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I currently dive a Halcyon HOG system. I am taking my rescue class in the fall and, according to my instructor, having quick releases will make the class much easier. I know the argument to train what you dive but have decided to swap my webbing for a harness with QR's to make it easier while I concentrate on the class.
To that end, what manufacturer's Harness's have you guys tried and like on a Halcyon Steel BP. I looked at the OMS Comfort II but that seems a bit overkill, any other suggestions.
I have also read of people utilizing a quick release on the webbing. From what I have read they are not cutting the webbing but using the quick release to take up slack for ease of don/doff. I stopped by my LDS but was unable to find a quick release that would fit with a tribar or otherwise attach without having to cut the harness.
I know the argument to train what you dive but have decided to swap my webbing for a harness with QR's to make it easier while I concentrate on the class.
Why do you want to make the class "easier" than the real world you're gonna be diving in? At that point why bother taking the class?
I took the class and DM for the class in a hog harness and it's not really any much harder.
Besides if you are wearing the hog harness it's not any harder for you, it's your fellow student(s) who are going to have to deal with your gear!
"Forget all the labels and pile of cards one might have. Get in the water and it becomes clear who put the time in and who did not. Let's dive." (JC) James Clark
Why do you want to make the class "easier" than the real world you're gonna be diving in? At that point why bother taking the class?
I do hope you question is in jest? If I thought for a minute that the style of equipment I wore would negatively influence the overall benefit gained by taking this course I would not have asked the question.
I have to talked to several others who took the class that have indicated there would be some need to don/doff, both self and others doing it to you, your BC. I can chicken wing fairly easily out of my own gear, that's not really what I was worried about. My major concern was other divers not familiar with a HOG setup trying to take mine off. I cannot know the level of people in the class and gear familiarization, IMO, should be taken into effect. It would be much easier for someone trying to learn from the class to worry about 3 QR's than try and and work me out of hog rig.
Now I do have a tendency to over analyze things and I might get a good group of students to train with, but better safe than sorry and who doesn't want one more piece of dive equipment
I also did my rescue class with my HOG setup, had no problems, I just took sometime to explain my fellow students about my setup and neither myself nor them had a problem to take it out.
When I did tech, we did it again and this time with double tanks, still without problems, It got a little messy in the begining, but we worked it out and everything endo up ok after some practicing.
It takes two seconds to explain a hog rig to someone. (And nicely remind them not to ACTUALLY cut you out of it.)
For the rescue scenarios where you are the victim it's simple for the person rescuing you to say "OK, I'm cutting him out of his rig - CUT CUT CUT" and then the exercise is put on "pause" for a second while you help squirm out of your gear before resuming your role as an unresponsive diver at the surface.
It's admirable to think of your fellow students in this way, but you're not doing them - or yourself - any favors. You need to be confident that you can doff your own gear during a REAL rescue scenario in case you ever actually need to, and your fellow students will benefit from being exposed to a gear configuration they might not otherwise see.
It's a valid question; the one time I would have preferred not being in a hog harness was during the tow/rescue breathe/gear removal sequence during rescue class. For my DM rescue exam I just used a jacket BC.
The problem is you need to keep one hand on the victim (patient, whatever) for towing and providing timed rescue breaths while removing your own gear. One quick release on a shoulder strap will make this easier. In the real world I don't think it's much of an issue as removing your own gear is the lowest priority, and the whole idea of towing and providing rescue breaths to an unconcious diver is being re-thought in the direction of just getting the victim out of the water as fast as possible.
So, you kind of have a choice of strategy in a hog harness for this portion of the class; you can skip a rescue breath, giving two then removing your harness (I personally can't get out of my harness one handed in under 5 seconds) or you can just keep your harness on, explain to the instructor that you would cut yourself out if necessary, or you can make up a harness with a quick release to keep the sequence going.
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Originally Posted by Azrael
