Choosing harness for TEC Dive

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nihondzin

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Location
Israel
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Hi all !!!
I want to start tec diving and now choosing harness.
is it OK to go to delux harness or better to go to single strap.
and what manufacture better (OMS,DIVE RITE, HELSION)?
Thanks in advanse!
 
I have a Dive Rite Deluxe with 2 metal side release buckles below the sternum strap. I would check with your instructor, if you have one picked, as some of them have personal standards that they follow in addition to the agency standards.

DW
 
Hi all !!!
I want to start tec diving and now choosing harness.
is it OK to go to delux harness or better to go to single strap.
and what manufacture better (OMS,DIVE RITE, HELSION)?
Thanks in advanse!

I am no purist and will happily argue that a BPW is over sold wrt its advantages. However, most of the time a simple single piece harness is the answer. Once you have the technique of getting in and out of it, it is easy to use. The various comfort pads etc are also unnecessary in my experience, even in a thin wetsuit. The most luxurious thing you need is the plastic knobs made by Halcyon to avoid wing nuts damaging your suit or skin.

It is important, to me at least, to have the shoulder straps properly adjusted. Once they are correct I do not want to mess with them. Systems like the Halcyon cinch (I have one in a box in my garage) or shoulder sliders (I have them on my JJ) mean you are never quite sure if it Is right. You may need to take extra steps to prevent the webbing sliding through your back plate in any case, there is a Deep 6 thread about that at the moment.

Amongst the random disadvantages of a complicated harness is that other people will undo them thinking they are helping or hang your stage cylinders off the sliders and not the D-rings.
 
Single one piece harness. Go to Halcyon webbing because it’s not too soft not too stiff ( sounds funny but it’s true) and the Hs act as visual references - make changing your shoulder strap length equally a breeze.
 
Single piece, Halcyon webbing! As has been mentioned here many times, a common beginner's mistake is having the shoulder straps too tight. The crotch strap is what locks everything in place.
 
Single piece. To me halcyon is my go to due to quality and customer support. Two other options would be a light monkey or dive gear express setup
 
Hi all !!!
I want to start tec diving and now choosing harness.
is it OK to go to delux harness or better to go to single strap.
and what manufacture better (OMS,DIVE RITE, HELSION)?
Thanks in advanse!
If you are diving wet, single cylinder, and you have no shoulder mobility issues, I recommend a single piece harness.

But, you are considering technical diving, so I presume you will be in doubles. If you are diving dry, with doubles, there may be an advantage to having a single quick-release on one shoulder strap - at least that is my preference, to make getting out of my rig easier. I end up using the same harness when diving doubles wet.

I DO NOT recommend a deluxe harness. The way they are constructed will limit the placement of D-rings on the shoulder straps, and they add unnecessarily to the expense.

There is no need to go to a particular manufacturer for the harness material, unless there are no other options. I am not familiar with online vendors outside of the US, but I resume you can order webbing, along with D-rings and tri-glides, as well as a waist strap buckle. Get 12 feet (OK, some make it work with 10 ft) of medium stiffness webbing (e.g. something like 2), 4 D-rings (three is you are a purist) and tri-glides, and a waist buckle, and create your own harness.

A note: a lot of 2" nylon webbing sold for scuba use is 'stiff' or 'extra stiff', because it is often used for weight belts. In reality, you can use this webbing for your harness, and some divers prefer it, in fact. So, the recommendation for medium stiffness webbing is a personal preference, not an absolute. :)
 
I have a Dive Rite Deluxe with 2 metal side release buckles below the sternum strap. I would check with your instructor, if you have one picked, as some of them have personal standards that they follow in addition to the agency standards.

DW

This...check with your instructor. My original BP came with a (HOG) deluxe harness. As my OW instructor, a tech diver, put it...”it’s fine to start out with (for OW), but you’re going to want to go to a one piece harness at some point.” That point ended up being around dive 45.

I would be surprised if a tech instructor (my AOW instructor was a tech instructor, as well) recommends for you to get a deluxe harness. My AOW instructor also commented on the deluxe harness that I had at the time. Something to the effect of “that’s fine for now, but if you decide to go tech, you’re going to want a one piece harness.”

As was mentioned by the previous poster, the padded straps are nice if you’ve got shoulder issues or if you do a lot of shore diving with a lengthy walk to the water. A deluxe harness is probably good for people transitioning from a recreational BC that want to keep some of the creature comforts (padding).

That being said...a deluxe harness is more expensive than a one piece harness and adds adjustability and complexity that you don’t need if you just have your harness adjusted properly in the first place.
 
Single piece webbing for the harness is a tried and true system that has proven effective, efficient, and simple. One d-ring on each shoulder, one d-ring on the left hip, and two d-rings on the crotch strap (scooter tow ring and utility ring), done.

I *personally* use the Halcyon webbing because when it is time to replace it, you can simply count the H's. "Ahh, there are 9 H's on each shoulder strap, the shoulder d-rings go on the 4th H, the waist strap is 4 H's on the left side and 2 on the right." Using generic webbing means you'll need to use a tape measure when you need to change the webbing out.
 
Single piece webbing, if it works for you, don’t get caught up in dogma! Try it, I use cheap medium stiffness webbing, piranha at about 80 cents per foot. I like delux harness’s sometimes and really like buying them for a song from those who went all dogma, great source of hardware which means if you try the delux and don’t like it you have everything you’ll need for the single piece which will only run another $12 or so. Avoid dogma! Think for yourself.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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