My initial review of the S-Tek system
It was time for a new setup for me and, after much research, I bit the bullet and bought the S-Tek Pro setup harness with the steel backplate, STA and 30lb wing. I have done 7 dives with the setup thus far and am enjoying it. I’ll share some of my initial thoughts.
First, just a bit of background: I have been certified for 20 years and have had an off-and-on relationship with diving, but have gotten more serious about it over the past two years. I live in Miami and dive almost exclusively here, the Caribbean and Mexico, so it’s nearly 100% warm water for me. I’ve done almost 100 dives in the past year, so I do put a bit of wear on equipment. I probably do at least 50% wreck diving up to advanced rec limits.
My old setups were due for a refresh, so I figured it was time to upgrade. I have dove all sorts of various jacket and BPW BCs over the years. The main goal here was to move to a new everyday rig, but also something that will cover my technical growth. I plan on doing technical training later this year.
There are a few reasons why I ultimately went with the S-Tek. I’ll spare everyone the minutia, but the main reasons came down to this:
- Met my requirements for technical expansion (e.g. moving from 30lb wing/STA to 40 or 60lb wing with DTA). Of course, this is not unique to SP, but it was an important consideration for me vs. going with a more integrated system (e.g. the Hydros)
- Good experience with Scubapro over the years regarding equipment wear, tear and performance. I don’t mind paying a slight premium for “the big S”. (Everyone has their opinion on Scubapro, but this has been my personal experience)
- Good dealer network here in South Florida should I need parts, assistance, warranty repair, etc. I dive year-round and frequently - I want things fixed as quickly as possible.
- I felt that the design and engineering have been very well-thought out. I feel that they looked at every small aspect of the setup and asked “How can we make this better?”. The finishing is good. Nothing on the rig seems cheap. I feel that it’s a well-engineered package where all the components fit together perfectly.
- Honestly, what played heavily into my decision was the 2+ hours of content that Scubapo has produced on the setup. This includes very detailed videos on setup and the smallest features of every component (See the S-Tek playlist on Scubapro’s YouTube Account, as well as the long S-Tek Configuration videos). I feel like I knew what I was getting into before I ordered it and there were no surprises when it finally did arrive.
Probably the first important topic to cover is the Pro vs. Pure harness system, which has been discussed by many on this thread. The Pro was a no-brainer for me: I don’t feel as if I need to be a purist and go with a true Hogarthian system. I like the extra comfort provided by the Monprene (a fancy SP trademark'd rubber/plastic) shoulder pads and I like the independent adjustability of the shoulder harness. It’s easy to get in and out of. If this isn’t your cup of tea, the Pure system saves you $100 or so dollars and brings you closer to a Hogarthian setup. The molded cover on the interior of the backplate is also very comfortable.
Setup of the Pro system is simple. Adjustment and fitting is pretty straight forward. In 10 minutes, I had the system together, with another 15 or so to dial-in the right fit, which I slightly adjusted over the course of the first dives. It should be noted that the backplate and harness come “pre-assembled” – e.g. there is no need to thread webbing through the backplate. I added an additional fixed D-right to my right hip in order to accommodate my thigh pocket (I keep my octopus threaded through the other right D-ring). Un-threading the right side webbing is easy and the D-rings stay nicely in place if they are put in the open “slots” of the Monprene waist pads. There’s a D-ring close to the backplate at the start of the crotch strap where I keep my reel and SMB (old habits).
View attachment 770731
There are small refinements about the system that I like. I like the dumb little wing-nut feature (what they call the Ergo nut) – it is very “on-brand” from the standpoint of not having any rough or un-refined surfaces anywhere. I like the handle on the backplate. I like the smooth edges of the backplate. The Monprene backplate pad is comfortable and doesn’t absorb water, so it doesn’t need to dry.
View attachment 770734
(Shoulder strap, monoprene pad, backplate pad, Ergo nut)
The single tank adapter is very well engineered. You could be blind and one-armed and still mount a tank securely. The top tank adjustment strap has a squeeze buckle for the 1000 times I forget to put it around my valve. The classic Scubapro cinch band closes perfectly. That, combined with the “sticky” material that is the interface between the tank and the STA locks the tank into place – it’s not going anywhere.
View attachment 770733
(STA and SP quick cinch tank band)
The wing seems very well-constructed. Scubapro makes a big deal about the high quality Codura used on the outer shell, as well as the inner bladder. I have no idea whether that’s true, superior to other systems or if it actually makes a difference. Only time will tell, but it seems hearty. The balanced K-style inflator is hooked nicely into the left shoulder strap through a Scubapro bungee. The ends of the shoulder straps have nice little clips that slide onto the lower part of the harness so they’re not flapping around. Out of the box, the entire package looks very clean.
Dive performance has been very good thus far. My “test” dives have been (2) 60 foot wreck dives, (1) 40 foot reef-ish dive (Neptune Memorial in Miami), (1) 90 foot wreck dive and (1) 112 foot wreck dive. I’ve found nothing negative about the setup thus far and my transition to the new equipment was fast and felt good. I have not used a K-style inflator before and this one was easy to get used to and performs well. The biggest takeaway thus far is how comfortable it's been. Absolutely no complaints in the comfort department.
View attachment 770732
(K-inflator, shoulder straps, SP bungee, cheap weight pocket)
I have been pretty happy with my trim thus far but may consider the small trim pocket system that it’s available for the backplate ($75 for two pockets - yeah, I know). I had some small weight pockets in my closet that I’ve never used before, which I put on the back parts of the waist strap. The cheap weight pockets aren't the best quality, but the system would easily fit something like the Dive Rite 12lb Quick Release system or Zeagle rear-mounted weight pouches without any trouble (it would need to fit behind the monoprene waist pad).
So what are the negatives, thus far? Not a ton based on my first impressions, but only time will tell regarding how well it holds up. I find the quick connect on the inflator hose difficult to connect to the inflator valve – not sure if this is a hose issue or an inflator issue, but it’s mildly annoying. I find the dump valve gets lodged between the backplate and wing, which makes it difficult to find at times. That’s about all I can share at this time.
Pricing for the whole kit was $1150. I’m not particularly price sensitive for things that I know I’ll use and will last a long time, so that doesn’t bother me. Yes, it is a premium priced piece of kit. But, if you are doing apples-to-apples comparisons vs. the higher end packages with pro/comfort harnesses from the likes of Halcyon, etc., it’s not *that* much of a premium. Nonetheless, everyone has their own idea of value for price, so I don’t knock you if you think it’s too expensive.
