I'm thinking about changing from a transpac to A BP/W any suggestions?

[Jesus-fish]

I have been diving a transpac 2 for about three years. I have been thinking about changing over to a BP/W. I was looking at the transplate harness and also a basic web harness. My thoughts are that the DR transplate is nice to have because it has the shoulder release buckles, but the buckles also just seem like another thing that could fail. At this time I usually just do 60ft rec dives. I recently found/bought a killer deal on HP100s with bands,manifold..etc..I don't dive doubles at this time but I am sure I will in the future. Any suggestions on Plates, harness etc??
Dealers please go easy on the sales pitches.


Thanks for your time

 

[TSandM]

I would highly recommend starting with the simple harness, and if you find you don't like it, you can get the fancy one. An awful lot of people go the other way, and you spend more money doing it. Most folks find that the simple harness, properly adjusted, is just fine. If you need some help getting a harness properly adjusted, I know some folks in the Sacramento area who could help you.

As far as brands go, if you are buying new, there are happily a lot of good choices nowadays. I am a big fan of Deep Sea Supply, which is a California company. They make quality gear, and most importantly, Tobin George, the company's owner, will talk you through the choices of plate and wing so that you get something that works for you. Customer service from DSS is superb.

If price is a major issue, you can either go used, or look at the HOG plates and wings -- they don't have quite the bells and whistles of the DSS gear, but they are well-made and work just fine.

The biggest thing is to buy a singles wing now -- don't try to get a wing that will do both doubles and singles, because no wing does both and does well. If you decide to dive your doubles later (and make sure you have a reason why) you will need a doubles wing; it will be a small part of the additional expense you have, if you are headed for deeper and/or longer dives.

 

[Jesus-fish]

TSandM.....thank you for the reply. I'm thinking about going with a hog plate/wing, they seem to be cheaper in price. I'm glad you mentioned buying a single wing for now because I was about to look for a dual purpose wing, I'll take your advice and start with a single. Would you recommend using a chest strap with a basic harness?

Thanks again,

 

[Jim Lapenta]

No sales pitch but simple statement regarding a sternum strap on a hog harness- not needed if you have anything resembling shoulders. Three plates,five wings, and a zeagle express tech. None have them. Crotch strap and properly adjusted harness is all you need.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

 

[koozemani]

+1 for DSS. Solid product, excellent service.

 

[fisheater]

"Dual purpose" wings suck at both purposes. Get a wing that'll do what you want.

 

[TSandM]

As Jim said, no need for a chest strap if you have shoulders; if you don't, you can cross the harness behind your neck, which is what I do.

 

[Nitro91]

One of the main reasons I went bpw is the less amount of crap and bulkyness like a cummerbund and chest strap and thick pads. I have the dss as well and am very happy with it. Done about 35 dives with it
Love the crotch strap

 

[gmanstan]

If you have a wide Chest & Traps the chest straps really help. The buckles are kind'a extra but sometimes come in handy.Sometimes when you sit down after a few dives and you don't have enough energy to "wiggle" out of your harness that buckle seems like a godsend...But I've also seen that some of the buckles are available at sporting good stores and you can add or design a harness to meet your specific needs at a reasonable cost.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I've been putting together a rig for my son and I found this deal at Dive Right In Scuba, I don't think you will find a better deal on a singles setup. DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL