I hate Cam bands.

[sea_ledford]

I'm the opposite. The Scubapro & Aqualung style bands are the pits for adjustment. Maybe this will help.

Cam Buckle Assembly Instructions

Oy! 10 pages of instructions to thread a cam band!

Try this instead:
flip buckle all the way back
Thread the bitter end of the webbing through what is now the lower slot (closest to where the webbing is attached to the buckle)
Thread bitter end back through the next slot up
Close buckle
Should be able to figure it out from there.

Someone showed that to me a few years ago and I couldn't believe how easy it was. Why is it not taught in every openwater class?

And I agree, the scubapro type buckles are great if you stay with one size tank, but are a nightmare to adjust.

-Chris

 

[chw]

I tried the Highland ones and hated them. I gave them away (literally).

I got the DGX ScubaPro-style ones and love them.

DGX seems not selling its quick release cam strap anymore. Only Highland one any recommendations for quick release cam strap other than Highland?

 

[Manatee Diver]

DGX seems not selling its quick release cam strap anymore. Only Highland one any recommendations for quick release cam strap other than Highland?

Scubapro Xtek Single Tank Adapter, it comes with a pair of the Scubapro Super Cinch bands which are great as long as you don't have to change tank size often. The STA kit is cheaper than two of the bands, I just tossed the STA in a box.

 

[decompression]

Anyone else remember the air locking cam band? I think was out late 90’s, early 2000’s. Mares maybe?

 

[Centrals]

I am using BP/W so pretty straight forward to sling an extra tank.

 

[JamesBon92007]

i hate cam bands i really hate them. i am talking about the stupid plastic buckles that you have to weave a strap through. i can never get them over my pony tamer, i have to lift my heave BCD up and off the tank and then lift it again to put it on the new tank. and that stupid pony tamer!

i know you guys are going to be like man up, or awe you poor baby cant lift a "heavy BCD" boohoo... maybe a woman's bcd would be easier to lift you pussy... man you a disgrace to men everywhere... and i get all that... i really do, but on my travel BCD i have an awesome aqualung grip lock! and i love it! It come apart and and is just so freaking easy. you hardly have to move the BCD when you switch tanks.

So my question, is there any reason that i could not just put grip lock like straps on a B/W. i would need to use 2 of them. and what brand would you recommend?

PS. this is obviously for single tanks only.

Thanks

Do you have one of those straps that goes around the tank valve and puts your BC in just the right place while you tighten the cam-band? Since I stared using integrated weights I wouldn't be without the positioning strap thingy. Without it it's a huge PITA to hold the BC in place while trying to tighten the cam-band and I wish I had three hands.

 

[stuartv]

DGX seems not selling its quick release cam strap anymore. Only Highland one any recommendations for quick release cam strap other than Highland?

Yeah, it sucks that DGX isn't selling those anymore. I wish I knew if they were going to bring them back.

I would rather use regular cam bands than those Highland "Quick Release" (and I use that term very reluctantly) ones.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Anyone else remember the air locking cam band? I think was out late 90’s, early 2000’s. Mares maybe?

Saw one while in the Philippines in April.

 

[Zef]

Yeah, it sucks that DGX isn't selling those anymore. I wish I knew if they were going to bring them back.

I would rather use regular cam bands than those Highland "Quick Release" (and I use that term very reluctantly) ones.

I called them a few months ago and asked when they would be back in stock. The responded that they are looking for another manufacturer/distributor that they can get a quality product from at a similar price.

To be honest, at the turn of the year I switched my daughter's and my BP/W to have the lower cam strap as quick detach and a normal one at the top. The quick detach cam strap is kind of a pain in the arse. It works well to remove the plate from the cylinder but attaching it can be a bit finicky. I have purchased an extra set of regular cam straps and have been meaning to swap out the bottom strap but now I am also thinking about using the spare cam straps to use on a stage bottle as I can't seem to find band clamps large enough in stainless.

Perhaps the problem I have is the type of quick detach cam strap...I purchased Edge-HOG ones when I bought my daughter's BP/W and they are little different than the Aqualung and Scubapro model:
Edge-HOG

Scubapro

-Z

 

[stuartv]

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.