Horse Collar

[duckbill]

Once you get used to routing the straps by feel, connecting a chest strap under your horesecollar will become second nature....if you do it often enough.

I leave the loose end of the chest strap out the side. Captain makes a good case for leaving it out the neck opening for easier locating, but out the side is less likely to get caught while slipping the lung off. Try both and see what works for you.

On the horesecollar, I connect the crotch strap first, then the waist strap on my horsecollars. That way, the crotch strap will be captured at the waist and not hanging out loose along my back.

You can always orally inflate a power inflate equipped mouthpiece. It's not like your horsecollar will flood if you don't have the LP hose attached- assuming the quick disconnect check valve is functioning properly.

The less weight you are wearing, the less air you will need in your horsecollar, and the less need for buoyancy adjustments, not to mention less drag. Also, the Pacific isn't always so kind, and being heavy at the surface isn't fun for those swims back in case things don't work out as planned. Better than having to dump weights. Just experiment and go as light as you can while still feeling in control at shallower depths toward the end of your dives.

 

[rstofer]

The backpack referenced earlier by Walter Scuba Tank Backpack for Standard Tanks: at JoeDiverAmerica.com has a significant bend forward at the handle. Much more than the equivalent US Diver harness.

I believe there is more than enough clearance for the PRAM. On the downside (I think), the regulator is a lot farther away from my back than with the cotton harness. I suspect that will increase the breathing effort when in a face-down position.

I don't have the Phoenix nozzle yet so I'm not certain it is going to work out with this backplate but I suspect it will.

Richard

 

[captain]

I call this my vintage tech rig that I use when I don't want or need to be true vintage. I made it for use with my Voit VR 2 Phoenix. It uses vintage style D rings on the chest and waist straps, a quick release buckle on the left shoulder strap and a White Stag vintage stainless steel cam band and is also usable with or without a wing on both singles and doubles. The circular regulator cut out is mainly for the positioning when using doubles with the regulator connection below the manifold and a wing.

 

[rstofer]

Captain,

I like the flower pot holder (if that's what it is)!

I don't know why I hadn't gotten around to thinking about D rings. They would be easy to install on either of the backpack harnesses.

One thing I have noticed: I am a little bit larger than the harness folks might have thought. I need a little more webbing. That said, I might look for webbing that is a little less rigid. I have one hogarthian harness kit so I might just try it with the latest backpack (since it might actually work with the PRAM) and see how it comes out.

Thanks for the photos.

Richard

 

[captain]

Captain,

I like the flower pot holder (if that's what it is)
Richard

?????

 

[Nemrod]

?????

The tank stand. I have also seen flower pot holders similar.

N

 

[rstofer]

Is it actually a tank stand? I thought it was a flower pot holder. I guess I just haven't run across a stand specifically for tanks. It's a pretty neat idea!

Richard

 

[Nemrod]

Yes, they used to make tank stands out of wire, USD had them, I used to have two of them but somewhere along the way I lost them, probably my mom used them for flower pots. They are really useful to set your tank in and rig it out. All the dive stores and feed and seed and gas stations that used to sell dive gear had them. Pre Katrina there was a dive and kayak store across Lake Pontchartrain and they had a display in their window with some vintage tanks in the wire tank stands.

N

 

[captain]

The tank stand. I have also seen flower pot holders similar.

N

I'll have to look into flower pot stand, it would have saved me a bit of work making that one.

 

[simonbeans]

This is one that was available.