One piece webbing - no clips.

[Finless]

Whilst pondering what wing to upgrade to next, I also considered the +/- of a one piece harness.

How easy are they to get out of in an emergency e.g. caught in fishing net around first stage and need to get out of the harness to turn around to be able to cut the net away. Is not a one piece harness a danger, especially if in a closed environment?

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]How easy are they to get out of in an emergency

Very

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Is not a one piece harness a danger

No

That's that answered

Seriously - there's tons of slack in a OPH if you need it. Pop the waist buckle, the waist falls apart, the crotch straps falls off, and you suddely have a meter-odd of webbing to get your arms through. It's child's play. When I'm in the pool, I frequently do a dekit-swim away-swim back-rekit, and frankly, I have more trouble with the long hose being in the way than I do the harness.

And if the worst comes to the worst, you take your hand cutting device from it's readily-available location on your waist strap, go snip-snip, and you're away, no problem.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Dominic @ Nov. 19 2003,12:01)]Seriously - there's tons of slack in a OPH if you need it. Pop the waist buckle, the waist falls apart, the crotch straps falls off, and you suddely have a meter-odd of webbing to get your arms through. It's child's play. When I'm in the pool, I frequently do a dekit-swim away-swim back-rekit, and frankly, I have more trouble with the long hose being in the way than I do the harness.

And if the worst comes to the worst, you take your hand cutting device from it's readily-available location on your waist strap, go snip-snip, and you're away, no problem.

Tks for the answer. Would you equate  getting out of a one piece harness under water as easy as as by popping the shoulder clips on a "standard" rig.

[Dominic]

Pretty much. It's certainly easier to get back into it afterwards as the loops are intact...

[Phil Ennis]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Finless @ Nov. 19 2003,12:32)]Tks for the answer. Would you equate  getting out of a one piece harness under water as easy as as by popping the shoulder clips on a "standard" rig.

<font color='#810541'>Yes, and you can't do it by accident. &nbsp;

[Mark Chase]

I think the above depends on the type of back plate being used and the condition of the webbing but this is just a guess.

I used a one piece harness and I couldn’t get in it unless it was way too loose in the water and I couldn’t get out of it if I had it as tight as I wanted it in the water. That said, undoing the waste band didn’t let any additional slack in to the shoulder straps on the one I used. The webbing was old and griped in the slots of the back plate. It is possible that the twin set clamped to the back was jamming the webbing in place but again this is just a guess.

Kevin Gurr tells a nice little story about nearly drowning a diver in an attempt to rescue him that was thwarted by said diver being in a one-piece harness.

That said

I use a CD harness and you have the option of releasing to running friction clips and adding 150mm to both shoulder straps to get in and out, or you can pop a quick release on the left strap. I use the friction grips set at max slack to get in the rig and the clip to get out on the boat. God forbid I had to take the rig off in the water I would just use the friction clips to increase the strap size.

I have done over 160 dives on this rig in two years with no clip failures using twin 12s and stages on at least 60 of those dives. I have simulated a failure whilst wearing twin 12s and two stages by popping the clip manually and the total effect on the dive was errrrrrr not a lot. The remaining shoulder strap (no quick release on right shoulder) and waste band was enough to finish the dive without major drama

If you dive an Inspiration you will find a rig totally dependant on quick release clips of minuscule proportions holding it all together. There are six of them I think. They do some pretty serious diving on the unit and I have never heard of clip failure being a problem.

As a result I am a tad cynical of the clip failure issue.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] undoing the waste band didn’t let any additional slack in to the shoulder straps on the one I used. The webbing was old and griped in the slots of the back plate. It is possible that the twin set clamped to the back was jamming the webbing in place but again this is just a guess.

You don't get the slack because webbing goes from the waist into the shoulder straps - you get it because the whole thing rides up. Shoulder straps in situ run from the top of the shoulder to your waist. When you aren't buckled in, they can run from just under your armpit to just above it, thereby giving you a big slack loop of webbing to get your arms thru..

[Mark Chase]

I am diving with Bob Cooper at some point innthe future so I will ask him to demonstrate.

All I can say is that I like my set to be fixed tight against my back. I hate it when it flops about. I defie any one to get out of my harnis when its done up ready to dive, without first undooing a clip or friction grip.

I have lernt that the down side of my perferance is there is not enough slack in the rig to allow the tanks to be pushed up for manual shut downs. To do this I have to first release the waste band. Ho Hum

ATB

Mark Chase

[Dominic]

Put a QR on the crotch strap then - I've seen it done

But with your current rig, set as tight as you like it, try this:

- Put it on

- Rest the bottom of the twins on a table or other platform

- Undo the waist strap and release the crotch strap.

- Slump down so the bottom of the rig is about halfway up your back

- See if you now have enough slack to get your arms out easily

That's basically how it works in the water and even at the surface - the inflated wing rides up and gives slack.

[Rupert Bear]

I think you try both ways and decide which way suits you. This is one on the areas of DIR where I think they are worrying about a non-issue and it makes no real difference to safety whether you use a buckle or not.
&nbsp;I have quite easily removed and replaced kit with buckles underwater and like the ease which which I can get it on and off by myself on the boat but if someone else prefers one piece I wouldn't say they were wrong either.
&nbsp;Why don't you try the one piece and if you don't like it you can always put in a buckle later but cutting the existing webbing and piecing it in?