Quote Originally Posted by iDiveChick View Post


What do you think?
One of the reasons for using a stainless backplate is to take weight from the waist and move it closer to your center of gravity. Same with weighted STA, heavy backplates, etc. Not so much an issue for warm water divers in thin suits, but a real issue for cold water divers.

The buckle is an abomination. Absolutely unlike anything else in the industry; if you ever got into trouble any diver coming across you would be wasting precious time trying to figure out how to release it. *Everyone* is trained to configure your realease so that a diver can come up behind you, reach around with the right hand, find and pull the release.

One of the beautiful things about diving with people with backplates, wings and Hogarthian systems is that I know their gear, they know mine. I know where everything is, how to get them out of it should the need arise.

Innovation for the sake of innovation, change for the sake of change is often a step sideways or backwards, and sometimes potentially dangerous.

This is one of those things that both divers in a buddy team would have to do drills on and re-train the brain and muscle memory.

Two thumbs down.