I hate Cam bands.

[tursiops]

Yeah, that HOG one does look like it connects up a little differently.

The only thing finicky I've found with my DGX ones is that they do tighten up a bit when they dry. When I have them set to be nice and tight when they're wet, I usually pretty much HAVE to wet them to get them to relax before I can put them on the first tank and close the buckles. But, I think pretty much all tank straps and cam bands tighten up to some degree when they dry...

OTOH, I do like them better than the actual ScubaPro one on my Hydros Pro BCD.

They both have velcro on the non-buckle end of the strap. You put that end through the D-ring and then fold it back onto itself, with velcro to hold it, to set the length that the strap will be when it's fastened around a tank.

On the actual SP strap, it folds over to the outside to velcro in place. So, in theory, it is possible to pull on the end of the strap and loosen the strap while it is buckled in place on a tank. There is a plastic slider that slips over the very end of the strap to help prevent that from happening.

With the DGX version, the strap folds over to the inside to velcro in place. So, once it is fastened onto a tank, the end of the strap is sandwiched between the rest of the strap and the tank. There is no way for it to pull away and let the strap loosen. And no need for a plastic slider on the strap.

I really cannot fathom why SP did theirs the way they did it, instead of doing it the way DGX did it.

I have a very old SP strap, taken off an old BC and moved to my DR TravelPac. It folds to the inside with velcro AND has the plastic slider. Double secure....and very awkward to change sizes.

 

[Zef]

Yeah, that HOG one does look like it connects up a little differently.

The only thing finicky I've found with my DGX ones is that they do tighten up a bit when they dry. When I have them set to be nice and tight when they're wet, I usually pretty much HAVE to wet them to get them to relax before I can put them on the first tank and close the buckles. But, I think pretty much all tank straps and cam bands tighten up to some degree when they dry...

OTOH, I do like them better than the actual ScubaPro one on my Hydros Pro BCD.

They both have velcro on the non-buckle end of the strap. You put that end through the D-ring and then fold it back onto itself, with velcro to hold it, to set the length that the strap will be when it's fastened around a tank.

On the actual SP strap, it folds over to the outside to velcro in place. So, in theory, it is possible to pull on the end of the strap and loosen the strap while it is buckled in place on a tank. There is a plastic slider that slips over the very end of the strap to help prevent that from happening.

With the DGX version, the strap folds over to the inside to velcro in place. So, once it is fastened onto a tank, the end of the strap is sandwiched between the rest of the strap and the tank. There is no way for it to pull away and let the strap loosen. And no need for a plastic slider on the strap.

I really cannot fathom why SP did theirs the way they did it, instead of doing it the way DGX did it.

The HOG straps I have velcro to the outside like your Scubapro but no plastic slider as you describe. I use a tall 12L steel tank and the circumference of the tank is such that when tightened, the hook side of the velcro completely misses the loop side of the velcro. I cut a a couple of 1-inch wide sections of bicycle inner-tube and put one just after the buckle the tail loops through and the other acts as a keeper for the rest of the excess tail. It makes adjusting a pain but has been holding well without slipping...not sure why they made them this way, but oh well. The finickyness is when putting the bp/w on the tank. The two unattached ends of the qd strap hang and tend to get caught behind the tank...I secure the top strap which is a normal cam strap and depending on how the lower strap ends are hanging it could be either easy or a hassle to pull them out from between the wing and the tank. Then there is the issue you mentioned about them tightening/shrinking when dry....this makes attaching the bale end to the hook end a pain....and there is a rubber pad under one end that is just long enough to get in the way and make things even more of a hassle.

-Z

 

[stuartv]

I have a very old SP strap, taken off an old BC and moved to my DR TravelPac. It folds to the inside with velcro AND has the plastic slider. Double secure....and very awkward to change sizes.

Weird! I wonder why SP changed that....

The HOG straps I have velcro to the outside like your Scubapro but no plastic slider as you describe. I use a tall 12L steel tank and the circumference of the tank is such that when tightened, the hook side of the velcro completely misses the loop side of the velcro. I cut a a couple of 1-inch wide sections of bicycle inner-tube and put one just after the buckle the tail loops through and the other acts as a keeper for the rest of the excess tail.

That sounds like it works very differently than the SP setup....

Since your velcro misses anyway, do you just fold it to the inside, so once it's fastened, you don't have to worry about it getting loose?

 

[Zef]

Weird! I wonder why SP changed that....



That sounds like it works very differently than the SP setup....

Since your velcro misses anyway, do you just fold it to the inside, so once it's fastened, you don't have to worry about it getting loose?

It doesn't get loose because the inner-tube pieces keep it together.

-Z