johnnyg08 Posted May 14 Report Posted May 14 Here are some photos of me wearing the GD D3O This thing is super low profile and light! More details to come! I forgot to grab a photo of the harness...but I'll post more later. One of my favorite parts about this rig is that I normally remove the pec pads because I'm always having to readjust them b/c the get in the way...I didn't have to do that even one time. They stayed in place the entire game and were not a nuisance! 6
johnnyg08 Posted May 14 Author Report Posted May 14 Other things I need to talk about...there are loops on both sides (need photo) of the wrap around connectors that keep the strap from getting lost behind my back. I discovered that by accident when I was taking it off! The hooks are very simple, yet effective. The orange is a nice color combination, but in the dark, a lighter, contrasting color helps me locate where to clip my harness. Photo 2 has that coveted Douglas upgrade gap protector plate on each shoulder. The harness is unique. It never slipped and it was easy to adjust. (need photo) I haven't been hit yet...so either my time is coming or it's a ball repellant! 🙂 More to come! 2
bluetick48 Posted May 14 Report Posted May 14 @DerekGDS and his team at GD do it all……They hoe, pick, and plow deep! Thanks for turning out some slick slick slick new items! Changing up the game…. You know it, I know it and They know it! 3 1
MadMax Posted May 15 Report Posted May 15 6 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: One of my favorite parts about this rig is that I normally remove the pec pads because I'm always having to readjust them b/c the get in the way...I didn't have to do that even one time. They stayed in place the entire game and were not a nuisance! A number of my colleagues and other Umperials (members of U-E) favor the pec wings. @DerekGDS made certain to use an actual HDPE hard plate (“biscuit”), backed by Crosslink foam, and using a soft & highly effective hook-&-loop attachment. They’re the perfect, purposed shape and thickness to not be intrusive, yet be protective. I myself don’t use them because of my plate stance. 5 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: there are loops on both sides (need photo) of the wrap around connectors that keep the strap from getting lost behind my back. Strap-keeps. Very handy. 5 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: The hooks are very simple, yet effective. G-hooks. Unlike steel T-hooks, which come from the football equipment realm, G-hooks are aluminum, so they don’t rust (corrode). Since they don’t rust, they don’t develop a sharp edge, and when impacted, they don’t cut your (expensive) shirt. Also, since they’re so simple, and they’re not plastic, they won’t break like a side-release buckle (SRB). SRBs are very convenient… until they’re not… because one broke on an impact. Then it becomes a major headache to repair or replace. What’s really nifty is that a G-hook itself can replace a SRB! With all the benefits and longevity, at noticeably lower cost. In fact, I would argue that the All-Star Cobalt, with a near-effortless replacement of the SRBs by G-hooks, becomes a dramatically better and consistently fitting CP. If anyone wants to try this, and wants to know which G-hooks to order in and how to remove the SRBs, please contact me. 6 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: The orange is a nice color combination, but in the dark, a lighter, contrasting color helps me locate where to clip my harness. It has to be orange because that is the inherit color of the D3O foam itself. Other DX and CoreShield CP models will have contrasting color accents in these key locations, too. GDS was persuaded to do that contrasting color on the hook loops based on the TrailHawk trim package of select Jeep models. Once you see em, ya can’t miss em. 6 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: has that coveted Douglas upgrade gap protector plate on each shoulder. AKA ailette. Shoulder protection is typically comprised of 2-3 parts: the shoulder arch, the pauldron, and the ailette. The original Riddell Power and Douglas WestVest did not have ailettes, owing to the simplicity of the joint between arch and pauldron. However, once CPs started to use (weak) elastic splines to connect the pauldron to the arch, they would incorporate a shaped plate to protect that variable gap – an ailette. Often, other manufacturers would just use basic shapes, or repurposed shinguard parts, to be ailettes. GDS made sure to make a very purposeful shape of HDPE – which holds its curved shape longer. 7 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: The harness is unique. It never slipped and it was easy to adjust. (need photo) The harness is quite effective. Much better than anything the other manufacturers standard-equip their CPs with. 7 hours ago, johnnyg08 said: I haven't been hit yet...so either my time is coming or it's a ball repellant! 🙂 I can’t claim that. Today, in fact, I got smashed by a foul-off at 102mph (we checked TrackMan), that hit right at the chestplate–arch joint. Upon checking the bruise a few hours later, it is right over my collarbone. I felt the mass of the blow, but no pain. And obviously, the damage would have been catastrophic. Oh, and this was in 85° and some humidity. The DX Enduro wasn’t a labor to wear, at all. 7
DerekGDS Posted May 15 Report Posted May 15 22 hours ago, bluetick48 said: @DerekGDS and his team at GD do it all……They hoe, pick, and plow deep! Thanks for turning out some slick slick slick new items! Changing up the game…. You know it, I know it and They know it! I appreciate that but this community and the larger community in general have helped immensely in the direction, feedback and in many cases with product concepts. @wolfe_man was instrumental with design feedback on our earliest DX Mk1 and Apex project and donated a ton of time to help us iterate on the initial concepts. @MadMax has been a test dummy, provided design thoughts, feedback and the upcoming mask pad concept is his idea. @concertman1971 helped immensely field testing the DX Enduro D3O and Mirage 12. He is probably also responsible for most of the sales to SoCal for them. Everyone else who has chimed in with feedback and or helped with field testing including @Razzer, @tpatience, @spiffdawg7. Thank you. If I forgot you, my apologies but I appreciate you as well. 5 2
Go Navy Beat Army Posted May 21 Report Posted May 21 I'm just glad that everyone collaborated on a top-notch product. From comfort to fit and protection, this thing is SOLID. Others may be a ball repellant; mine is not. Took a foul ball. It was loud. Felt no pain. Deion said, "if you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good." While we may not do this for the money, there is a direct connection between our comfort/confidence level with our gear and our performance in a game. Thank you all for a great product! 1 1
slo8140 Posted May 21 Report Posted May 21 Got mine in the mail yesterday. Had a buddy wear one for a regional tournament last week. I love how it fits. Might be the only thing that gets me stop wearing my TW Gold. Now I have a very lightly used (like twice) cobalt for sale! Will try it out this coming week! 2
spiffdawg7 Posted May 21 Report Posted May 21 25 minutes ago, slo8140 said: Got mine in the mail yesterday. Had a buddy wear one for a regional tournament last week. I love how it fits. Might be the only thing that gets me stop wearing my TW Gold. Now I have a very lightly used (like twice) cobalt for sale! Will try it out this coming week! I put my TW Gold on the shelf for this season to wear the Davis. Man is it nice. I don't plan to go back. Took 92 off the chest the other day and was fine to continue right away. Slightly sore the next day(like very slight). But hard to not feel at least something with 92 to the chest. 4
johnnyg08 Posted May 23 Author Report Posted May 23 On 5/21/2025 at 12:26 PM, spiffdawg7 said: Took 92 off the chest the other day and was fine to continue right away. Slightly sore the next day(like very slight). But hard to not feel at least something with 92 to the chest. Right...and if you're simply a little sore...that's a nice trade for something that's light and low profile. 1
cgroom Posted May 23 Report Posted May 23 I'm four games into wearing this chest protector and its the real deal. All the little details matter. The harness doesn't get fouled up when putting my shirt on and the buckles are held in place even when they're not fastened. 3
mikeburnett298 Posted May 27 Report Posted May 27 I wear the L in my gold tw. Would it make sense to get the 14” version? How is the harness?
MadMax Posted May 27 Report Posted May 27 14 hours ago, mikeburnett298 said: I wear the L in my gold tw. Would it make sense to get the 14” version? This poses a question in response – Why are you wearing a sized Large CP? Do you have a large bodyframe (length and/or width)? Have you oversized so as to provide more inherit protection in the abdomen? Or, is this the “only size it was” when you acquired it? Please don’t feel singled out. The converse is true… I encounter plenty of umpires who get undersized CPs – especially Golds – so as to reduce the width and bulk. This shouldn’t be. A CP should be chosen so it fits (near) perfectly for your bodyframe and plate stance. The entire DX family has measurements all the same. The 12” and 14” sizes are vertical, and all DX models are extension-ready. While not included on the DX Enduro, the 3” extension is available – just contact @DerekGDS and he’ll inform you about getting one with the Enduro if/when ordered. 14 hours ago, mikeburnett298 said: How is the harness? The harness is good and effective. It wasn’t intended to supersede the UmpLife harness, but it’s better than Wilson, Force3, Champro, and Champion by a country mile. Despite my favoritism for the UmpLife, I currently use this standard Davis harness to great success. Haven’t needed to switch it out yet for my custom-made UmpLife harness… … because my MadMax harness is marooned in Phoenix in my storage locker, on my Schutt MaXV… 😡… 1 1
wolfe_man Posted May 27 Report Posted May 27 Has anyone put a video review on YouTube yet? If not, one of you could be the first!
Velho Posted May 27 Report Posted May 27 41 minutes ago, MadMax said: Please don’t feel singled out. The converse is true… I encounter plenty of umpires who get undersized CPs – especially Golds – so as to reduce the width and bulk. This shouldn’t be. A CP should be chosen so it fits (near) perfectly for your bodyframe and plate stance. How far down should it cover? I'm assuming at least the xiphoid process? (fine, "bottom of the sternum". I just get a kick out of that term).
wolfe_man Posted May 27 Report Posted May 27 41 minutes ago, Velho said: How far down should it cover? I'm assuming at least the xiphoid process? (fine, "bottom of the sternum". I just get a kick out of that term). I try to cover that last rib (mostly). The idea is to keep the hard ball from breaking a bone. Muscle & fat bruise and hurt, but at least they don't break from an impact. If we break a bone, it could put us out of commission for a long time. I am 5'10" and like at least a 13", but if I stand right in my stance I can get away with a 12". I was taught to measure from your collarbone (neck) down to your last rib and that's your magic number. As Max said, you can go less if you are in the right stance, but you had better be very consistent or you put yourself at risk going smaller. Most impacts to me, for whatever reason, are to my legs and forearms and then my shoulders. In almost 10 years of doing this, I think maybe 2 have bounced off the plate and caught me in the stomach... and maybe the same were cup shots. I think it's because my stance takes a lot of that away and I'm not as exposed there as a result. 4 1
concertman1971 Posted May 29 Report Posted May 29 On 5/27/2025 at 11:03 AM, wolfe_man said: Has anyone put a video review on YouTube yet? If not, one of you could be the first! UMMMMM I am a little disappointed you haven't seen this yet............ @DerekGDS neither approved or paid for this review 3
MadMax Posted May 29 Report Posted May 29 5 minutes ago, concertman1971 said: @DerekGDS neither approved or paid for this review “Review”? I thought it was a snuff film, or a bit from Jackass. 🤣 3
concertman1971 Posted May 29 Report Posted May 29 9 minutes ago, MadMax said: I thought it was a snuff film, or a bit from Jackass. A little of both!!! LOL
wolfe_man Posted May 29 Report Posted May 29 10 hours ago, concertman1971 said: UMMMMM I am a little disappointed you haven't seen this yet............ @DerekGDS neither approved or paid for this review I did see this one, my apologies. But you didn't give any details, just that it was GDS and not released to public yet. I want to see the treatment that people were giving "The Cobalt" a few years back. Unboxing, details, love stories... 2
johnnyg08 Posted May 31 Author Report Posted May 31 On 5/23/2025 at 11:54 AM, cgroom said: I'm four games into wearing this chest protector and its the real deal. All the little details matter. The harness doesn't get fouled up when putting my shirt on and the buckles are held in place even when they're not fastened. Seriously...you don't notice until you notice! 2
johnnyg08 Posted May 31 Author Report Posted May 31 On 5/27/2025 at 1:03 PM, wolfe_man said: Has anyone put a video review on YouTube yet? If not, one of you could be the first! I've got one in the works. Perhaps I'm second. 2
dumbdumb Posted May 31 Report Posted May 31 On 5/28/2025 at 8:34 PM, concertman1971 said: UMMMMM I am a little disappointed you haven't seen this yet............ @DerekGDS neither approved or paid for this review nice. in there with one of the old mitch kupcheck videos. just started thinking. were there any videos of someone using a baseball bat rather than a baseball. now whether or not they pull the punch with a bat, might be hard to tell with the chest protector or shin guards.
834k3r Posted June 2 Report Posted June 2 Got my D3O on Friday and unboxed it last night (I was out of town for The Son's travel ball tournament). First impressions: it's light, and it's flexible--it feels like I could roll it up to the space of a large yoga roll--but probably not possible because of the plates on it. The J-hooks are solid, and I love how the straps are secured in place (I hate having to hunt for the straps on my Cobalt). I am really looking forward to wearing it for my next plate assignment! Edit: They're G-Hooks. G. Hooks. Apologies to those I've offended. 🤣 3
834k3r Posted June 15 Report Posted June 15 Got to battle test my Enduro (finally!) today. It was fantastic. I didn’t feel like I was limited in any movements—like I have at times with my Cobalt. I wore it with the side straps snug, and it didn’t move at all. @DerekGDS, I may need to return it though. I didn’t get hit at all. In all seriousness, this is a fantastic CP and will be my gamer, relegating my Cobalt to an emergency backup or loaner. 3
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