bp/w harness question
- Thread starter hien68
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I don't know with 100% certainty but I am willing to bet (large amounts of money) that the majority of bp/w divers use a hog harness. Well, at any rate, the majority of people that post in these type of threads will do so at any rate.
Apart from situations where the harness has to be adjusted over and over and over again (such as on a rental bp or as part of an OW course) I don't believe that a quick-release deluxe type harness has any advantages over a hog harness.
Despite what you might think, a hog harness is not uncomfortable. Many people have used one with only a rash guard or tshirt and have no complaints. I wore one with nothing but my bare skin and didn't notice any discomfort at all. Any additional padding that a deulxe type harness supplies will do nothing substantial for your comfort but will add additional inherent positive buoyancy.
The next point is somewhat subjective. I find that I prefer not having 101 clips and quick releases to do up and not having to adjust (and readjust) all the silly straps and buckles. I like the fact that I close one buckle and then I don't touch my harness until it is time to remove it.
I use a jacket BCD in the pool for courses and I find it a pain in the posterior to adjust all the straps once on the surface, do it again when I descend and I find they weren't perfect on the surface and sometimes do it again once the compression of the suit and padding has finally completed.
I like the simplicity of the hog harness and it functions just as well as a deluxe harness if you are not too lazy to spend 3 or 4 dives dialling it in.
Hope those random musings helped.
Apart from situations where the harness has to be adjusted over and over and over again (such as on a rental bp or as part of an OW course) I don't believe that a quick-release deluxe type harness has any advantages over a hog harness.
Despite what you might think, a hog harness is not uncomfortable. Many people have used one with only a rash guard or tshirt and have no complaints. I wore one with nothing but my bare skin and didn't notice any discomfort at all. Any additional padding that a deulxe type harness supplies will do nothing substantial for your comfort but will add additional inherent positive buoyancy.
The next point is somewhat subjective. I find that I prefer not having 101 clips and quick releases to do up and not having to adjust (and readjust) all the silly straps and buckles. I like the fact that I close one buckle and then I don't touch my harness until it is time to remove it.
I use a jacket BCD in the pool for courses and I find it a pain in the posterior to adjust all the straps once on the surface, do it again when I descend and I find they weren't perfect on the surface and sometimes do it again once the compression of the suit and padding has finally completed.
I like the simplicity of the hog harness and it functions just as well as a deluxe harness if you are not too lazy to spend 3 or 4 dives dialling it in.
Hope those random musings helped.
hien68:
I agree. The overwhelming majoiry of people I see, and people I dive with, who use a BP/W, use a simple one-piece hog harness.
I use a single piece hog harness when diving wet. With my drysuit, I use a harness with a quick release on the left chest. It is simply a bit easier for me to get out of at the end of a long (tiring) dive - a matter of laziness on my part as much as anything. The quick release is considered a potential point of failure.
Again, I agree. I have used a Transplate several times, and didn't find the padding to be of any functional value.
I dove with a 1 piece harness for more than a year, but at the urging of my Tech instructor, I just got a harness with a QR cross chest strap. I just don't have the shoulders to hold a regular harness on. My instructor told me, " As much as I hate the darn things (QR buckles), but you NEED a chest strap." As I was always fighting to keep my old harness on my shoulders (I can't even keep purse straps on my shoulders). My instructor sees the QR buckles as a potential failure point & tires to get his students to reduce the failure points in their configurations to a reasonable minimum, but allows for some small stuff like in my case & cases of individual differences that need that sort of thing. The biggest problem I have with the chest strap is it wants to go across my chest right at the same place as where my drysuit inflater valve is. I have found that it works well if I rout the strap under the valve & basically "lock" it into place with the drysuit hose being connected, it doesn't go anywhere & holds everything secure. My new harness is basically still 1 piece (it actually has a D-ring that one part of the harness attaches to the other half, but is woven through a buckle in a way, it is not likely to ever come out without being done manually), but with the chest strap coming off that D-ring.
I'm not sure I like that using the drysuit hose to lock it in place. It sounds like over time it could weaken the inflator itself. Have you thought about crossing the straps behind you so that they naturally want to stay together. CHeck out some of Lynn's posts(TS&M). She had issues with her shoulders being too narrow and this worked for her. Just a suggestion. You might even try PMing her and seeing if she could get you a pic. How's the course coming BTW?
For the OP- Hog on both my setups
For the OP- Hog on both my setups
dkktsunami
Contributor
Have used both the hog harness and the "deluxe comfort" harness with releases. Hog harness was by far the best. Comfort harness is neither comfortable nor deluxe and it is a pain in the rear to install. Hog harness can be adjusted quickly for different exposure suits by moving two slide stops.
BabyDuck
Contributor
tammy, if you trimmed the ends of your one piece, you'll need another if you cross.
take the left shoulder to the right hip & vice versa, then back out to your waist. it makes the straps hit closer to your neck instead of your upper arms. if you like your chest strap, then no biggie - enjoy! - but please tell your instructor that crossing is an option if he comes across any others with narrower shoulders.
take the left shoulder to the right hip & vice versa, then back out to your waist. it makes the straps hit closer to your neck instead of your upper arms. if you like your chest strap, then no biggie - enjoy! - but please tell your instructor that crossing is an option if he comes across any others with narrower shoulders.
It is a personal choice based on what works best for you.
The Hog is less expensive and perfectly functional for many divers.
Other divers have physical limits that require a release and still other need the padding for comfort.
I myself dive a Deluxe Comfort harness. I do find it easier and more comfortable. I'm also a diver that wears a shortie in the warmest of water for scuba. I just like the extra padding and then lock my harness on snugly. I like the well attached to my BC feeling with no shifting of the gear during the dive.
The Hog is less expensive and perfectly functional for many divers.
Other divers have physical limits that require a release and still other need the padding for comfort.
I myself dive a Deluxe Comfort harness. I do find it easier and more comfortable. I'm also a diver that wears a shortie in the warmest of water for scuba. I just like the extra padding and then lock my harness on snugly. I like the well attached to my BC feeling with no shifting of the gear during the dive.
Similar threads
