Sidemount H harness Or Y Harness

[Mike Klieb]

Ok being new to Sidemount I mean got all of my gear, and trying to get it all kinda preset (if that's even a thing from what I have been reading). My gear consist of 2 Scubapro MK25's with 2 Scubapro G260's Katana 2 using Jubilee bands and para cord nay or may not go with para cord leash on the top of the tanks (advice welcome ). Getting to the topic of the thread what are the benifits of one style of harness over the other H versus Y and why?

 

[PR_SMITH]

The video shows how to make the changes.
Y style is intended for aluminum tanks, the H style is for heavier steels.
I added fixed 90 degree D rings to the waist harness, so I can relocate the lower bolt snap on aluminum tanks from the butt plate to the waist, as the tank buoyancy changes.

 

[grantctobin]

Cons:
additional hardware
can't use sliding d-rings effectively (AL80s)
kind of need a chest strap

Pros:
some people find the harness easier to don, especially with dry glove rings
the rotund among us may find it more comfortable

Have spent lots of time in both, have returned to standard Y harness.

Katana recommendations:
—Throw away the stock drop D and buy the bent ones from Andrew Goring/SumpUK
—If you use an H harness, ditch the stock chest strap and use bungee tied to a boltsnap instead
—Make sure the inflator and blanking caps are tight (they're finnicky and unfortunately not a standard size

 

[Mike Klieb]

The video shows how to make the changes.
Y style is intended for aluminum tanks, the H style is for heavier steels.
I added fixed 90 degree D rings to the waist harness, so I can relocate the lower bolt snap on aluminum tanks from the butt plate to the waist, as the tank buoyancy changes.

I watched this and this is where the question started. My intention is to do Intro to Cave in Mx and full Cave in Fl (after many dives in SM and only when I feel like I have everything right With some training). If H is designed for steels and Y is designed for AL then being in H config would work for either if I can get AL tanks to trim right in that config?

 

[Mike Klieb]

Cons:
additional hardware
can't use sliding d-rings effectively (AL80s)
kind of need a chest strap

Pros:
some people find the harness easier to don, especially with dry glove rings
the rotund among us may find it more comfortable

Have spent lots of time in both, have returned to standard Y harness.

Katana recommendations:
—Throw away the stock drop D and buy the bent ones from Andrew Goring/SumpUK
—If you use an H harness, ditch the stock chest strap and use bungee tied to a boltsnap instead
—Make sure the inflator and blanking caps are tight (they're finnicky and unfortunately not a standard size

Thanks for the input as I am most certainly in the club of rotund. I like the idea of the bungee and boltsnap idea versus the stock chest strap. Why did you go back to Y ?

 

[grantctobin]

Thanks for the input as I am most certainly in the club of rotund. I like the idea of the bungee and boltsnap idea versus the stock chest strap. Why did you go back to Y ?

a pair of these: Single End Loop w/ Teeth or Double Ender Loop may simplify the bungee + boltsnap process. The inboard side for bungee and boltsnap connection, the outboard side for the paracord to retain your loop bungees (not ring bungees)

I often dive AL80s and wished for fewer things on my (admittedly bijou) 72cm waist. There are ways to dive AL80s with an H-harness, but it adds additional hardware. Would encourage trying both.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There are pros and cons to each. I prefer h style harnesses for convenience and I mainly dive steel cylinders.
One word of advice.
Don't even start intro without having your set up dialed in. The best way to do that is get a sidemount class from an instructor that actually dives it regularly.
No better way to piss off classmates than show up for a class without having your gear dialed in.
No better way to piss off a cave instructor than to show up and then spring on them that you only have a couple of dives in the configuration.
I always required my tech students to have a minimum of 25 good dives in whatever they were going to use. With the understanding that if they didn't have it mostly dialed in, they'd be sent home with no refund.

 

[Mike Klieb]

There are pros and cons to each. I prefer h style harnesses for convenience and I mainly dive steel cylinders.
One word of advice.
Don't even start intro without having your set up dialed in. The best way to do that is get a sidemount class from an instructor that actually dives it regularly.
No better way to piss off classmates than show up for a class without having your gear dialed in.
No better way to piss off a cave instructor than to show up and then spring on them that you only have a couple of dives in the configuration.
I always required my tech students to have a minimum of 25 good dives in whatever they were going to use. With the understanding that if they didn't have it mostly dialed in, they'd be sent home with no refund.

No Class is already set up I am just waiting on my last reg set to come in. I have to very good guys that work in the shop I teach for that are willing to teach me and they wont let me out of the class without being 110% dialed in. My plan is to get dialed in the have about 25-30 dives dialed in then set the dates for my class. As an instructor I cant stand to teach someone AOW or some other specialty who is supposed to be a diver already and they can keep in trim or maintain buoyancy or has trouble setting up there basic gear. There is no way in hell I would do that to someone else.

 

[rddvet]

I dove an H harness (SMS100) for a long time and then a Y harness (Xdeep) for a long time. I prefer the Y harness. H harnesses end up eating too much space where they attach to the waist strap, I find the chest straps more annoying and in the way than a y harness, Y harness is more comfortable to me, and Y harness is more like a bm harness.
Pros to the H harness are they can be slightly easier to don (but not enough to be important) and they are much easier to adjust than continuous webbing. But the nice thing on the xdeep is that different sections are independent (unlike a single continuous webbing of a backplate), so adjustments on the xdeep are easy.

 

[Mike Klieb]

I dove an H harness (SMS100) for a long time and then a Y harness (Xdeep) for a long time. I prefer the Y harness. H harnesses end up eating too much space where they attach to the waist strap, I find the chest straps more annoying and in the way than a y harness, Y harness is more comfortable to me, and Y harness is more like a bm harness.
Pros to the H harness are they can be slightly easier to don (but not enough to be important) and they are much easier to adjust than continuous webbing. But the nice thing on the xdeep is that different sections are independent (unlike a single continuous webbing of a backplate), so adjustments on the xdeep are easy.

I will try each and see what I like better thanks for the advice