Zeagle's Express Tech: The first and last BC most will ever need (or want)

[The Chairman]

don't you think they may have grabbed for the one in your mouth hadn't your necklaced reg been right there and so very easy to find/grab?

They actually came from behind me... I think they just grabbed the top hose. I remember having to turn to see both of them and they were gesticulating wildly. Given the angle, I bet that a yaller octo clipped off on the waist would have been yanked in a second.

I hate danglies. My OW students are taught to clip/tuck any and everything that dangles. I do get a lot of certified students coming in to do my Trim, Buoyancy & Propulsion course and they have a variety of configurations. We go over their configurations in order to determine what's best for them... not me. I'm not the one going to be diving their gear! While a good number of them switch hoses and bungee the shorter one to their neck, not all do and I'm OK with that. AS LONG AS it's not dangling and available. You can be sure that we'll be doing some horizontal air sharing exercises and they'll get to evaluate their configuration a number of times. That said, probably the most adopted gear configuration is the addition of a crotch strap and after that, going to a 2' SPG hose routed over the left shoulder and clipped off to the D-Ring on the shoulder strap.

Everyone is different. Everyone has preferences. Some of us have physical 'issues'. Adaptability and innovation are the hall marks of successful people and that includes divers, allowing them to overcome a myriad of obstacles. If you don't believe me, just ask a Marine as it's a part of their culture. Trying to push people to every thing in only one way stifles evolution. I guarantee that having an octo secured on the waist or close to it will not cause the diver or the idiot who just ran out of air to die.

 

[phoenix31tt]

I guarantee that having an octo secured on the waist or close to it will not cause the diver or the idiot who just ran out of air to die.

I can't guarantee that ... but that's beside the point it's not about living or dying... it's about making the best choices to deal with a situation... most single decision would not result in somebody dying anyways.

either way i'm not saying there's only one way to do things... if somebody has a case for keeping it at the waist then i'm all for it (i don't use a knife or can light to route my 7' hose, it's different, doesn't bother me because i have my reason), i was making an argument as to why its "generally" better to keep it elsewhere.

 

[The Chairman]

either way i'm not saying there's only one way to do things...

Then we agree! I was responding to the seeming intolerance of how the vast majority of divers do things. I don't change my configuration just to change it. There's definitely a bit of experimentation to it, but the final adoption of any gear, mod or technique relies on the result being easier or safer.

 

[StubbornRussian]

I have the express tech with ripchord integrated weights and absolutely love it. My only complaint with the base system is the lack of drings. What is the best way to add a dring to each strap and to the belt? I have been clipping my octopus to the big dring on the center of the belt. Is there a better way?

I would also like to mount a knife up high on my body somewhere so that I have one low and high. Any thoughts on good way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[hazmat]

I have the express tech with ripchord integrated weights and absolutely love it. My only complaint with the base system is the lack of drings. What is the best way to add a dring to each strap and to the belt? I have been clipping my octopus to the big dring on the center of the belt. Is there a better way?

Just add a as many D-rings as you like on the webbing. Stuff like this: https://www.divegearexpress.com/drings .

 

[Sanpaku]

After a decade of flawless service from my first BC, a Zeagle Stiletto, I'm considering streamlining my travel rig with a less cluttered harness and smaller bladder (I've probably never used more than 3 lbs of lift below the surface in 200+ dives). The Express Tech (+ zip touch pockets, crotch strap, and some D-ring hardware) seems to tick all the boxes at a lower total cost than the other "soft" BP/W option I've looked at (the Oxy-Cheq).

I'm working on improving my trim for photography, so I expect to use some trim weights (I typically dove the Stiletto with 12 lbs, 4 on the lower tank strap). It occurred to me that I might be able to dispense with tank strap weight pockets on the Express Tech by leaving a larger loop of 2 inch harness at the shoulder belt slides, and directly threading 1 or 2 lb weights on before passing the webbing back through. Ie, the trim weights would on a taut loop of 2 inch webbing behind the shoulder, between the backplate and the wing. From the assembly video, this placement looks like it would be pretty secure, though it would sacrifice a tiny bit of streamlining. For anyone with an Express Tech, is the backplate stiff enough for trim weights affixed at the shoulder belt slides to be comfortable in water?

 

[The Chairman]

It would support them just fine. No doubt about it.

 

[AdivingBel]

I agree with Pete. While I don't have weights there I do have bulky plastic weight keepers mounted there as stops so I don't pull the shoulders too tight. I haven't noticed any discomfort. I also transitioned from a Stilletto (wife dives it now) to an Express with zip touch pockets. I found the weights in the zip touch ride low and back far enough that I no longer needed trim weights in the lower cam band position. I did drop a couple pounds in the changeover and added the difference to the zip touch pockets. It trims out fine. I did this over a few dives, but it may be a place to start. I really enjoy my Express Tech for warm water dive travel. Good luck.

 

[AdivingBel]

After rereading your post I may not have understood your proposed weight placement. Sorry about that. The rest of the post accurately describes my experience. Good luck.

 

[enduser]

Picked up a hog harness model with back pad on eBay for 100 bucks. Should be here tomorrow.

Should make for a nice travel / pool set to offset my DSS SS plate. Thanks @NetDoc for starting this thread so long ago. And everyone for keeping it going.