S38 LX and Elite 2 harness

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kafkaland

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Saline, Michigan
# of dives
200 - 499
I just got my BP&W set-up: a Hollis Elite 2, aluminum back plate, and S38 LX wing. My LDS assembled it for me, but they could make it work with only the upper cam band. The bottom book screw goes through the wing, harness webbing, and plate, but doesn't allow for a cam band without hole for the screw to fit in there. Is this combo supposed to be used with only one cam band (I did that for a short dive in the local mud puddle today, and it seemed ok), or is there a better solution? Thanks!
 
I just bought a S25 wing from ScubaToys. They had a little trouble getting everything together (the bottom cam band was a little tight getting on) but after a few minutes they had cam bands on the top and bottom. The built in STA requires two cam bands or the tank will flop around way too much. I'd go back to the LDS and see if there is someone else at the shop who can help assemble it. If not I'd question whether or not they should be selling that equipment.
 
Based on it's design, it does appear that the waist strap portion of the Elite 2 harness makes the lower cam band slots unusable. You could get around it by putting a hole in the tank strap to line up with the bottom book screw, you could also use an STA. I don't really see another option with the Elite 2

Can I ask why you "need" the more complicated Elite harness over a simple one piece that doesn't cause this problem?
 
I just bought the Elite 2 harness as well, and noticed the same exact problem. In addition to interfering with the lower cam slot, the way they recommend you route the waist webbing will actually also interfere with their QLR weight system (since the webbing gets routed in reverse of how everyone else recommends the webbing should go through the slots in backplate.)

While I'd *really* like to hear from Hollis on this, the only way I can think of fixing it is to route the waist band opposite to how it's shown in their photos (with the center grommet/webbing on the inside against your back, and not the outside as shown in the photo.) Otherwise the cam holes are blocked and the QLR weight pocket can't be attached to the backplate.
 
I just bought the Elite 2 harness as well, and noticed the same exact problem. In addition to interfering with the lower cam slot, the way they recommend you route the waist webbing will actually also interfere with their QLR weight system (since the webbing gets routed in reverse of how everyone else recommends the webbing should go through the slots in backplate.)

While I'd *really* like to hear from Hollis on this, the only way I can think of fixing it is to route the waist band opposite to how it's shown in their photos (with the center grommet/webbing on the inside against your back, and not the outside as shown in the photo.) Otherwise the cam holes are blocked and the QLR weight pocket can't be attached to the backplate.

I have sent a note to their tech support a few days ago, but no response so far. In the meantime, I have re-routed the waist strap similarly to what you describe and it seems to work. But the technician at my LDS was notably unhappy with that solution, but not for any substantive reason that I could discern besides the waist strap grommet not being bolted to the plate, but more for 'violating manufacturer's instructions' and risking problems unknown to us.
 
I have sent a note to their tech support a few days ago, but no response so far. In the meantime, I have re-routed the waist strap similarly to what you describe and it seems to work. But the technician at my LDS was notably unhappy with that solution, but not for any substantive reason that I could discern besides the waist strap grommet not being bolted to the plate, but more for 'violating manufacturer's instructions' and risking problems unknown to us.

Please let us know if you do hear back from Hollis. (FWIW, I emailed them a couple weeks ago about another issue, but never did receive a response. I had to end up calling them directly to get an answer.)

As for 'violating manufacturer's instructions', it's sad that I have to suggest this approach in the first place. However, I don't think the design was well thought out. (I really should have listened to the dealer when they recommended the Dive Rite harness instead, but I didn't know enough at the time or I would have took their advice. (I wouldn't have ran into this problem the way the Dive Rite harness gets routed.))

As for securing the waist strap grommet down to the plate , you can still bolt it down even if it's from the inside. I did this with the STA (although the wing nut sticks out a bit - luckily I have the pad or I think I'd feel it in my back), but it seems like the waist strap should have been done in two pieces like the other designs because of this exact problem.
 
This Hollis Elite 2 harness is exactly the same copy as the first generation of dive rite transplate. DR has updated its transplate to allow the lower tank band to be used. Hollis has't made this improvement. Looking at Hollis plate, there is another set of cam band slot just above the lowest set. This seems to clear the waist strap. Can these slots be used? If all else fail, STA is probably the only other option.
 
The holes in the wing do not match up with the higher set of cam slots, so there's no other choice but to route the waist belt in reverse in this particular case.

(Also anything you need to bolt to the plate and feed through waist strap wouldn't work either.)
 
Weird, I watched my new Hollis S38 wing, SS backplate and Elite 2 harness being assembled a few months ago, and there was no struggle like described above.
 
Weird, I watched my new Hollis S38 wing, SS backplate and Elite 2 harness being assembled a few months ago, and there was no struggle like described above.

Did you use the STA? If so, then it doesn't matter how the waist band is routed. If you don't use the STA, then there's absolutely no way you can install the bottom cam strap if you route the waist band the way Hollis recommends (it will block the cam strap holes on the plate.)

Likewise for the weight pockets - you can't mount them to the plate and feed the belt through if you follow the directions from Hollis. The strap will block the holes where the book screws get installed.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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