If I can buy a kit for the same price as piecing one together, that's makes sense to me. What was troubling me was why one basic harness cost $40 and another $75. What's the difference, the name or the quality, comfort, etc.? Based on this discussion, it sounds like webbing is webbing for the most part, d-rings and keepers are mostly (304 vs. 316ss) created equal, but there some options/differences with crotch straps. For convenience of a kit and lack of a crotch strap, I was looking at Dive Rite's basic harness and contemplating adding a 1.5" crotch strap as suggested earlier. That totals approx. $50. Would I regret going that route? Any issues with Dive Rite?
Need BP/W Harness Advice
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What accounts for the difference in price, you ask? I suspect it is mostly how the brand perceives itself. Generic unbranded webbing and D-rings are the least expensive and perfectly fine. For whatever reason, some people want all their gear to be the same brand, say, Halcyon, and are willing to pay $71 for the Halcyon harness even though it's functionally the same as every other manufacturer's harness. If someone is buying a bunch of gear at once, they may not want to fuss with buying different bits from different sources to save 20 bucks.
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keep in mind the flexible seat belt webbing ones fold in half when put under tension which is why I don't like them, the thicker 2" webbing that is like the scuba webbing but not impregnated is less bad, but I still prefer the 2" Dive Rite padded strap
I need to save that link. I beat the price by making myself, but not by much. Not worth the effort.
The limp noodle webbing is a PITA for a harness. I would prefer something with body. The reason is that the shoulder straps will stand out enough to assist getting your arms and shoulders through whereas the limp stuff is a constant struggle. I do like the neoprene covers for my shoulder straps especially for diving in just a rash guard shirt.
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One thing I will suggest as others have, don't go too soft on the webbing for the actual harness, as the stiffness helps it hold shape when donning the gear and taking it off (both in and our of the water). As for the crotch-strap, both my wife and I have a 2" strap on our DSS BP/W setups and find it just fine (the webbing is quite a bit softer than the harness webbing).
One suggestion I will make, if you find the webbing too rough when diving without a wetsuit, hit up craigslist or ebay and buy a $10 kids wetsuit. Then, you can either cut a piece of the sleeves and run them over the webbing in the shoulders to make shoulder pads or, if you're handy with a needle (or you wife owns a sewing machine), cut the neoprene into strips and make some crotch and shoulder pads. That's what we ended up doing for my wife's DSS BP/W. She didn't like how rough the straps were out of the water (shore dives) when she was diving in only a two-piece bathing suit.
One suggestion I will make, if you find the webbing too rough when diving without a wetsuit, hit up craigslist or ebay and buy a $10 kids wetsuit. Then, you can either cut a piece of the sleeves and run them over the webbing in the shoulders to make shoulder pads or, if you're handy with a needle (or you wife owns a sewing machine), cut the neoprene into strips and make some crotch and shoulder pads. That's what we ended up doing for my wife's DSS BP/W. She didn't like how rough the straps were out of the water (shore dives) when she was diving in only a two-piece bathing suit.
Thanks for all the advice! I just placed an order from DGX and put together a harness based on everyone's suggestions for just under $50. I ordered 12' of 2" webbing, dive rite 2" crotch w/pad, ss buckle, 2 standard d-rings, 2 bent d-rings, bungee cord, and pair of shoulder pads. I'm not sure if I'll need the shoulder pads or not, but adding them qualified for free shipping, so it was the same cost either way. I do dive in the FL Keys with no wetsuit, so they may be necessary...we'll see. I have plenty of serrated belts slides laying around, so I belive that takes care of the necessities. I guess I'll need to fund an old bicycle innertube to cut up. Excuse my ignorance, but are those used to secure something other than a little excess webbing? Or maybe to secure a small light clipped to a d-ring in my case?
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