Posted by TDI Diver on October 19, 2001 at 10:05:56:
In Reply to: Re: OMS IQ Harness and 45# Bladder posted by Kendall Raine on October 19, 2001 at 08:53:00:
We sell both OMS and Halcyon products.
I dive everything that we sell before I sell it. Bottom line if it is in my opinion low or even medium quality I don't sell or recomend it.
I have used and sold a lot of OMS products, I agree with Kendall that the design of OMS product is different. But dissagree that the products do not function and just made to look technical They work just fine, there are just some design differencs some people like the features of the OMS IQ pack and their harness system some don't.
I dive and recommend a backplate and single piece harness with one D-rig on each shoulder and no plastic buckles. This basically leave few if any points of failure is very easy to adjust to fit etc.
I have never seen a qucik realese buckle fail on an OMS product, but that not to say that it could not or has not happened. I have seen the quick realese come open because they were not closed properly. Bottom line on this is if there not there you can't make that mistake.
Kendall brought up a few points regarding the IQ pack, some of which no longer apply to the re-designed pack. They were:
1. The use of quick releases
The quick releases are still there, some people like them some don't. They are used on this product because they are the only way to adjust the shoulder staps. Are they a point of failue/trouble; yes they could be.
2. The chest strap
Still there, but really of no use if the shoulder straps are adjusted properly. They can be removed and useally are. They do get in the way of direct access to most dry suit inflation valves.
3. The hard placement of d-rings
The IQ now comes with just one D-ring on each shoulder and it is removeable and can be adjustable, you can also if you wish put more on, but why.
4. The number of d-rings
Again the new pack come with one on each shoulder
5. The soft pack design
This has been changed, you can now add a backplate. Though this does improve stability it does not do so by much. Also the pockets cumberbund and velcro have been removed. You can buy them and put them on if you wish.
The bottom line is. We don't sell a lot of IQ packs, mainly because we try to sell more backplate and one peice harness to people who come in looking for a "tech" system and ask for IQ pack, the biggest issue with the IQ is stability. All of my "tech students" dive backplates and one peice harnesses as I do.
Sorry for being so long, but thats my two cents.
Be safe.
DW