Glide Harness Adapter - Review

[fisheater]

Last weekend, I finally got a chance to test out Tobin's "new and improved" glide harness adapter.

It's super simple to install. The only "trick" is to make sure that Tobin knows whether or not you have weight plates on your DSS backplate, as you'll need longer bolts - which Tobin will supply. (It will NOT work on non-DSS backplates.) You simply unthread the harness webbing from the lower left side of the plate, bolt on the glide adapter and then rethread the harness webbing through the adapter (and NOT through the backplate).

It's super simple to use. Pushing out on the left side of the webbing will loosen up the harness to make sliding in and out of your rig very easy. When donning, a simple pull on the left side of the waist strap will tighten up the harness for diving.

I've used it for both shore diving and boat diving (both crowded and more spacious) and it worked just fine. It makes the rig easy to get into and out of and while diving, the rig was fully stable. (I have a DSS medium stainless steel plate, with weight plates and a steel HP130, so it's pretty darned heavy.)

I'd used Tobin's original glide adapter for a few years and this version is even better, as it takes a bit less force.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Last weekend, I finally got a chance to test out Tobin's "new and improved" glide harness adapter.

It's super simple to install. The only "trick" is to make sure that Tobin knows whether or not you have weight plates on your DSS backplate, as you'll need longer bolts - which Tobin will supply. (It will NOT work on non-DSS backplates.) You simply unthread the harness webbing from the lower left side of the plate, bolt on the glide adapter and then rethread the harness webbing through the adapter (and NOT through the backplate).

It's super simple to use. Pushing out on the left side of the webbing will loosen up the harness to make sliding in and out of your rig very easy. When donning, a simple pull on the left side of the waist strap will tighten up the harness for diving.

I've used it for both shore diving and boat diving (both crowded and more spacious) and it worked just fine. It makes the rig easy to get into and out of and while diving, the rig was fully stable. (I have a DSS medium stainless steel plate, with weight plates and a steel HP130, so it's pretty darned heavy.)

I'd used Tobin's original glide adapter for a few years and this version is even better, as it takes a bit less force.

Thanks for the feedback. Real world reports are of great value to me.


Tobin

 

[Peter Guy]

I used the adapter for the first time Wednesday (although I had set it up for a demo a while ago). I found it does the job it is supposed to do quite nicely. That is, you can easily loosen the one side for exit/entry and then bring it "tight" with no problem. Thanks Tobin.

Comment -- it would be nice to have a picture of the adapter mounted on the plate without the webbing threaded so that it is clear which way to mount it (or perhaps it doesn't matter?). Is the "bar" supposed to be towards the outside of the plate or the inside?

 

[cool_hardware52]

I used the adapter for the first time Wednesday (although I had set it up for a demo a while ago). I found it does the job it is supposed to do quite nicely. That is, you can easily loosen the one side for exit/entry and then bring it "tight" with no problem. Thanks Tobin.

Comment -- it would be nice to have a picture of the adapter mounted on the plate without the webbing threaded so that it is clear which way to mount it (or perhaps it doesn't matter?). Is the "bar" supposed to be towards the outside of the plate or the inside?

Hi Peter, thank you for the review.

The Glide Harness adapter should be mounted so the "Open" side of the adapter, the side without the bar is towards the out side of the back plate.

We do have a captioned photo of the adapter on the instructions indicating this. I'll take a look at adding a photo of the adapter installed on the plate before lacing the webbing.

Tobin

 

[Hatul]

Last weekend, I finally got a chance to test out Tobin's "new and improved" glide harness adapter.

It's super simple to install. The only "trick" is to make sure that Tobin knows whether or not you have weight plates on your DSS backplate, as you'll need longer bolts - which Tobin will supply. (It will NOT work on non-DSS backplates.) You simply unthread the harness webbing from the lower left side of the plate, bolt on the glide adapter and then rethread the harness webbing through the adapter (and NOT through the backplate).

It's super simple to use. Pushing out on the left side of the webbing will loosen up the harness to make sliding in and out of your rig very easy. When donning, a simple pull on the left side of the waist strap will tighten up the harness for diving.

I've used it for both shore diving and boat diving (both crowded and more spacious) and it worked just fine. It makes the rig easy to get into and out of and while diving, the rig was fully stable. (I have a DSS medium stainless steel plate, with weight plates and a steel HP130, so it's pretty darned heavy.)

I'd used Tobin's original glide adapter for a few years and this version is even better, as it takes a bit less force.

Interesting that you installed yours on the left side. I put mine on the right after watching a video of it and thought there would be a problem using it on the left side as the left waist D ring may interfere. But since you used yours on the left side with no problems, I'm wondering if a benefit could be derived from using two, one on each side, so you could adjust the tension of both shoulder straps while wearing the rig.

 

[fisheater]

I really don't see a need for two. The idea is to give you a bit of extra room to ease getting in and out of your rig. I put it on the left so it would be easier to get my drysuit exhaust valve through the shoulder strap. And you only add a couple of inches of slack, so you don't pull so far as to involve the left D-ring.

 

[Hatul]

Since I dive with wetsuit or drysuit, I thought it would be nice to be able to adjust the straps under water.

 

[fisheater]

I only use the glide adapter to doff and don. No need to adjust anything while diving.

 

[rhwestfall]

one on each side will cause the plate to be unstable.....

I too use it on my left. I moved the "hip" d ring a little closer to the buckle, making the stop point. Honestly, I use the chest D-ring to attach my SPG as it is then right there in view all the time. Right side to me would complicate can light use....

With my bum shoulders, diving dry (valve on the arm), and my really long arms, the GHA is a dream. I have it on 3 of my DSS plates. Only one without one is my kydex as it is not compatible. I did come up with a solution for that too....