar you are giving a link to just from the pic looks OK, you might also cruise ebay for a newer Sea Tec.

You can always purchase the one with the power inflator and then source a manaul inflator for it from some piece of junk on ebay. Just a thought, that way you can have it both ways, it is easy to swap them as you know.

The PRAM clears the Voit Snug Pack by a nano-hair.

N