Halcynon BPW

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Ole Larson

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Messages
16
Reaction score
6
Location
Boise Idaho USA
# of dives
100 - 199
Has anyone used a "deluxe" harness on a Halcynon backplate, and if so which brand? As far as I can tell Halcynon only sells the one piece 2" webbing.

Thank You,

Pete
 
Thank you for the information, but what I am trying to find is a harness that has buckles on the shoulder straps that would make it easier to don and doff.
 
Thank you for the information, but what I am trying to find is a harness that has buckles on the shoulder straps that would make it easier to don and doff.

See if you can try one first. I've tried both types and much prefer the one piece.

To answer your question halycon doesn't carry those but another brand should work. Just check how it attaches and the slots on your plate.
 
Halcyon does not sell a harness with buckles on the shoulder. I would suggest looking at Dive Rite for that system. Halcyon has the "Cinch: harness which allows you to loosen your shoulder straps by pulling the harness straps away from your body and to tighten them around your wais by pulling your waist straps away from your body. That is how the old backpacks were tightened and loosened.
 
Thank you for the information, but what I am trying to find is a harness that has buckles on the shoulder straps that would make it easier to don and doff.
If it's difficult to don and doff, chances are that you have it too tight, a common mistake with new users. It's the waist belt and crotch strap which lock everything down.
 
Thank you for the information, but what I am trying to find is a harness that has buckles on the shoulder straps that would make it easier to don and doff.
Sub Gravity has a great adjustable harness. It's clean, simple and doesn't have any plastic parts. I have bad shoulders and really love their adjustable harness.

If you haven't bought anything yet I highly recommend the whole Sub Gravity BP/W system, it includes almost everything you will need in the package. They make solid, long lasting gear and have great customer service. I have their aluminum backplate with adjustable harness and 26 lb wing. Paragon Single Tank Package - SubGravity
 
Thank you for the information, but what I am trying to find is a harness that has buckles on the shoulder straps that would make it easier to don and doff.
Halcyon's tagline used to be "The DIR dive company", in DIR/HOG diving a harness using continuous 2" webbing is used. Halcyon's solution for adjustability is the cinch system. Other solutions are to use Harpa Loops or web sliders. The next step up is a "deluxe harness" with a release. and a step up from there is a transplate type harness. I am using Dive Rite products as an example, but other manufacturers make similar products.

Most modern backplates are very similar, there is nothing special about the Halcyon plates so any harness should work with it. Halcyon equipment is well made but in my opinion is not worth the price. Other manufacturers have caught up on the quality and design. If you haven't already purchased your system, I would recommend the DGX system, as a great system. You can even get a system with regs for less than the price of an eclipse system.

If you want you can also mix and match, you can buy something like this and add a wing and a set of cam bands and make your own custom rig. That is the beauty of a backplate and wing system, you can make it your own.
 
To answer your question directly: no, I don't know about "delux" harnesses. But...

For cold-water shore diving I simply added a buckle to the right shoulder strap. It was easy to do and nicely addressed my shoulder mobility issues gearing up. For tropical boat diving with (much) lighter gear I am thankfully still more-or-less ok with the "normal" Hogarthian harness on my smaller BCD. But - different folks, different issues.

I just cut the one-piece webbing on the right shoulder strap and installed a buckle, as hopefully the photo shows. Perhaps something to consider if it's just the buckles you're after. In which case replacing your buckle-laden system with a new one-piece harness is a cheap mod.

20231104_020224.jpg


Easy, cheap, fast, effective. Right, left, both, whatever works best for you. Hint: cut the webbing to leave generous excess on both sides of the buckle. You want to be able to adjust the position of the buckle to not dig into your armpit or interfere with gear clipped to the D-ring, and only diving will really tell where that buckle (or buckles) belong.

Also, just in case and for what it's worth: depending on your experience with Hogarthian harnesses (and especially if you're moving from jacket to backplate-wing) you may find that with familiarity and practice you're just fine with a (properly fitted) one-piece harness.
 

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