DIR (HOG) harness question

[Matt S.]

While we're on the subject of hog harnesses, I have a fit question.

Per my reading the top of the backplate should be about an inch below the bump at the base of your neck. For me to get my backplate riding at this height, I have to keep the shoulder straps pretty tight... Tight enough that I can't don the rig without a buddy to help me guide an arm through one strap. (Being in a bulky drysuit with big dry glove rings doesn't help.)

If I loosen the straps enough to make the rig easy to don, then the plate sits lower, and the tank feels a little wobbly on my back.

Of course, when I used a BI BCD, I still needed a buddy's help to get the second arm strapped in, so I'm no worse off than I used to be in this regard.

 

[halocline]

It probably won't sit too low when you're in the water. The standard rule of thumb that I've heard for where it sits is you should just be able to reach the plate over your shoulder. I don't know how important that is; as long as you can reach your tank valve you should be fine.

 

[Rick Inman]

For me to get my backplate riding at this height, I have to keep the shoulder straps pretty tight... Tight enough that I can't don the rig without a buddy to help me guide an arm through one strap.

Matt, if you can don the rig with a buddy's help, you can learn to do it yourself. Once it's on, if it fits well, loosening up the straps because of the donning effort is not the answer. You don't base fit on that, you base it on having a proper fit in the water.

Practice.

I had the same problem, so one day I spent a very hot 20 mins in my garage practicing donning and doffing my kit by myself. I really took my time - organizing hoses, light cable, etc - slowly feeling with my fingers the second strap and sneaking my arm through. Then, once on, working one hand into the strap and pushing my arm out to get out of it. Over and over until it became easy.

That was a very well spent 20 mins.

A wise man once said to me, "Rick, don't change your equipment because your technique needs work."

 

[TSandM]

Matt, the key for me was realizing that my elbow didn't have any gauges on it

The left arm goes into the harness easily, and the right hand can get the strap over the dump valve. Then, the right hand finds the bottom of the right harness strap, and my bent ELBOW pushes through the strap. The hand will then slip through.

Turning your gauges so they face inward (on the underside of your wrist) also helps.

Loosening the harness can make it seem easier, but puts the valve on your tank out of your reach, and makes the rig unstable in the water. You can put up with a lot of that with a single tank, but it absolutely kills you with doubles.

I'd be happy to get together and work on adjusting this and showing you what I've learned to do, if you like.

 

[Nemrod]

Loosen the straps so that the plate can drop down off of the back of your neck and you will have more room. N

 

[Matt S.]

The elbow! Didn't think of that.

I think I am a little over-tightned also, so between a little loosening and new technique we'll see what happens.

This wasn't a problem in a 2mm suit down in Mexico.