Halcyon Cinch Quick-Adjust Harness

[dumpsterDiver]

Will you tell us exactly what you did?

I think I drilled one hole in the packplate and routed the metal piece through another existing hole in the plate for the other attachment point.

I used a rectangular SS "ring" with a 2 inch length that was left over from some old dive gear or something. The "ring" is not welded, so I open it up so that the two 1-inch segments that normally touch each other are parallel. The ring is now shaped likethe letter C.

I slide the two pieces through holes on the backplate. then I cut a piece of fuel line and slip it on one of the open legs and then pinch the ring back together. The fuel line funtions to give the ring strength so that it will not open up. The hose is just long enough to slip over both of the two prevously open up segments and makes it unlikely that the ring can be open back up by tension on the ring from the belt. I actually added the fuel line after I accidentally pulled too hard and had the ring open up. You could probably use two rings and make it much stronger. You just need to make a slot for the belt to slide through. You adjust the ring to be loose or tighter which affects how the belt slides through.

I take pride in going into the garage, fixing something with only the supplies I have on hand and without going to the hardware store. My gear shows it too.

I also took a picture of my removable, elastic crotch strap. A loop of strong bungi, gives just enough elasticity to allow me to adjust the crotch strap using a fastex clip. I can tighten it up and still bend over to access my fins without too much tension on the crotch. And the brass barrel clip allows me to remove the crotch strap instantly when I do not use it when diving with a thin wetsuit and when I put very little air in the wing.


The picture also shows the home made backplate pad made from an old wetsuit. I left out the homemade STA which was fashioned from some scrap PVC Pipe I recovered from the bottom of a pond.

 

[Guy Alcala]

My Halcyon 2' spg doesn't have any red units, I know 500 is the end zone. The new 2.5' spg by Halcyon has colored red units at the end. Doesn't the red become difficult to see at depth, and divers prefer the SPG units with all black units?

I want the larger one, because it's a little easier to grab with drygloves and 25% bigger numbers to see, yes I'm almost 40 years old... But I am not sure on the red units?

I don't think it would be a problem, because you've still got the white background in between the hashmarks and extending out from the center, although I'm slightly concerned about that blue circle at depth. Now, if it were a solid red arc like the one on my couple year old 2" XS Scuba SPG, it most definitely would be a problem. The needle disappears into the background at 700PSI or less, and even with a gauge reader for my left eye and using a light, unless I unclip it I have to guess at the reading in our often dim, greenish water. Above 700 PSI I just glance down at my hip and read the thing, saving me that much energy and time. One thing's for sure, when I get my next SPG there won't be any such red (or brown like OMS) arc on the dial. I see that the B&G SPG now being sold by XS Scuba is made by Highland, and lacks any such nonsense:

• Brass housing with glass face cover gives extreme durability
• Gauge face reads to 5000 psi
• Triple chrome-plated case
• Simple unobstructed dial for easy reading
• Viton o-rings for oxygen compatibility
• Available in psi or bar
• HP hoses available in 6” to 42” lengths (see page 93)
• Hose and gauge boot sold separately

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]PART NUMBER[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]DIAMETER[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]UNITS[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HL301[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]2.0"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]psi[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HL301M[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]51 mm[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]bar[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HL302[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]2.5"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]psi[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HL302M[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]64 mm[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]bar[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]HK303[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Airspool with Viton O-rings[/FONT]
It looks ideal to me.

Guy

 

[Blackwood]

Doesn't the red become difficult to see at depth...?

Yes. I have a ScubaPro (I think) branded SPG on one of my stage regs, and it's very difficult to read at depth when it's in the red. Does it matter? Not so much as I have a good idea how much longer it will last. Is it annoying and pointless? Absolutely.

 

[fweber]

I've been away from the board for a while. But, when I saw this yesterday, I really did think it was a bad joke. How on earth can this be considered DIR? I know Halcyon has made non-DIR compliant products in the past. The integrated pockets were always considered to be just that. But this? And to sell it as DIR?

Need adjustment for changing exposure protection? Place a couple silver paint pen marks on your webbing or use a little light colored nylon thread to stitch in your points. No problem, complications not need.

Have issues getting in and out of your kit? Most properly adjusted harnesses aren't that hard to get in and out of. Even easier 'in the water'. If you really do have a medical condition that prohibits limb flexibility, besides too fat to fit, there are other workable solutions..

Integrated weights? Are these really be sold as DIR now? They certainly weren't in the past. Do we really need to rehash the issues involved with these?

Entanglement points? How many more have been added with the sliders, pockets, etc. of this system?

How many potential failure points have been introduced?

This is a solution for a non-problem. The very sort of thing that DIR is supposed to avoid.

 

[rongoodman]

Having looked at the new harness, I don't think I need one. OTOH, there are no additional failure points or entanglement hazards that I can see, and Halcyon has been selling the ACB weighting system for years. If it makes life easier for some people or businesses, good for Halcyon.

 

[fweber]

Having looked at the new harness, I don't think I need one. OTOH, there are no additional failure points or entanglement hazards that I can see, and Halcyon has been selling the ACB weighting system for years. If it makes life easier for some people or businesses, good for Halcyon.

Ron,

Don't get me wrong. I've got nothing against Halcyon making a buck, or, them making diving easier and more comfortable for folks. What I do question is the DIR correstness of this particular product. This thread is in the DIR section of the Technical sub-forum.

Additional failure points that I can see:
The attachment of weight, can light and stage cylinders to a breakable plastic plate. I realize that the ancilary pieces are then encompassing the waist belt, but why bother? The only thing they are actually accomplishing, is to provide a larger radius behind the plate for the webbing to run over. You could open up your slots and either screw or weld on a small piece of half round stock to accomplish the same. The range of adjustment would only be limited by the location of your stage d-ring and how far forward you're willing to slide your can light during adjustment.

The weights, light and stages are now attached to a piece of webbing which is then stiched into a tunnel over the primary belt. Providing that many more edges to catch on things or grab a line.

The weight pockets themselves are an entanglement issue.

Dumpable weight on a DIR/Technical harness?

The addition of "bolt extenders" to your doubles to make up for the additional thickness of the plastic plate and it stand off's?

The additional triglides for attachment of the d-ring.

The fact that your can light is secured by a single screw behind the plate, that if it fails, releases the can light from the back side.

It looks like a great product. Just not very DIR.

 

[cagemaker]

Will the Cinch system work on non-Halcyon BPs with a slightly differene bend angle?

thanks,

cagemaker/fredfish

 

[Scott L]

Will the Cinch system work on non-Halcyon BPs with a slightly differene bend angle?

thanks,

cagemaker/fredfish

I am betting the ranch no.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I removed the weight stay from the right side of my harness years ago. I can adjust for different exposure suits and it's easy to get out of the harness. Problem solved, money saved.

 

[DocWong]

I know of no technical DIR divers wearing ditchable weight on their belts.

Having dived the rig a bunch, I've now removed the extra webbing for the can light and the left D-Ring that glides along the main one piece harness. I found that I never opened up the left side anyway, so I did away with the gliding D-ring.

On the right side I just removed all that and just attached my can light in the usual standard manner. When I loosen the right side shoulder straps, I just unbuckle the can light buckle, slide it down a bit to make room to open up the harness.

So there you have it. All of the advantages of the cinch system AND no extra complication.

Doc Wong

Ron,

Don't get me wrong. I've got nothing against Halcyon making a buck, or, them making diving easier and more comfortable for folks. What I do question is the DIR correstness of this particular product. This thread is in the DIR section of the Technical sub-forum.

Additional failure points that I can see:
The attachment of weight, can light and stage cylinders to a breakable plastic plate. I realize that the ancilary pieces are then encompassing the waist belt, but why bother? The only thing they are actually accomplishing, is to provide a larger radius behind the plate for the webbing to run over. You could open up your slots and either screw or weld on a small piece of half round stock to accomplish the same. The range of adjustment would only be limited by the location of your stage d-ring and how far forward you're willing to slide your can light during adjustment.

The weights, light and stages are now attached to a piece of webbing which is then stiched into a tunnel over the primary belt. Providing that many more edges to catch on things or grab a line.

The weight pockets themselves are an entanglement issue.

Dumpable weight on a DIR/Technical harness?

The addition of "bolt extenders" to your doubles to make up for the additional thickness of the plastic plate and it stand off's?

The additional triglides for attachment of the d-ring.

The fact that your can light is secured by a single screw behind the plate, that if it fails, releases the can light from the back side.

It looks like a great product. Just not very DIR.