cinch system- what's you opinion?

[txaggie08]

Before reading this: It may be a touch long, and I like to break up my thoughts with paragraph breaks. I work as a 911 dispatcher for a living, this is how we keep our thoughts organized and easy to read in call cards, it spills over here. If it bugs you Icouldtypeitallinonereallylongsentence(do you know how many times I had to backspace to take the spaces out of that??)

Picked up a halcyon eclipse system that came with the cinch a few months ago. I've put quite a few dives in, very pleased, will never go back to a conventional bc both from a utilitarian standpoint, and a comfort standpoint. I guess I took a "hogarthian" approach within my first ten dives or so, in that I've been trying to build a rig that allows me to carry as much, or as little as I need, with minimal encumbrance.

I also dive with our local fire department, and routinely descend into 15-20 foot of sub 6" vis silt out that would make most cave divers start muttering under there breath....

This bc came with the cinch unit on it, and I'm currently debating whether to bother with it any longer. I probably need to loosen my shoulders a touch more, but I find I can don and doff my gear much faster NOT trying to adjust it than anything else. I currently only dive wet, but dry MAY be in my future.

There are some downsides to it. It is rather bulky, and to install the weight pouches, and other accessories, is a bit of a pain, and requires some bubba rigging. The whole thing is starting to feel like extra bulk and work.....

I guess the long and short is: Would you use the cinch setup if available?

Here's close to my current config, I've replaced the primary hose with a true long hose(that was an experiment in using a necklaced octo ), i've purchased a can light in place of the bulky pistol light, and I had the octo clipped off wrong.

Before you laugh to hard at the knives, I actually have a use for both. They're large enough I'm not fumbling with them, and they've been the best tools I could find that would work for cutting heavy rope, and for breaking car windows(both have points on the pommel caps.....we refined them, I can take a submerged car window out in two swings). The drop pouches I'm using in place of hip pouches on a wetsuit when we make deployments, simply because I don't know that I'll have a wetsuit on. I have no intentions of trying to shimmy into a suit if I can make a quick rescue, and our water gets warm enough a 3mil isn't even always the right choice. They slip off with two loops.

 

[rlynch]

on the cinch system: It has pro's and cons just like everything. I currently have it installed on my setup due to needing to vary the amount of insulation i wear under my drysuit, these are really just small adjustments but when it gets warmer and i do occasionally dive wet or am in a pool with it its nice to be able to quickly adjust the rig (even under water while wearing it). That said if you don't need it i would simply remove it and use tri-glides to lock the belts in place in the lower slots, that way you will alsways have a consistant fit for the shoulders and keep the crotch strap tight and your good to go.

On the drop pockets: i would move these to a seperate belt (weight belt type) with a quick release buckle. reasoning: if you need to get out of the rig fast you now have to release 3 buckles (main one for Rig, and the 2 drop pouches on the legs) otherwise your still tied to the Rig. A better solution would be to get a pair of X-shorts and just pull those on, you can keep what you need loaded in the pockets. Ands it probably quicker than messing with the thigh buckles on the drop pouches since you have to do those last after your in the Rig.

On the SPG, it is normally cliped off to the left waist D-ring where its out of the way of your backup lights (those are clipped to the chest D-rings and if needed tempory rests for other items) with the depth gauge worn on the right wrist.

hope that help.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I have an Infinity with the Halcyon cinch. I don't understand what you mean that to install weight pouches is a bit of a pain. Mine came with both the cinch and the weight pouches installed, and it doesn't look like its not meant to be there.

I removed the padding on the backplate that came with it, because I didn't think that it added any extra comfort, and it took forever to dry. I also considered removing the weight pockets and just using cam band pockets and a weight belt, but I decided to keep them there as an option.

But the cinch I never once considered removing. I don't use it to get into and out of the bc regularly, but I like periodically to make adjustments depending on how many mm of wet suit I am wearing, and my mood. I never thought of the cinch as in the way or negative in any way. The cinch makes little adjustments just so much easier.

Linda

 

[txaggie08]

lynch- I'd considered that.....I have no....erm...backside. Belts fall straight off of me because of my shape, I've lost a weight belt once because of that already. I've lost weights twice, once because of a belt(I can't keep my pants from falling much less a belt), once from an intergrated failure. As a result I carry very little quickly ditchable weight, but prefer to keep the rig balanced enough I shouldn't NEED to ditch much weight to get positive enough to swim to the surface( I can only think of one instance where an out of control ascent is necessary/preferable anyway).

the xshorts are a possibility I will have to look into, and see if the will stay up.

Blue- I've had hell doing things like adding weight pockets and still using a can light mount, or using the left side d ring attachment. it just simply does not all fit anchored to the backplate. I left the padding on purely for top side hikes, some of our dive spots necessitate throwing gear together at the engine and hiking a long way back to a bayou, a little bit of padding never goes amiss. It doesn't bother me in the water, so I left it.

 

[ajduplessis]

The cinch is great and I use if for single & double cylinders. I dive wet or dry depending on the requirements and the cinch work perfect for this. I would also suggest moving you weight onto a belt. I don't like to pocket at all and have never used them. I have my spg over my right shoulder, not left hip d-ring as per hog. Looking at my gauge takes less than a second, no un-clipping, no stages in the way and always visible to my buddy/team all the time.