Harness Buckle, Same As Weight Belt Buckle?

[divinh]

The harness buckle on my BP/W is made of aluminum and it's bending, causing the belt not to hold.

I'm in the middle of a trip, so hopefully can get an answer soon, as I can order a new buckle on Monday.

The LDS has a catalog of parts and all the buckles listed are for weight belts. Is this the same as the harness buckle? Or do I need to look elsewhere for a harness buckle?

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

It's the same.

 

[Mr. Sunday]

same same

 

[Zef]

Yes, your harness buckle is the same as a weightbelt buckle. Your harness is most probably 2-inch nylon webbing...your weight belt is most likely 2-inches nominally.

-Z

 

[JamesBon92007]

Some people like to have them going in opposite directions to avoid confusion when dropping your weight belt. I've never dropped my weight belt so I have them going the same way.

The toughest choice is: Plastic or Stainless Steel. I think both have advantages and disadvantages. I prefer SS for my weight belt and plastic for my harness.

Most of the time the weight belt is being supplied so I have no choice anyway.

 

[Zef]

Plastic, in my experience, tends to wear out and eventually slip when used for a weight belt, I would definitely recommend staying with metal for a weightbelt. For a BP harness it may work ok, but metal is usually recommended.

-Z

 

[KenGordon]

Buckles suit a particular thickness of webbing. If the webbing is too thin the buckle will not hold, if too thick it is difficult to close and open.

Mostly this doesn’t matter, but sometimes it does.

 

[Bent Benny]

I prefer SS for my weight belt and plastic for my harness.

What is your logic behind this? I'm always trying to learn better ways of doing things.

 

[JamesBon92007]

What is your logic behind this? I'm always trying to learn better ways of doing things.

Like Zef said, plastic can wear out or break so I prefer a stronger buckle for a weight belt. The plastic weighs a little less so I prefer it on my BP/W for traveling plus it doesn't really have any weight on it so I don't worry about it breaking. After having seen a plastic buckle break on a weight belt I swore to never use one again (on a weight belt). If there were no spares on hand it could ruin a dive. SS can break too (or come apart) but I think it's much less likely. Having been diving a long time I have several buckles to choose from so I just pick the best ones. When plastic buckles first became available the guys at the dive shop said they were better. I used one for years on my weight belt and never had a problem, but it only took one time to convince me. I admit that I carry a spare plastic buckle in my save-a-dive kit but it's fairly new and would be for an emergency. A stainless buckle would add a tiny bit more weight but would also show up on the x-ray machine so that's just one more thing they might pull me aside for. I've somehow managed to get through security the past several trips without having to open my carry-on luggage for them. Every little bit adds up. It also seems to be a bit easier to find the buckle when putting on my gear if my BP/W buckle is plastic--it seems less likely to tangle or twist or drop down when I'm putting on my tank. It has always been my goal to have everything ready, in it's place, easy to put on, and easy to find and get to while diving. With the old backpack style of tank harness it was extremely simple and easy and I'm constantly trying to re-achieve that simplicity. Besides that, some of my old stainless buckles are "vintage" so then there's the "cool" factor too.

 

[CT Sean]

Buckles suit a particular thickness of webbing. If the webbing is too thin the buckle will not hold, if too thick it is difficult to close and open.

Mostly this doesn’t matter, but sometimes it does.

My buckle didn't grip the harness very well when I first go it. A little convincing with a hammer and it clamps down nice and tight now.