Cave line vs ziptie

[rjack321]

Thanks for the responses. I guess my counter is:

Did you want the DIR answer and why or just to argue?

Of course, I'm addressing a non-tech diving environment, rather than caves and stuff. So far, I've not heard any reason why a rec diver or someone in a rec diving environment should avoid zipties.

DIR was intended to be scaleable to any environment. From 30ft reef bimbles to 300ft caves. Your zipties don't work reliably enough for serious diving.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

"This got me wondering about what the official tech and/or DIR diver party line is, on why use cave line for this instead of zipties.... I was wondering what the official party line is"

ND,

rjack gave you the 'official party line'. His answer to your question is that cave line prevents inadvertant failures. Zipties are prone to break when you don't want them to. Cave line doesn't.

It doesn't matter that retailers supply zip ties with recreational equipment.

Thats really all there is to it.

Best,

Doc

 

[NudeDiver]

You can rationalize whatever you want. The fact remains that a zip tie is a failure point. But for that matter so is the computer you are zip tieing your bolt snap to.

...for that matter, so is the diver all of this stuff is attached to. But thanks.

 

[NudeDiver]

Did you want the DIR answer and why or just to argue?

Gee, I didn't realize that trying to carry on a conversation and explore a topic amounts to arguing. With attitudes such as this, it's no wonder why so many people have a poor view of everything DIR.

 

[NudeDiver]

It doesn't matter that retailers supply zip ties with recreational equipment.

Well, I guess my question is, are people replacing the zipties on such inflators with cave line? Or are there special "DIR-compliant" inflators? If so, I missed those on the various lists of things I've seen.

 

[Meng_Tze]

On the other hand on some items being able to quickly twist off the zip tie might be nice. Examples are SPG, light head etc... If it gets entangled just quickly twist it off and break the zip tie. Failure of the bolt snap on your SPG will not cause you any real harm that I can think of but being able to quickly break it off in an emergency might be useful...

I would say that it actually the reverse. If you have your spg properly stowed, it poses a negligible risk of entanglement. But if it floats freely, it will probably snag something easily. Thus having a zip-tie, that can become brittle over time, could end you up in a situation where it breaks under water and leave you with a floating spg.

A zip-tie can break, cave line will not. Should you need to you can 'break' either connection equally easily by twisting or cutting.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Yeah what could possibly go wrong with a SPG dangling in your exploration line 10,000ft and hours of deco from the surface.

well, I know this guy..................

 

[rjack321]

Well, I guess my question is, are people replacing the zipties on such inflators with cave line? Or are there special "DIR-compliant" inflators? If so, I missed those on the various lists of things I've seen.

The zip ties (2) used to attach power inflators to the corrugated hose and to the wing elbow are not exposed to the twisting motions like SPGs, lightheads and backup lights have. Those zipties are holding a rubber hose onto a rigid plastic pipe. For awhile now Halcyon has experiemented with a bolted plastic band clamp instead, but it really doesn't eliminate the failure point completely (e.g. the hose can rip). The zipties with a peice of inner tube covering the sharpish ends is currently 'state of the art'.

But yes even those zipties can and do sometimes fail and that's why a "balanced rig" is required as well.

 

[rjack321]

well, I know this guy..................

I'm sorry

 

[Blackwood]

FWIW, my ScubaPro lp-inflator CAME with zipties, holding things together at the top and bottom.

Another likely holds the mouth piece on your regulator as well.

Well, I guess my question is, are people replacing the zipties on such inflators with cave line?

I'd be impressed to see someone tie a knot tight enough. One nice thing about zipties for that application is the ease of tightening consistently.