Why does DIR reject quick disconnects?

[Wijbrandus]

Get your buddy to put the thing on a bent knee, or simply sling it over one shoulder, and sort of chicken-wing (thanks for the visual, Chickdiver!) into the other side as your buddy holds your cylinder from the bottom. Ain't no thing.

In the one DIR video I've seen, George Irvine simply picked up a rig and flipped it up over his head. It just fell onto him.

I've done this ever since. While the rig is a bit heavy with a single tank (getting lighter as I work out more), this is by far the easiest donning method I've seen for self-donning of the bp/w. Now I don't even let my buddy help me out. It's kind of funny watching the jacket diver's reactions when they see me do that.

I could see a QR coming in handy to remove the rig, but really, what's the point? If you are removing in the water, it's a piece of cake. If you climb on the boat, or the dock, your buddy can help, or I sit down and remove it from the sitting position. Still cake. The only time I have issues is when I'm really cramped for space and I'm trying to avoid other people that aren't paying attention.

 

[Doc_Sandy]

In the one DIR video I've seen, George Irvine simply picked up a rig and flipped it up over his head. It just fell onto him.

Which works equally well in reverse when one needs to remove BP/Wings prior to climbing a difficult boat ladder for eg. and need to remove gear in order to get up. Just undo waist and crotch strap, reach back over head with one hand and pull off rig over head. Lands in front of you and then you just hand it up!

S.

 

[quimby]

In the one DIR video I've seen, George Irvine simply picked up a rig and flipped it up over his head. It just fell onto him.I've done this ever since. While the rig is a bit heavy with a single tank

I dont think George was the first to do it that way; as a matter of fact hooking the straps on your elbows and bringing the tank over your head and sliding down to position was taught, as a alternative means, at least by me for years. Singles were std and once you got the hang of it double 72's became easy too.
I dont like plastic buckles on my camping or diving gear but do like a shoulder release, and dont make much it either way.
By the way the first guy I saw do the over the head routine was Mike Nelson on SeaHunt. Given stable cond it works.

 

[detroit diver]

I"ll add a personal experience to the QD/plastic buckle issue.

I flew 2000 miles to Seattle to dive with Uncle Pug. After meeting him at the beach at Mulkitelo (sp?), I proceeded to put my tank into the tank bands/cam strap on my rig. Upon closing the top cam buckle, it broke in half.

Now, I'm 2000 miles from home (and my spare tool kit) and meeting someone for the first time who has taken his time out to come dive with me. I just stood there with my mouth open not knowing what to say. I felt like a fool.

This has a happy ending though. Uncle Pug had a spare cam strap in his truck. The dive went well and I made a good friend that day. In fact, if you do a search on UP's stories, you will see a couple of experiences that we enjoyed together!

My point-plastic parts in critical areas are an accident waiting to happen. And you will not know it's going to happen until it breaks. It's just not worth it-for a whole lot of different reasons.

Ps My cam bands are all SS now..!

 

[scuba-punk]

you can consider scuba diving to be a harness dependent sport. And as far as harness dependent sports and jobs go, quick releases are no-no's. Ask a high steel construction worker how many quick releases they have on their safety/fall arrest harnesses... I've never seen a skydiving harness in person, but I'd be surprised if they have quick releases. Is a small convenience on the surface worth the possibility of risk underwater? Not for me. Just my 2 psi.

-Frank

 

[Robert Phillips]

Thinking abot the BP/W setup, aand never areally thought about the potential difficulty of donning and doffing until I began reading posts like the above.

Since I do a lot of shore entries, I have to lift my rig from the ground. With my BC, I usually loosen the shoulder straps all the way before putting on or taking off gear. Any hints on donning from the ground?

<snip>

JAG

Most of my dives are shore entries also and aside from doing the flip over the head thing I sit on the ground in front of my rig, put my arms through my harness, lean forward slightly and then roll onto my knees and stand up. It looks funny and you get a little dirty, but it works great and you arent doing any straining unless you have a big gut and as far as the dirt, well you're getting wet soon, it will wash off!

 

[jagfish]

Thanks for the tip
Actually, I usually lift my BC over my head, now, so I suppose I could do the same if when I go with a BP/W setup.

JAG

 

[Dan Gibson]

Gotta love truck diving!

Most of my dives are shore entries also and aside from doing the flip over the head thing I sit on the ground in front of my rig, put my arms through my harness, lean forward slightly and then roll onto my knees and stand up. It looks funny and you get a little dirty, but it works great and you arent doing any straining unless you have a big gut and as far as the dirt, well you're getting wet soon, it will wash off!

 

[Robert Phillips]

Truck schmuck, who needs a truck when you still have good knees? :laugh:

Gotta love truck diving!

 

[drbill]

Hmmm... I find this interesting given the number of people I know or have heard from who have had their webbing rub raw from poorly finished backplates. To me that sounds like a failure point. I wear an X-Tek backpack with such releases and have NEVER (yet!) had a problem with them over many hundreds of dives. In fact I've never had a problem with any of my BCD's in 42 years of diving (well, actually only started using a BCD in 1989... before that it was the basic hard backpack).

Dr. Bill