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

[dumpsterDiver]

I wear the buckle on the left because I was taught right hand release for weightbelt and harness. When I wear a crotch strap, it is over the weightbelt. I want to be able to pop the harness waist strap off FAST, so I can ditch a weightbelt quickly and I therefore have the crotch strap loop over the tail of the waist strap; not over the buckle or behind the buckle.

Being able to pop out of my scuba rig quickly is important to me. I have a quick release fastex buckle on the loop of my crotch strap that allows me to adjust it and disconnect it, but I would prefer to not have to rely on finding a fastex clip in an emergency weightbelt ditch scenario.

I have no canister light.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Buckle on left side strap. Buckle goes through crotch strap and sits to right of it. I used to have the buckle in the middle in the crotch strap loop but noticed the pressure and rubbing of the webbing on the buckle wore on the crotch strap loop. Webbing on webbing lasts a lot longer.

 

[drbill]

Hmmm... these rigid configurations seem to leave little leeway for southpaws or for people like myself who always have a camera housing in their right hand. Despite that my buckle is on the left side too, but it is a bit more difficult to release with the camera in my right hand (especially since no one would accuse me of being ambidextrous).

 

[Nemrod]

My buckle is on the left side. However, once threaded they are to the right. I have it adjusted so that with no wetsuit (yes, I often dive without a Scuba Steve suit) it is fully to the right and then as my exposure gear gets thicker the buckle moves towards the enter but still remains off center to the right. The loose end of the strap can then tuck under the crotch strap loop to keep it from flapping. You can see that here:

I just rigged this plate finally after procrastinating for 9 months so I still can trim the free end back a little. Or, just leave it so if I eat a lot over the holidays it will still fit, dunno. My can light goes in a holster that slides onto my lower (Scubapro style) tank band, sorry. Can lights but for cave or wreck are essentially obsolete technology anyways. My knife, which is sharp and pointy (usually a SP dagger or Tekna dagger), goes in a holster on the left side. I have a line cutter also on my left shoulder strap. My knife is not along for the ride in this pic because this is inside the park and they do not want knives there, like it or not.

My spool and sausage and double ender tuck inside a XS Scuba weight pouch that is affixed to the lower plate end of my right shoulder strap, it rides out of the way and usually not even visible back near the wing. There are two quick dump XS weight pockets on each waist strap, pushed way back and secured behind the D-rings (I have a D ring on each side, sorry, not compliant yet again). There are also two XS weight pockets, one on each cam band for extra trim weight.

N

 

[Akimbo]

The buckle is on my right, but don't remember how it became a habit. I haven't used a cam buckle on a weightbelt since the mid-1970s.

My first weightbelt had double D-rings. I switched to a wire buckle for a while, then a cam buckle, and then to a pin-style used by commercial divers in the US Gulf in the 1970s. I have been using a Marseille buckle on a rubber belt now that I am a geezer and my butt disappeared.

Never needed and hate crotch straps.

 

[Peter_C]

Buckle on left side, passed through crotch strap, where it winds up on the right side. Can light (Which is needed here as a 1000 watt LED just won't cut through our bad vis but a 2000+ lumen can light will) goes on right side held on by an extra buckle. My cut off steak knife rides in a holster just to the left of the crotch strap, and my pressure gauge is attached to a d-ring on my left hip. Everything works well, and both of my plates are set up the exact same, so as I change from singles to doubles not much changes other than the tank configuration.

 

[divad]

I'm becoming dyslexic.

 

[j2s]

I have the buckle on the right side, pass it thru the crotch strap so it sits to my left (left side of the crotch strap loop).......I don't use canned lights ( DRIS 1K Shorty and UK 400 lumen L1's, on back of each hand )........I dive solo and carry a 'bail-out' AL40 under my right arm, so it's easier to get to the buckle w/either hand.......This not the 'norm' but works the best for my type of diving......

 

[Nemrod]

I have been using a Marseille buckle on a rubber belt now that I am a geezer and my butt disappeared.

Do not you just hate that when body parts go missing! You just forget where you left it?

N

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have been using a Marseille buckle on a rubber belt now that I am a geezer and my butt disappeared.

Ve ahr going to haff to get yoo into te gjym unt make you do sqvatts!

---------- Post added December 1st, 2013 at 11:15 PM ----------

I have my buckle on the left side and over to the left of the crotch strap so that the buckle doesn't hang up on the loop when I undo the waist strap, it just falls away. The extra tail goes under the left D-ring where the gauge is clipped off.
I thought of moving the buckle to the right side because then there wouldn't be any confusion as to which is the weightbelt and which is the waist strap, but I think I'll just stick with what I'm used to. I may move the buckle further right because I like the idea of the extra webbing tucking under the crotch strap. I don't know if trying to get the buckle through the loop will be too fiddly.
I keep a D-ring over on my right forward area for my game hook and to the right of that I have my dagger fish sticker for those big lings that won't calm down.
No Can light, it's just more crap that will tangle up on stuff or get in my way and piss me off. I think can lights are a waste of money. There are many great hand helds these days that are plenty bright for my needs.
I use one of those 1000 dris lights on a soft handle, I keep it clipped to my left shoulder D-ring when not in use. They work pretty good.