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This being a minimalist forum, I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Hawaiian Backpack. Basically, it is a flat back-plate with one or two padded hooks at the top to put over your shoulders and a belt to strap you in. I've dived with a few fish collectors who use this setup exclusively, and it is built for convenience. No air bladder, almost no straps, it looks like a dream to dive. I keep thinking that I want one, but you have to build them yourself and I don't have the time. Has anyone heard of these rigs and why hasn't it caught on the mainland?
I've seen some of those backpacks. They look comfortable, but they are usually expensive to ship to the mainland. If you really want to talk minimalist, you should go over to the vintage forum. This forum has a different definition of what you and I call minimalism.
I've dived with a few fish collectors who use this setup exclusively, and it is built for convenience.
Do I know you?
As a fish collector who uses a hawaiian backpack (almost) exclusively, I completely agree. There are many advantages to it.
For one, when diving with nets it's good to have as little crap as possible to get entangled. Inflator hoses and octopi are prime suspects. You can also swim a lot faster since there's less drag.
Having an air bladder is yet another thing to deal with when you're task-loaded and have your hands full with gear. I call it the "buoyancy complicator device". With a thin wetsuit a BC is not necessary for buoyancy control.
The metal hooks are much more comfortable than straps, especially when doing a lot of repetitive dives. You get a lot less shoulder cramps at the end of the day.
The mentality that a BC is an essential safety device, plus the fact that Hawaiian backpacks aren't much good with thick wetsuits or large tanks probably accounts for why nobody on the mainland uses them. Also, they're not "one size fits all" - for it to work well you need to build it for your particular body size.
Tommy
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
You're not lost if you don't care where you are - Jim Cooper
You find the best stuff when you're not looking for it - Eduardo Taran
Could any of you post een picture of the HawaýÂn backpack? I tried to fin it on internet.
I have seen pictures of divers in Hawaii using something referred to as a "Hawaiian Sling" rig and saw one in use on just a single occasion. Here are several links to pictures of something similar to what the guy was using:
The one I saw didn't have a solid backpack but other than that it was built along the same idea. It seems to be the ultimate in a "minimalist" approach to what is needed. The only time I dove with a guy who was using something like this, he was geared up and in the water before I even had my first BC buckle secured.
When I started diving in Hilo in 1976 the Hawaiian backpack was common. About 1/2 of us used them, the others used simple plastic "cam packs", which you can still buy.
My Hawaiian backpack was commercially produced and sold in local dive shops. I cannot remember the manufacturer, but it was local based, in Honolulu I believe. Sea Horse? Not sure. I seem to remember a sticker on with the picture of a sea horse....
The version I used was a flat aluminum backplate (vaguely similar to today's aluminum BP's) and had two bent aluminum arms covered with foam... similar to some of the picture above, but a bit different. It had a single stainless steel tank band with an adjustable cam mechanism to clamp the tank in securely. I had a single waist strap.
In the water it was not as secure as a current bp/w with Hogarthian harness, but was "secure enough". I don't remember it moving around any more than a current poodle jacket does, errr jacket BC I mean
The main attraction (for me) was the simplicity and the amazing ease in donning and doffing in the water (very useful from small boats, zodiacs, etc.).
It of course did not have a wing, and in those days we were using "safety vests" for surface floatation (they look like snorkel vests today, or somewhat like the life vests on airliners).
Mine long since bit the dust, but they were a pleasure to use.
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Originally Posted by smellzlikefish
