Thoughts on the "new" razor 2

[JamesK]

I meant stealth but oh well. I do like the nomad but I also like my rig to streamlined

---------- Post added March 27th, 2013 at 01:00 PM ----------


I have seen it but have not really considered it. What is the pricetag?

I can't remember offhand. I wanna say $500.

 

[tiki_bill]

The Razor seems fine with AL80s and a wetsuit. Actually most of minimalist rigs seem to work fine with AL80s. I don't know about the others, but for drysuit diving with steel tanks the Razor starts to fall well short. Tanks hanging way too low (front mounting) and the wing balloning up too high are significant issues.

Please elaborate how the tanks hang too low (front mounting??). I dive the Razor with a drysuit in cold water and don't have a problem. And I dive with Faber FX100's. Have you seen any of Steve Martin's or Bogaert's videos? I do however agree the wing does balloon up. I just purchased the Stealth 2.0 and will dive that with the Razor harness when the weather gets better.

 

[nwbrewer]

Please elaborate how the tanks hang too low (front mounting??). I dive the Razor with a drysuit in cold water and don't have a problem. And I dive with Faber FX100's. Have you seen any of Steve Martin's or Bogaert's videos? I do however agree the wing does balloon up. I just purchased the Stealth 2.0 and will dive that with the Razor harness when the weather gets better.

It's somewhat dependent on diver size, but it can be impossible to get the D-rings far enough back to Keep the tanks from hanging below the diver, even with virtually no leash on the lower clip. A butt plate fixes this, and isn't that hard to adapt onto a razor style harness. Even the video of Steve B. wreck diving with steel tanks shows the tanks hanging below the body plane somewhat. Steve Bogaerts dives the Razor 2 System with Steel tanks - YouTube

That's not where I prefer my tanks to sit. I want them up along my side and behind my armpit.

 

[GAdiver]

The Razor seems fine with AL80s and a wetsuit. Actually most of minimalist rigs seem to work fine with AL80s. I don't know about the others, but for drysuit diving with steel tanks the Razor starts to fall well short. Tanks hanging way too low (front mounting) and the wing balloning up too high are significant issues.

Are you diving wet or dry? Who's you instructor? Is he (she?) involved with your decision process? Some instructors love or hate certain rigs for various reasons. Some also work better or worse with some body shpaes/sizes, a local instructor can probably do a much better job weeding trhough the choices compared to the internet.

I'm diving wet for now. My instructor isn't involved with my decision, he said that he liked the nomad but he said to choose on my own because sidemount is based on personal preference.

 

[rjack321]

Please elaborate how the tanks hang too low (front mounting??). I dive the Razor with a drysuit in cold water and don't have a problem. And I dive with Faber FX100's. Have you seen any of Steve Martin's or Bogaert's videos? I do however agree the wing does balloon up. I just purchased the Stealth 2.0 and will dive that with the Razor harness when the weather gets better.

There's a whole thread on this very topic, with pictures.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sidemount-diving/447292-do-you-dive-side-mount-side-slung.html

I'm diving wet for now. My instructor isn't involved with my decision, he said that he liked the nomad but he said to choose on my own because sidemount is based on personal preference.

Well things that look and work great for some types of diving suck at others.

My wife used my Razor in MX so I used my Hollis SMS100 with AL80s and it was way overbuilt and over complicated for the task. Likewise on my hips its impossible to get hp100s above the lower plane of my body with a Razor.

I would find an instructor who actually willing to help you with gear issues. The "personal preference line" sounds great, but here you are unable to even demo expensive rigs you are contemplating buying and having to turn to the internet for gear instruction. I feel its a cop-out to proper mentoring.

 

[GAdiver]

There's a whole thread on this very topic, with pictures.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sidemount-diving/447292-do-you-dive-side-mount-side-slung.html



Well things that look and work great for some types of diving suck at others.

My wife used my Razor in MX so I used my Hollis SMS100 with AL80s and it was way overbuilt and over complicated for the task. Likewise on my hips its impossible to get hp100s above the lower plane of my body with a Razor.

I would find an instructor who actually willing to help you with gear issues. The "personal preference line" sounds great, but here you are unable to even demo expensive rigs you are contemplating buying and having to turn to the internet for gear instruction. I feel its a cop-out to proper mentoring.

I'll be changing instructors soon but, my dive buddy uses a SMS100 with edd mods and it looks nice. Plus I won't be going to MX much and I'll be starting my trimix in the next year or two (hopefully) so the SMS100 looks like a good choice.

 

[JamesK]

If you ever make it to Florida and I am around you can try both my setups.

 

[GAdiver]

If you ever make it to Florida and I am around you can try both my setups.

Thanks, I'll probably be around sometime early this summer.

 

[TheCatFish]

It's somewhat dependent on diver size, but it can be impossible to get the D-rings far enough back to Keep the tanks from hanging below the diver, even with virtually no leash on the lower clip. A butt plate fixes this, and isn't that hard to adapt onto a razor style harness. Even the video of Steve B. wreck diving with steel tanks shows the tanks hanging below the body plane somewhat. Steve Bogaerts dives the Razor 2 System with Steel tanks - YouTube

That's not where I prefer my tanks to sit. I want them up along my side and behind my armpit.

Perhaps I shouldnt be raising these dead posts from their graves lol..

I see the low tank profile on Steve B’s Razor. My question is why were the bungee not pulled in correctly, and why not move the steel tank’s lowe attachment up toward the rectangle Drings? In the video the rectangle rings arent being utilized at all, they seem perfect for the job.