Hawaiin Back Packs

[Bill McIntyre]

I don't know how many divers we have from Hawaii, but I guess this is the best forum for my question. This is a duplicate of a post on Spearboard, so please forgive the duplcation if you hang out at both places.

When I arrived in Hawaii in 1961, most local divers used a simple back pack like the one on the left below. It was love at first sight, so I got one too. Mine is a modification of a Sportways aluminum cam-pac, with the shoulder harness removed, aluminum straps riveted on in their place, and a weight belt attached for the waist. It was super simple to put on by yourself, as all you had to do was drop the shoulder straps over your shoulders and attach the waist belt. And of course it was just as easy to get out of in the water before climbing into the boat. BCs had not been invented at that time, and most of us wore Navy submarine escape vests, the kind that slipped over your head. There was an oral inflation tube to adjust bouyancy.

Later horseshoe BCs like the one in the other photo came along, and I started using them. Of course they had the wondrous addition of a power inflator attached to the regulator. The second pack with the BC attached is one made from scratch rather than being an adaptation of a standard pack.

I used this rig until I quit regularly scuba diving in 1992, and after that for the occasional anchor or fish recovery dive until I started carrying pony bottles to save space and weight in the boat.

I guess the horseshoe pack doesn't have any floatation in front of the diver, but I never found that to be a problem, even swimming on the surface. If I had a long way to go and it was rough, I'd simply roll out of the pack and put it under me so that I'd float nice and high.

Anyway, the point of all this is to ask if local divers still use these things in Hawaii, or have they all gone to the fancy new type BCs? Of course it seems that most locals have gone to freediving these days anyway, but do any of the remaining scuba divers use these things?

What brought this to mind was that last week I had occasion to try a friend's 80 cubic foot tank with modern wrap-around BC, and it was a pain in the ass for this ancient diver. There was a big swell, so I couldn't even get into the thing without someone to steady it for me while I tried to get my arms through the holes. Also, I felt a bit claustrophobic with all that stuff wrapped around me, and didn't feel like I could have gotten out of it very easily if I wanted to.

I suppose I could adjust with practice, but I just wondered if there were any old holdouts in the Islands using this archaic rig.

Thanks.

 

[Jon]

I remember divers using them in the Midwest when I started diving (1980). I started with a simple back pack and back mount bc (wing), but used a traditional webbing harness to strap it on- since they were much cheaper than the Hawaiian bak packs.

Today most of my friends use a simple back plate and wing- pretty similar to your horseshoe shaped bc.

Jon

 

[John A]

Bill,
Try the back plate/wing. You wont regret it. I use a Halcyon SS backplate with my Watergill retractable Bladder (from the at-pac) and I love it. I hate weight belts, so I also use a weighted single tank adapter so I only need a couple of pounds in my weight pockets.

I started using a back mounted bc/hard pac in '77 and have never used any other type since.

John

 

[Bill McIntyre]

John,

I'm afraid I'm totally out of touch with what is going on in the scuba world, so I don't even know what a wing and backplate is. All my diving is freedive spearfishing and off of my own boat or the boats of guys like me, so I never see this stuff.

In any event, I'm not interested in buying any new scuba gear. I just keep a couple of pony bottles aboard for retrieving fish hung up in kelp or anchors too deep for safe freediving, and if I had to use a larger tank, then I would just use the old Hawaiian packs that I already have.

I was simply curious about whether anyone was still using these old things.

 

[lizardland]

Hi Bill,

Vintage Scuba occasionally has them for sale www.vintagescubasupply.com

For info on what a backplate and wing are, have a look at either www.diveriteexpress.com or www.halcyon.net

Here in the UK is a guy called Woz who makes excellent stainless steel equipment and can make things to special order if you get stuck. www.kitfondle.co.uk

A backplate is just either a stainless steel or aluminium backpack with a webbing harness. SOme harnesses are quite fancy and complicated (and I think uncomfortable), the simple ones made from a single piece of webbing are best. These are designed for twin/double cylinders and normally you need to use an adaptor plate to fit a single tank. A wing is just what you call a horsecollar BC. I guess most people think of horsecollar BCs these days as meaning the over the head lifejacket style.

I hate wraparound BCDs too, I think they are incredibly uncomfortable, they put your buoyancy in the wrong place underwater. Their widespread use is a testament to the diving industry to sell expensive rubbish to their customers. I've always used the backpack/backplate style and only ever use a jacket BCD if I'm travelling and haven't brought my own equipment.

If you can't find a hawaiian backpack anywhere then the simple backplate option is extremely comfortable and streamlined and simple.

Cheers,

Stuart

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Stuart,

Thanks for bringing me up to date on terminology. I've been wondering what wings and backplates meant.

BTW, I know its confusing, but I used the term "horseshoe" for what you call a wing rather than "horsecollar." I too use "horsecollar for ones that go over your head.

[Ouote]If you can't find a hawaiian backpack anywhere then the simple backplate option is extremely comfortable and streamlined and simple.[/Quote]

I have the two shown in the photographs, so I don't think I'll have a need to find one again. I was simply trying to find out if they were still used by anyone.

 

[Frank O'Donnell]

I was simply curious about whether anyone was still using these old things.

Hey Bill,

Actually one of the local So. Calif. scuba message boards has a "gallery of backpack divers":

http://diver.net/backpack_divers

I see them occasionally on local boats, and know a couple of guys who use them. They seem to be favored by people who hunt lobster on scuba, as they find it easier to maneuver (and really thrash around at depth if necessary) than if they had a regular scuba kit on. When I dive on compressed air, I go with the backplate and wing mentioned by others.

Frank

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Hey Bill,

Actually one of the local So. Calif. scuba message boards has a "gallery of backpack divers":

http://diver.net/backpack_divers
Frank

Thanks Frank, but I don't see any Hawaiian packs in a quick scan of those photos. They all seemed to have straps. What differentiates the packs in my photos is that there are alumimum "shepherd crooks" for want of a better term in place of the shoulder straps. That made them so easy to get in and out of.

 

[Frank O'Donnell]

Thanks Frank, but I don't see any Hawaiian packs in a quick scan of those photos. They all seemed to have straps. What differentiates the packs in my photos is that there are alumimum "shepherd crooks" for want of a better term in place of the shoulder straps. That made them so easy to get in and out of.

Ah, you have me there -- I was just thinking backpacks in general. I can't say I can recall seeing any of the Hawaiian style.