Prism Topaz Bailout Bottle Connection To BC

Chett.L

Prism Topaz Bailout Bottle Connection To BC


Where is the best place or position to hang or sling a 30 or 40 or larger Bailout Bottle to the Prism Topaz BC, D-rings or other successful methods of carrying the Bailout Bottle while diving?

Chett L

jbpccr

We found the best solution is to switch to a GreyWolf B/P. The stock rig is a little "unstable" for attaching any heavy items. You could also look at Deep Sea Supply for their backplate and yoke combination which uses some of the stock components.

silent running

Hello Chett, you can carry BO from the stock d-rings, but it's a little awkward. After trying several different harness and back plate combinations, I settled on using a plastic harness plate from Deep Sea Supply with a web belt and the stock velcro tabs cut from the stock harness and sewed on to the upper shoulder slots to continue using the counterlungs as a weight baring part of the harness, just like stock. This makes don/doff even easier than stock since you now have 1 crotch strap and a web buckle to fasten, instead of a cumberbun, a fastex waist clip and 2 crotch straps to attach. Even better, you can now side mount your BO, which I found to be much more comfortable than slinging them from d-rings on the web shoulder hareness I tried before.

With the Golem sidemount kit, I couldn't really tell a difference between a 40 and an 80 while in the water, hard to imagine a more streamlined and comfortable set up... -Andy

jstovall

Hey Chett,

I have to agree with Andy. Trying to side mount or carrry a sling with the stock BC harness is awkward. only d ring is a small one on the CL. I didn't like to hang anything on there because it always seemed to pull and deform the CL a bit. I would definately try to mount a regular BP and harness system, and use any of the side mount systems out there. I use the Golem side mount and absolutely love it. I hardly even notice my side mounted tank. Used it for the entire week in Truk, slung an 80. Very streamlined, easy for penatration, easy don/doff in and out of water.
Look at deep sea supply's system and check out the compact plate design me and a buddy made, both are easy to adapt a BP harness system to. If you are not inclined to go side mount, then get some of the under the CL d-rings to sling a tank on. Weight would be on harness and not CL. Hope this helps.

James

silent running

Chett, I forgot to mention that my current system started with a "Stoval plate"-don't want to short change any of the others that worked on it, just don't know what else to call it! The SS Stoval plate is really great and is the main structual element that replaces the molded plastic stock plate which the head and cylinders attach to. It's simple, sturdier and smaller than the stock plastic plate and allows you to see all way around the bucket seals. And of course it allows for easy mounting of any standard harness plate, which then gives you the option of using the Golem side mount BO set up or a standard OC style hogrthian web shoulder harness and shoulder mounted d-rings for sling BO.

The cheapest way to improve your BO capability is to get some d-rings sewn into the underside of the CLs, which people have done. Considiering how uncomfortable I find having hard weights in the CL pockets is, I doubt it would be very comfortable...

Underwaterbear

I just finished setting up my "Stovall plate" last night and I have to say I was impressed. A quality bit of gear...and definitely I would recommend moving to a more serious harness or a backplate system than the stock rig in order to sling bigger bailout combos.

I just wanted to mention however that if you are only going to sling a 40 or smaller you can make up a loop of webbing with a SS ring or D-ring attached - it needs to be about 4-5" long - and thread it over the Fastex buckle that attaches the lung at your shoulder...this will hang forward and give you an upper attachment point for a sling tank. It's not great but it is a good start if you don't want to hack the harness to bits just yet.

Cheers
Andrew

PS the photo is what my rig looked like last night when I finished.

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DaveC

One of the challenges I had with mounting BO bottles to the Prism was the CLs are strong enough to carry an 80. At least I wouldn't want to carry one with attached just to the CL.

I tried the UCL d-rings - didn't like them because they dug into my shoulder. Lower then that, there were just not practical for me.

Tried side mount style, this worked pretty good and was my preferred when swimming and when moving around with mulitple 80's (3 or more).

But when it came to scootering the only way was to have the bottles all on one side, the left and then leash or nose clip the bottles of the hip d-ring also on the left. The d-rings used were the highland mills bent rings and they sat very well under the CLs and I was able to access them easily enough with either hand. This is the way I do it now and I've very happy with this method; it works for me.

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Dave

Any day in the water is better then any day in the office.

sunnyboy

As soon as I finished my training and got my Prism home, I started modifying it from stock BCD to a technical harness. I already had a Halcyon SS backplate and an Agir 38lb wing from my OC technical diving.

I bought the "Prism Adapter Plate", "Prism Alternate Counter Lung Yoke" and two "Plate Undercut D-Rings" (under the CL D-rings) from Deep Sea Supply. This allowed my to use my stock BP & wing with the Prism.

Later, I bought a stainless version of the plastic Prism backplate from a fellow Prism diver. This is a custom fabricated 100% copy of the plastic plate, but in SS.

With the under-the-counterlung D-rings and a stock hog harness, I am able to stow stage/bailout bottles exactly the same as when I was diving technical OC.

One benefit to the current rig - a stock Prism cover fits this unit perfectly. (Now if only I could get one - they've been on backorder "forever"!)

It's weight is such that I can ditch the weight belt. I did fabricate a lead channel weight that sits in the backplate channel, plus I need two additional 2lb weights, but now it's a very nicely balanced rig.

Cheers,

-S

BillGraham

We ended up making our own fiberglass backplates that were quite a bit longer than the stock Prism ones. Because we were open circuit sidemount divers first, we created two rings at the bottom of the backplate like a "Rennaker Plate", and then ran a bicycle tube through the middle of the backplate to go over the bailout bottle valves. This works out pretty well.

We also stitched a few extra D-rings on the counterlungs and harness to make it more diveable.

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Chett.L

Can someone pass me the web address or contack for James Stovall back plate.

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Chett. L