realdiver7
Contributor
For recreational, single tank diving I don't think you can beat the OMS Comfort Harness. When you remove the wide shoulder pads on it, it feels like a one piece harness, but you still have the option of adjusting it. Also, you don't need several different BP/wing setups when you change your exposure suits, etc. Note, I'm not knocking the one piece harness, I'm just saying it is not practical for my own personal applications. Everyone has to decide on their own.
In order for me to completely lose a single tank within recreational conditions and limits, I believe I would have to break more than just one buckle at the same time anyway, and then roll over on my side or on my back. What are the chances of breaking two or three buckles at once, especially after you're already in the water? With just the waist buckle in place, I think I could roll forward or to one side, retrieve a shoulder strap long enough to safely make it back to the surface, and include a safety stop in the process. After all, to point out an extreme example, there have been divers (not me) who have tried exercises in just using a tank to breathe from, with no harness or regulator at all. Not recommended, but it has been done.
I have been using the Comfort Harness for the past 6 + years, have never seen or heard of a buckle breaking on one, and absolutely love mine. It is a good compromise between harness systems. I cannot speak for DIR, cave diving, etc. because I am a recreational diver and instructor. If I was deep inside of a cave with a lot of deco time to consider, I would use the one piece design.
When I teach, the Comfort Harness also helps with showing students buckle adjustment similar to their BCs, and demonstrating complete removal and replacement of the scuba unit underwater. By the way, I do teach using the BP/wing setup, so my students get good exposure to the benefits of the BP/wing.
In order for me to completely lose a single tank within recreational conditions and limits, I believe I would have to break more than just one buckle at the same time anyway, and then roll over on my side or on my back. What are the chances of breaking two or three buckles at once, especially after you're already in the water? With just the waist buckle in place, I think I could roll forward or to one side, retrieve a shoulder strap long enough to safely make it back to the surface, and include a safety stop in the process. After all, to point out an extreme example, there have been divers (not me) who have tried exercises in just using a tank to breathe from, with no harness or regulator at all. Not recommended, but it has been done.
I have been using the Comfort Harness for the past 6 + years, have never seen or heard of a buckle breaking on one, and absolutely love mine. It is a good compromise between harness systems. I cannot speak for DIR, cave diving, etc. because I am a recreational diver and instructor. If I was deep inside of a cave with a lot of deco time to consider, I would use the one piece design.
When I teach, the Comfort Harness also helps with showing students buckle adjustment similar to their BCs, and demonstrating complete removal and replacement of the scuba unit underwater. By the way, I do teach using the BP/wing setup, so my students get good exposure to the benefits of the BP/wing.
