Buckle on belt with BP/W

[vshearer]

This may be a dumb question. I haven't been diving a BP/W long. All the information I see shows the buckle on fixed to the longer left belt being threaded thru the crotch strap loop to end up on the shorter right hand side belt over the right hip. It seems that if one needed to ditch the rig quickly the buckle would interfere with quickly coming back out through the loop. So why isn't it set up to allow the longer piece of belt webbing to actually thread through the crotch loop keeping the buckle from having to pass through?

 

[Rick Inman]

We regularly get out of our kits before we jump back into the Zodiac after a dive, and I can easily get out of mine in just a few seconds. If you really need to ditch your kit quickly due to an emergency, you would just cut it off anyway (or the rescuer would between rescue breaths).

The belt buckle through the crotch strap is really no issue.

 

[ucfdiver]

This may be a dumb question. I haven't been diving a BP/W long. All the information I see shows the buckle on fixed to the longer left belt being threaded thru the crotch strap loop to end up on the shorter right hand side belt over the right hip. It seems that if one needed to ditch the rig quickly the buckle would interfere with quickly coming back out through the loop. So why isn't it set up to allow the longer piece of belt webbing to actually thread through the crotch loop keeping the buckle from having to pass through?

If the buckle was near the crotch strap, it could easily come undone by the webbing sliding between the two pieces on the buckle. Also, the buckle holds the can light in place.

Remember, once you pull the buckle undone, the piece doesn't really have anything to snag on as it slides through the crotch strap. Not to mention, it's VERY rare that you'll want to ditch your gear.

 

[coldsmoke]

We regularly get out of our kits before we jump back into the Zodiac after a dive, and I can easily get out of mine in just a few seconds.

Wish it were the same putting it back on. Ask Ernie how much fun it was.

Hunter

 

[cool_hardware52]

This may be a dumb question. I haven't been diving a BP/W long. All the information I see shows the buckle on fixed to the longer left belt being threaded thru the crotch strap loop to end up on the shorter right hand side belt over the right hip. It seems that if one needed to ditch the rig quickly the buckle would interfere with quickly coming back out through the loop. So why isn't it set up to allow the longer piece of belt webbing to actually thread through the crotch loop keeping the buckle from having to pass through?

If your crotch strap is properly setup the loop at the front should be quite large, about twice the size of the belt buckle.

Open the buckle and the waist strap/ buckle should literally "fall" through the crotch strap.

Tobin

 

[Rick Inman]

Wish it were the same putting it back on. Ask Ernie how much fun it was.

Hunter

Yeah... done that (DM test). Ask Shaun and Allen.

 

[rjack321]

If the free webbing side on the right were long and the buckle side were short, the knife would be way over on the left or have to be threaded onto the right side everytime.

My waist strap is not that long. The buckle ends up just to the right of the crotch strap and the kife just to the left. I use a seperate buckle to hold my canister light so that doesn't come free when ditching the rig in the water. Which I need to do, since I dive from a ladder-less inflatable.

 

[vshearer]

If your crotch strap is properly setup the loop at the front should be quite large, about twice the size of the belt buckle.

Open the buckle and the waist strap/ buckle should literally "fall" through the crotch strap.

Tobin

This could be the problem. Might even be why they (DIR) indicate the scooter ring should remain on even if you don't use a scooter, to help it "drop" away. Thanks all.

I have had it give me some minor problems though. And if I did need to ditch I doubt I would want to wrestle with it. So I had to ask.

 

[djcheburashka]

My waist strap is not that long. The buckle ends up just to the right of the crotch strap and the kife just to the left. I use a seperate buckle to hold my canister light . . .

This is exactly what I do, and almost all of the hogarthian divers I know. I don't like the idea of using the primary waist buckle to hold the light in place because I wear different undergarments (and sometimes even a wet suit) depending on conditions, and the buckle position would have to be adjusted all the time. Plus it would interfere with ACB's, etc.

 

[cool_hardware52]

This could be the problem. Might even be why they (DIR) indicate the scooter ring should remain on even if you don't use a scooter, to help it "drop" away. Thanks all.

I have had it give me some minor problems though. And if I did need to ditch I doubt I would want to wrestle with it. So I had to ask.

The scooter ring has a function, but it really isn't necessary to make the buckle pass through the crotch strap.

It's the weight of the SS waist belt buckle that causes every thing to just fall open.

Try this: Just standing up, out of the water. Open the waist buckle pull out the right hand waist strap and let go. If the crotch strap loop is properly sized the waist buckle will drop down and through the crotch strap.

Having a little negative mass on the end of the crotch strap does make the in water ditch and don easier, as it helps to make sure the crotch strap is not trapped up between the diver and plate when donning the gear in the water.

Tobin