The Jet Harness

[surfratforlife]

I must admit the Jet Harness plate is a very innovative design, cudos to you Jeff for being the pioneer! You are playing to a tough crowd here Jeff! lol. I am impressed that most people here that have purchased your product agree that the Jet Harness is a well made, durable and "custom" harness. After some research I am of the same opinion. I myself found the setup on e-bay and was very impressed with the Jet Harness website and with Jeff's postings here on the board.

However, I do have a concern and would like a little information if you please. I am concerned with the durability of the "Stretchy" material and the cell itself. I do a lot of cave and wreck diving here in Florida and worry about how the cell would fare when I am in those tight spaces brushing up against rocks and such. We all try not to do this of course but when Murphy and his law raise thier ugly heads..... Stuff happens.

What exactly is the "Stretchy material"? and how thick is it? Maybe you have already addressed this next question in another thread but, what is the thickness of the cell itself? I think these questions are the only thing keeping me from pushing my money at you for a quick delivery.

I am really impressed with the design of the wing and the plate. I have been looking for something like this for awhile now. The slimline features appear to keep everything in the slipstream and the stretchy material that compacts the wing when deflated is well thought out (unlike some wings which protrude like a flat tractor tire on your back when deflated). While I have found similar setups they are usually double the price of your harness and are not "Custom" made. Good luck to you Jeff and I hope to hear from you soon.



Rat.

 

[surfratforlife]

Well, I just received my Jet harness and I must say, it is impressive, very heavy duty. The fit is perfect. Many thanks to Jeff and his crew for thier great communication & attention to detail during production of my harness.
I will be diving with it this weekend so I will give a quick report next week.

 

[sprange]

I had also received my Jet harness earlier this week, and am very pleased with its fit and quality of construction. I won't be able to test it out for two weeks, unfortunately. I'll echo what others have said about Jeff's customer service...he noticed that one of my measurements didn't jive and saved me the frustration of receiving a harness that only Gumby could wear. For a single tank setup the Jet harness appears to be a viable option, and future revisions will no doubt address some noted concerns (ie location of pull-dump and lift capacity). I'll post an update once I actually get to use it (cold water, a ton of neoprene and lead).

Sean

 

[vjongene]

Anyone using this setup?? It seems priced right and well made. I am considering it. Also considering Oxycheck which I know has rave reviews. Diving will be warm water, single tank with pony. Thanks

My Jet Harness was delivered last week, and I got to take it for a first spin over my lunch hour today. Testing was on a muddy slope in the lake, down to about 10 m. Visibility was essentially zero (you could hit the bottom without ever having seen it), so buoyancy control was a bit tricky. I was wearing a 2-piece 7 mm wet suit, and a 15 l steel tank fitted with two regs. Here are a few comments:

1) Construction. The unit looks very well made, with sturdy webbing, and double thickness and stitching at all of the stress points. The SS rings are large and seem indestructible (no plastic thingies here). The routing of the webbing is a little strange: given my measurements, Jeff made the waist straps cross in back. This is supposed to reduce the chance of the waist strap sliding up. In fact, the arrangement seems to work - in a head-down position the harness didn't shift at all.

2) Fitting. The chest strap and shoulder rings were exactly at the right height. The shoulder straps were a little loose, which became especially apparent under water, as there was a definite wobble to the tank. It is possible to adjust them by moving a couple of tri-glides that hold the webbing in place at the bottom of the plate. Two vises are needed for this, so I'll have to find a buddy who can help me... The tank is held very solidly with two cam bands, and seems to be at exactly the proper height. The rings on the waist belt are well placed and easy to find. They can be moved if ever. The flat backplate, which has been heavily criticized here, felt very comfortable, both out of the water and in. I guess that this is accomplished by proper routing of the webbing.

3) Buoyancy. I took 2.5 kg off my weight belt relative to my normal (jacket BC) weighting. This left me slightly negative, but well within the comfort range. I may take off another 0.5-1 kg after I am completely comfortable with the unit. In any case, 2.5 kg less is nice! The unit comes with a 26 lb wing, which really looks small. I fully inflated it at the surface, and tried swimming on my back. This worked OK, but a little extra buoyancy would be welcome in choppy conditions, which we often experience in the lake. I did not find that I was being pushed face forward. While the inflator is well balanced, the purges leave somewhat to be desired. The regular purge doesn't work well when threaded through its shoulder strap, so I ended up using the shoulder dump instead. I'll try not running the corrugated hose through the shoulder strap next time. The rear dump is a little difficult to reach. I'll probably outfit it with a golf ball to make it easier to grab.

4) Trim. The trim and balance of the rig felt great. I did a few turns, rolls and flips in mid-water (not so easy in zero viz...), and was able to maintain orientation and depth without any problem. I am used to a longer inflator hose (a fixture on old ScubaPro BCs), so I kept grabbing for it in the wrong place, but this is just a matter of habit. I was carrying a heavy torch with its handle tucked under the chest strap, and it never fell out (this happens all the time with my current BC). All in all, I think that I am going to really love diving this thing.

So while the jury is not yet completely out, I am quite happy with the Jet Harness. I will have to shorten the shoulder straps a bit, and try to find the best way to purge the wing. In fact, the 26 lb wing is probably too small to dive with a thick wet suit. I may reserve it for dry suit season and for tropical diving, and get a 40 lb wing for summer diving in the lake.

As a final note, I have ordered a traditional BP/wing setup for my son, and will probably test it myself before surrendering it to him. That way, I should have a head-to-head comparison of the two systems.

 

[vjongene]

I have made a couple more test dives with the Jet Harness since my last post, so I'll update.

First, I adjusted the harness by about 2 inches on each side, by shortening the part of the webbing that joins the hips to the shoulders. It was easier to do than I had imagined, but turned out not to be a good idea, because it caused the whole harness to ride too high. So I lengthened them again, to within about 1/2 in of where they were originally. After playing some more with the adjustments, I concluded that I really do need a crotch strap if I want a snug and stable fit. It is divable without one, but either the harness ends up being too loose or I bang my head against my regs. So I'll have to find out if any of the LDS around here has crotch straps or can make them.

Second, it is now clear that a 26 lb wing is too small for my usual gear setup, which includes a 2-piece 7 mm wet suit. I went down to about 20 m today (on a sandy bottom), and I was clearly negative with a full wing (the overpressure valve was releasing air). I was perfectly weighted at the surface. So the 26 lb wing will go to my "tropical" closet, and I'll get a 40 lb wing (btw, Dive Rite or OxyCheq?)

Third, the inflator hose on the wing is really short, and impossible to use for purging when it is threaded through the shoulder strap. When loose, it tends to float to the back, and I kept looking for it where it wasn't.

The final little annoyance was that the webbing between the plate and the chest rings is double thickness, so I was unable to clip on the small Dive Rite pouches that I was hoping would carry some lead and/or miscellaneous small items. The best place for those is next to where the webbing crosses the plate.

This all being said, I am still very happy with the harness. It is well made and comfortable, and I already like it much better than my jacket BC. Just a few bugs to iron out, basically replace the wing and add a crotch strap.

 

[MNJoe]

"Second, it is now clear that a 26 lb wing is too small for my usual gear setup, which includes a 2-piece 7 mm wet suit. I went down to about 20 m today (on a sandy bottom), and I was clearly negative with a full wing (the overpressure valve was releasing air). I was perfectly weighted at the surface."

So how much lead do you use with your usual setup? And does it look like the other wings will work with the JetHarness Plate?

MNJoe

 

[vjongene]

So how much lead do you use with your usual setup? And does it look like the other wings will work with the JetHarness Plate?

I was wearing 4 kg (9 lb) of lead. Plus of course the BP itself, which is 6 lb negative. I was slightly negative at the surface with a full tank (15 l HP steel). This is in fresh water.

An OxyCheq single wing (45 lb lift) will work with the Jet Harness. I had a PM confirming this. So should a Dive Rite Trek wing (recommended by Jeff from Jet Harness), but this does not seem optimal for diving singles (wide, horseshoe shape). AFAICT, the Halcyon Pioneer should also work. I am waiting for delivery of a wing from Sepadiver in Italy, which is supposed to be a copy of the Halcyon Pioneer at half the price. This is for my son, but if it fits I'll get a second one.

 

[cweimaraner]

I've been watching this thread for sometime now and decided to post my experience with the JetHarness.

First off, doing business with them is first rate. Great customer support and I felt like they wanted my business.

The product is itself extremely well built and I should get many years from this rig!

I typically dive with a full 7mm or compressed Neo drysuit here in MN. I have had no problems with the 26# lift, even at 100'+ depth. I have been using aluminum 80's though.

The fit is excellent. My only snag with the rig is my head hits the tank valve sometimes. I think I just need a minor adjustment.

Overall I am extremely pleased and would definately recommend this system, especially at this price!

Great job and keep up the good work JetHarness.

Jim Gerhardt

 

[vjongene]

The fit is excellent. My only snag with the rig is my head hits the tank valve sometimes. I think I just need a minor adjustment.

Thanks for the comments, Jim. My feeling is that this problem should be solved with a crotch strap. More once I get mine made.

 

[cweimaraner]

Thanks for the comments, Jim. My feeling is that this problem should be solved with a crotch strap. More once I get mine made.

I have a crotch strap installed on my jetharness. The problem seemed to be me wearing my weight belt on the outside of the crotch strap. I put on my weight belt then the jetharness and all seems well. I think it was just pushing the whole assembly up on my back and hence hitting the back of my head. Problem solved.

Jim