BP/W users: Which side for waist buckle and why?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Just curious, but what side do you BP/W users have your waist buckle set up on and why?
How far to one side do you have it placed?
And last, if you use a crotch strap, do you have the buckle through the crotch strap loop or the non buckle side through the crotch strap loop?
And of course, why?


I've set it up a multitude of ways in the past and I see benefits and drawbacks of each way.
I'm just curious to see what other people do and their reasoning.

 

[DevonDiver]

Buckle on the left-side. This permits a canister light to be easily threaded onto the right-side waist strap - a consideration if you wish to retain the same configuration when progressing into technical/cave/wreck diving eventually.

My crotch strap sits on top of my buckle, which is central. This helps cover the buckle to prevent accidental opening and reduced the risk of entanglement hazard.

 

[ianr33]

Buckle on the left. Buckle goes through the crotch strap. (If you ever have to undo the buckle you don't lose the crotch strap)

Can light normally goes on the right. MUCH easier to take it on/off if the buckle is on the left.

 

[52brandon]

Buckle on the left-side. This permits a canister light to be easily threaded onto the right-side waist strap - a consideration if you wish to retain the same configuration when progressing into technical/cave/wreck diving eventually.

My crotch strap sits on top of my buckle, which is central. This helps cover the buckle to prevent accidental opening and reduced the risk of entanglement hazard.

unless you're a lefty

 

[rongoodman]

unless you're a lefty

Lefty or not, the can light is still going to be on the right side, not only to secure the long hose, but to be out of the way of stages or deco bottles, which implies the buckle will still be on the left strap.

 

[TSandM]

You know, my understanding is that the original prescription for the buckle to go through the crotch strap and end up on the right side, was that the buckle was being used to keep the canister in place. Nowadays, when most of us use a separate buckle to hold the canister in place, I'm not sure why the buckle needs to be on the left. It does mean that, if the buckle lets go, you still have the crotch strap to keep the rig in place . . . but in over a thousand dives, I've had my waist buckle come apart once, so I'm not sure that's enough to mandate a gear configuration. It would sure be easier to have the buckle on the left and feed the unencumbered strap through the loop -- but then again, that would put the knife sheath so far to the left that one might not be able to reach it with either hand.

 

[buddhasummer]

As others, I wear buckle on left waist strap, it secures my right side can light. My crotch strap sits over weight belt buckle, central, under/over has varying opinions.

 

[DevonDiver]

but in over a thousand dives, I've had my waist buckle come apart once, so I'm not sure that's enough to mandate a gear configuration.

Same for me, just twice. But both times it was when passing very small restrictions. It caused problems I'd rather not repeat.

the original prescription for the buckle to go through the crotch strap and end up on the right side, was that the buckle was being used to keep the canister in place

I tried that, but it didn't work well for me. The right strap becomes very short (unless you want to deal with lots of 'flapping' leftover) and the left strap becomes very long. It wasn't ideal, IMHO.

 

[WhiteSands]

I think another reason its important to have the buckle sit slightly to the right is for ease of donning.

If it were exactly in the middle the crotch strap would be in the way and it will be hard to open the buckle to feed in the right waist strap.

With buckle sitting slightly on right I tuck excess strap under the crotch strap and if its too long, under the sheath loop too. It doesn't flap around and everything's squared away. If buckle sits exactly centre you cannot tuck excess strap under crotch strap. And you do need excess for diving in different exposure suits.

 

[Rich Keller]

I am right handed so I have all buckles set up for left hand release except my weight belt so there is no confusion in an emergency that requires me to drop the belt.