OP
drrich2
Contributor
Thanks for the insights, guys. Very good to know. Aluminum plates that are already a ‘color’ are looking better.
Richard.
Richard.
Mulling over BP/W options...
- Thread starter drrich2
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Did I miss it, Why not Halcyon?
Has quick cinch system that is very easy to adjust while you are donning. Perfect for a guy with your dimensions and who travels wearing different exposure suits. For your situation it is impossible to over state how good this is for you.
Has weighted STA available to easily add 5-6 pounds. Get the normal weight STA too for flexibility.
Available in stainless, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Aluminum with a weighted STA might work perfectly for you. However, consider I’m 6-0 and 190, and the heavier stainless plate works great when warm water tropical diving with little or no exposure protection.
Made in the USA.
Legendary customer service. If it has an issue, they will fix or replace it. For free, for ever it seems.
Cinch Quick-Adjust Harness - Halcyon Dive Systems
Has quick cinch system that is very easy to adjust while you are donning. Perfect for a guy with your dimensions and who travels wearing different exposure suits. For your situation it is impossible to over state how good this is for you.
Has weighted STA available to easily add 5-6 pounds. Get the normal weight STA too for flexibility.
Available in stainless, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Aluminum with a weighted STA might work perfectly for you. However, consider I’m 6-0 and 190, and the heavier stainless plate works great when warm water tropical diving with little or no exposure protection.
Made in the USA.
Legendary customer service. If it has an issue, they will fix or replace it. For free, for ever it seems.
Cinch Quick-Adjust Harness - Halcyon Dive Systems
OP
drrich2
Contributor
The impression I got from others' posts over the years (I've been curious about BP/W for quite some time) was that Halcyon makes really good stuff, amongst the best but not necessarily meaningfully better than some recognized brand name mainstream options, and yet charges a substantial premium 'for the name,' so to speak.
Perhaps I've misunderstood or didn't read widely enough.
The quick cinch system you describe sounds appealing. I'm quite willing to consider Halcyon if I know how much 'extra' I'm paying and what value I'm getting for that.
Richard.
H does cost more. I haven’t calculated it, but I generally assume about $200 more.
No one else has the cinch system. You really ought to go try it before buying something else (and all the others BP/w’s mentioned here are fine).
The others don’t have the same level of service/warranty.
Others not made in USA, except DSS. Not sure when/if they’I’ll be back in production.
I also own a Hollis BP/W, and a HOG aluminum with DRIS wing, purchased before any H gear based on Scubaboard discussions. Now I also have both steel and aluminum H rigs, and the first 2 haven’t been wet in 3 years..
No one else has the cinch system. You really ought to go try it before buying something else (and all the others BP/w’s mentioned here are fine).
The others don’t have the same level of service/warranty.
Others not made in USA, except DSS. Not sure when/if they’I’ll be back in production.
I also own a Hollis BP/W, and a HOG aluminum with DRIS wing, purchased before any H gear based on Scubaboard discussions. Now I also have both steel and aluminum H rigs, and the first 2 haven’t been wet in 3 years..
Freedom plate adjusts while you're donning and is made in People's Republic of California. DSS has a quick-adjust thingy and for every other plate there's this: Sub Gravity Back-Plate Harness Slider Delrin
Big plus of the whole setup is that you can buy a cheap plate now and upgrade later. Or even a backpack: https://www.amazon.com/MonkeyJack-A..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=KEEXYEKGKE0M4T0X0AW3 -- though I would be surprised if the camband slot matched any wing except DGX/DiveRite
Big plus of the whole setup is that you can buy a cheap plate now and upgrade later. Or even a backpack: https://www.amazon.com/MonkeyJack-A..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=KEEXYEKGKE0M4T0X0AW3 -- though I would be surprised if the camband slot matched any wing except DGX/DiveRite
I don’t know for sure but the VDH flat plate (perfect for single tank) is also US made and is a nice second place finisher to the FP.
StefinSB
Contributor
Yeah, 2x2 is a lot. If I need that much weight I simply use the bolt on steel plates which has the additional advantage of placing the weight closer to the divers body.
OP
drrich2
Contributor
Visited Waterdogs Scuba in Clarksville, TN, today to see some options in person. I'd messaged via Facebook asking about what BP/W options they had and was told they carry Apeks, Dive Rite, Zeagle, and more. Saw an OMS wing in the store. The message answerer also noted they love the Dive Rite systems. I looked at some of what they had in-store, and a staffer's personal gear (he had more than one setup). Then I did some digging online.
1.) The Dive Rite Transplate Harness looks like someone figured out how to put the webbing/straps from a jacket BCD onto a BP/W. Thus, it's a 'look & feel' I'm familiar with. The top & bottom sections aren't one continuous piece, unlike more typical webbing options for BP/W, but it should work. Not everyone sees value in shoulder strap pads, but I think I'd like that. Dive Rite sells quite a range of accessories; I was shown an add-on pocket that straps off your waist strap, and clips around the thigh. That should hold spare mask and SMB.
2.) From what I can figure out on the Dive Rite website, their metal BP's are stainless steel; I don't even see an aluminum option. At this point I'm after aluminum in some color (e.g.: black), since I'm trying to avoid the bare metal silver look. Traveling a little lighter on flights is a perk, though a minor one from what I understand.
I don't recall the Dive Rite Voyager XT wing having the little vertical rolls/bars to either side of where the tank lays, to stabilize it without a STA; does anyone know differently? I saw those present on the OMS wing. The OMS wing looks to be 1,000 denier, whereas Dive Rite says of the Voyager - "durable 1680 ballistic nylon EXP material or our even more rugged SuperFabric® brand technology XT material that creates an armor-clad outer shell that is impervious to damaging pinches and cuts, with a 1680 ballistic nylon diver's side panel. Both the Voyager EXP (Model BC4700) and Voyager XT (Model5200) are further enhanced with a heavy-duty, 210 denier nylon laminated bladder." So with OMS I'm guessing no option to armor up; wonder how durable it is?
3.) So I could buy somebody else's black AL BP and a Dive Rite Transplate harness, but might I want someone else's wing, or would it matter? I was trying not to venture too far into 'Franken-rig' territory.
4.) So back home I took a look at the OMS website and found this; the OMS AL Backplate with Comfort Harness System II. Looks to be a black AL BP with a harness system much like the Dive Rite Transplate harness. What's pictured with my link has enough red and a bit of yellow on the webbing to create a fairly snazzy look (if you don't mind advertising OMS when you dive).
5.) OMS seems to be a reputable mainstream brand, but I don't see people putting it out there first a lot in discussions. One of the staff is a Zeagle fan; Zeagle has a black AL BP with deluxe harness (I don't see shoulder pads on it). Presumably paired with their 30 lbs. donut bladder assembly; I don't know whether it has ridges/bars to stabilize the tank without a STA. A close look at their product photo suggests maybe there's a raised vertical row on either side?
6.) Staffer thinks they (also Sherwood dealers, by the way) can migrate my old Sherwood Gemini Air2 over to a wing.
So, any drawbacks to picking up an OMS package, the OMS AL Backplate with Comfort Harness System II (paired with 27 or 32 lbs. Performance Mono Wing I assume)? Is there any reason I should instead jump to the Zeagle, or something else? Add a pair of integrated weight pouches, a pair of trim pockets, a crotch strap if not included, an attachable thigh pocket, get their help fitting it on me when it all shows up and call it good?
Richard.
1.) The Dive Rite Transplate Harness looks like someone figured out how to put the webbing/straps from a jacket BCD onto a BP/W. Thus, it's a 'look & feel' I'm familiar with. The top & bottom sections aren't one continuous piece, unlike more typical webbing options for BP/W, but it should work. Not everyone sees value in shoulder strap pads, but I think I'd like that. Dive Rite sells quite a range of accessories; I was shown an add-on pocket that straps off your waist strap, and clips around the thigh. That should hold spare mask and SMB.
2.) From what I can figure out on the Dive Rite website, their metal BP's are stainless steel; I don't even see an aluminum option. At this point I'm after aluminum in some color (e.g.: black), since I'm trying to avoid the bare metal silver look. Traveling a little lighter on flights is a perk, though a minor one from what I understand.
I don't recall the Dive Rite Voyager XT wing having the little vertical rolls/bars to either side of where the tank lays, to stabilize it without a STA; does anyone know differently? I saw those present on the OMS wing. The OMS wing looks to be 1,000 denier, whereas Dive Rite says of the Voyager - "durable 1680 ballistic nylon EXP material or our even more rugged SuperFabric® brand technology XT material that creates an armor-clad outer shell that is impervious to damaging pinches and cuts, with a 1680 ballistic nylon diver's side panel. Both the Voyager EXP (Model BC4700) and Voyager XT (Model5200) are further enhanced with a heavy-duty, 210 denier nylon laminated bladder." So with OMS I'm guessing no option to armor up; wonder how durable it is?
3.) So I could buy somebody else's black AL BP and a Dive Rite Transplate harness, but might I want someone else's wing, or would it matter? I was trying not to venture too far into 'Franken-rig' territory.
4.) So back home I took a look at the OMS website and found this; the OMS AL Backplate with Comfort Harness System II. Looks to be a black AL BP with a harness system much like the Dive Rite Transplate harness. What's pictured with my link has enough red and a bit of yellow on the webbing to create a fairly snazzy look (if you don't mind advertising OMS when you dive).
5.) OMS seems to be a reputable mainstream brand, but I don't see people putting it out there first a lot in discussions. One of the staff is a Zeagle fan; Zeagle has a black AL BP with deluxe harness (I don't see shoulder pads on it). Presumably paired with their 30 lbs. donut bladder assembly; I don't know whether it has ridges/bars to stabilize the tank without a STA. A close look at their product photo suggests maybe there's a raised vertical row on either side?
6.) Staffer thinks they (also Sherwood dealers, by the way) can migrate my old Sherwood Gemini Air2 over to a wing.
So, any drawbacks to picking up an OMS package, the OMS AL Backplate with Comfort Harness System II (paired with 27 or 32 lbs. Performance Mono Wing I assume)? Is there any reason I should instead jump to the Zeagle, or something else? Add a pair of integrated weight pouches, a pair of trim pockets, a crotch strap if not included, an attachable thigh pocket, get their help fitting it on me when it all shows up and call it good?
Richard.
did anyone take a leap of faith and try one of these
Scuba Diving Soft Harness Fit Dt30 - Buy Scuba Soft Harness Product on Alibaba.com
?
Scuba Diving Soft Harness Fit Dt30 - Buy Scuba Soft Harness Product on Alibaba.com
?
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