Backplate Harnesses: Which one and why?

[MXGratefulDiver]

I agree with Tavi about the shoulder velcro on the TP. I gave mine up for a standard single piece of webbing, and have since had no reason to ever wish I had something different.

The velcro comes on the TransPac harness ... but not on the TransPlate harness. The shoulder straps are similar, but not the same.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Scubaroo]

I think one of the applications for the adjustable harness on a backplate might be rental gear situations, or OW classes - I wouldn't be surprised if more instructors start using backplates and wings for new students. Obviously adjusting a one piece harness is a bit of a PITA - multiply this by the number of students you have, and it would be easy to see why a compromise might be made to have an immediately-adjustable harness for students. Same with rental gear.

(blatant plug) - OxyCheq has the A-Harness, which is a quick-release adjustable shoulder strap harness, with the regular 50mm webbing waist band, that does accept a canister light. It uses regular webbing through the shoulder harness slots on the backplate as well, which is user replaceable when it wears. Kinda neat, but I'm a one-piece harness kind of guy myself.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Not an issue. That's one of the reasons to carry a knife.

You can't do it well in a class for obvious reasons, but a knife will cut the harness webbing very quickly when needed.

FWIW - in my Rescue class we have the students cut us out of a harness. Me and my co-instructor have enough friends who use one-piece rigs that we always have a stock of "old" harnesses for classwork ... and there's no substitute for actual practice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[novadiver]

I just finished my rescue class this past weekend and thought about the ease of getting out of my bc and getting my victim out of his or her bc. What I've noticed is that the buckles do help in the removal during a rescue scenario. I did find I had a hard time getting out of my bc when it was cinched down tight (wearing 6mm gloves and give rescue breaths at the same time). I had snap buckles, but couldn't get out until after struggling for quite some time.

I see everyone's points about the one piece webbing, but am still worried about getting out of my rig in a rescue, or self-rescue situation.

Ericson

Then you would like to know the " trick" . when you put the harness on or take it off, you don't do it like putting on a jacket, that's what causes the problems. the trick is to have your hands down around your waste, stick your elbow thru one side of the harness and lift your elbow untill your hand is free and clear through the harness , repeat on the other arm. Don't have the harness to tight because during valve shutdown drills with doubles you want to be able to get to the valves. a little slack helps with that. don't cross the staps in the back, because if you want to take your tank off underwater, the cross will interfear if you pop the buckle and remove the harness with the " over the head removal"


Over the head removal = pop the buckle, reach over the head, grab the vavle, pull up and over untill the kit is in front of you.( note) bungied neck regs need to be removed first.

That's two ways to don and doff a single peace harness, Welcome to the hogarthian rig

 

[detroit diver]

FWIW - in my Rescue class we have the students cut us out of a harness. Me and my co-instructor have enough friends who use one-piece rigs that we always have a stock of "old" harnesses for classwork ... and there's no substitute for actual practice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I think that's a great idea, but most folks aren't willing to spend the few bucks and time that it takes to re-web a new harness.

 

[WaterDawg]

aside from cutting it and what noadiver said I found that placing the victims arms above their head (kinda like how superman flys) and pulling it off like a tshirt works really well. BUt I do belive in cutting.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Hi there,

I decided to get a backplate and wing system. I see there are many different harnesses available on the market and need help in deciding which is best for the type of diving I do. I dive weekly in cold water here in Monterey, CA. I wear a drysuit, but at times will use my 7mm wetsuit. I'm usually taking photographs, sight seeing and occasionally spearfishing.

My dive buddies who are of the DIR persuasion says one continuous webbing is the way to go. I have another friend who dives the OMS harness with the single shoulder buckle to ease in getting in and out of his rig. I've also researched other backplate harnesses such as: the DiveRite Transplate harness, Deep Outdoors Freedom, Deep Sea Supply's Pro-Fit harness and OMS's IQ Pack.

Can some of you chime in on which ones you've tried, what you've liked and disliked about it? Maybe provide some good pros and cons of these harnesses vs. the one-piece continuous webbing?

Any info would greatly be appreciated.

~ Da' Scuba Junkee

Another vote for the single piece harness. One of the reasons I switched from a Zeagle back inflate BC to a BP/W was to remove clutter from in front of me. The absence of buckles and padding means that the only gear on the harness is what I have put there, and that is fairly minimal. One D ring on each shoulder strap with a backup light clipped in with innertube to retain them, my cannister light on the right and shears and small knife on the waist belt with another D ring on my left hip. That is all that rides permanently on the harness besides some extra bits of innertube. All other items go in pockets on my outer thigh.

Every commercial harness that I have seen has varying amounts of additional padding and clips that serve little if any function under water except perhaps to aid in removal during a rescue, but as others have said here webbing cuts easily..

In my book the single piece harness would be my choice even if it were somehow more expensive than the sewn harnesses, the fact that it is cheaper is a bouns!

If you want to make the harness a little more adjustable try not putting anything extra on the webbing where you thread it through the plate at your waist, this will allow you to slide the webbing a little from your shoulder straps through to your waist as you tighten it up. If you use stiff webbing this will be more difficult than if you use somewhat softer webbing. By the way, don't forget the crotch strap.

Mark Vlahos

Mark Vlahos

 

[scubajunkee]

Another vote for the single piece harness. One of the reasons I switched from a Zeagle back inflate BC to a BP/W was to remove clutter from in front of me. The absence of buckles and padding means that the only gear on the harness is what I have put there, and that is fairly minimal. One D ring on each shoulder strap with a backup light clipped in with innertube to retain them, my cannister light on the right and shears and small knife on the waist belt with another D ring on my left hip. That is all that rides permanently on the harness besides some extra bits of innertube. All other items go in pockets on my outer thigh.

Every commercial harness that I have seen has varying amounts of additional padding and clips that serve little if any function under water except perhaps to aid in removal during a rescue, but as others have said here webbing cuts easily..

In my book the single piece harness would be my choice even if it were somehow more expensive than the sewn harnesses, the fact that it is cheaper is a bouns!

If you want to make the harness a little more adjustable try not putting anything extra on the webbing where you thread it through the plate at your waist, this will allow you to slide the webbing a little from your shoulder straps through to your waist as you tighten it up. If you use stiff webbing this will be more difficult than if you use somewhat softer webbing. By the way, don't forget the crotch strap.

Mark Vlahos

Mark Vlahos

Everyone,

Thanks for the great input. This is exactly what I needed. I plan on getting the standard webbing with my backplate.

-Ericson

 

[JDostal]

I've used the ScubaPro RecTek, which is essentially a DiveRite TransPac. I've had the opportunity to use the DiveRite "deluxe" harness (has a left shoulder buckle and chest strap...). I use a one piece webbing harness. I like it because it is simple, clean, no-frills and cheap to replace. I made a chest buckle for it by bungee-ing two bolt snaps together and then I just clip them to my chest d-rings...thanks to my cave instructor for that suggestion.

My girlfriend prefers the deluxe harness. I guess it's a matter of preference - I just like the much cleaner idea of the one piece webbing. No fuss, no muss.

 

[CRDiver]

The velcro comes on the TransPac harness ... but not on the TransPlate harness. The shoulder straps are similar, but not the same.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That's interesting, because I use a TransPlate that was purchased shortly after they came out, and it still has the velcro inflator holder on the left shoulder. Plus, I'm able to remove the chest d-rings and it has "TransPac" embroidered on the right shoulder. Wonder when they tweaked the design...