Quality Plastic Buckles? Want to Switch from SS to Something Lightweight

[The Chairman]

I've seen tons of divers, but very few broken plastic buckles. I have seen two bright and shiny SS buckles that looked good, but would not cinch properly. Both had a major manufacturer's label on them too and they would get loose without even any depth change. A moderate pull and they were slip sliding apart. At least with the plastic buckles, you can easily see when they're broken. Not so much with the SS. Complacency and laziness are the main culprit with gear that fails. If you're too broke to pay attention to your gear before, during and after the dive, then find another hobby! I will say at this point that I do love my shiny SS buckles on almost all my gear. It's not like I'm hiking the Appalachian trails and looking to cut every once. But then, I'm not afraid of a plastic buckle either. How can you lose with it costing only a dollar? Heck, buy a new one every year if that will meet your needs.

 

[divad]

I've seen tons of divers, but very few broken plastic buckles. I have seen two bright and shiny SS buckles that looked good, but would not cinch properly. Both had a major manufacturer's label on them too and they would get loose without even any depth change. A moderate pull and they were slip sliding apart. At least with the plastic buckles, you can easily see when they're broken. Not so much with the SS. Complacency and laziness are the main culprit with gear that fails. If you're too broke to pay attention to your gear before, during and after the dive, then find another hobby! I will say at this point that I do love my shiny SS buckles on almost all my gear. It's not like I'm hiking the Appalachian trails and looking to cut every once. But then, I'm not afraid of a plastic buckle either. How can you lose with it costing only a dollar? Heck, buy a new one every year if that will meet your needs.

You're like a trouble-maker or something. The metal ones are malleable, unlike the plastic ones, so are easy to adjust (bend) as necessary.

 

[The Chairman]

Maybe I'm the voice of reason...

Weight belts are one thing, but I've made an entire dive without my harness belt even on, just to see how it would work. No problem. There's just not that much pressure on the harness buckle like on a weight belt buckle. Come to think of it, my weight harness HAS a plastic quick release style buckle. Over the past ten years, I've had to sew the harness part, but the POS buckle has done just fine!

 

[rhwestfall]

If I was to consider one, it might be this one: XS Scuba Weight Accessories (top one), though there are numerous options here...

Truth be told, I think there are likely many other options in travel to shave weight besides a weight buckle.....

 

[lv2dive]

My personal preference is to "lose" weight from clothing and non-dive gear first. Although, I admit I travel with a SS (short) BP so I don't have to deal with the hassle of weights in tropical waters.

I also have a plastic buckle in both my local and my travel save-a-dive kit. Nice to have an extra when someone needs it!

 

[RJP]

My personal preference is to "lose" weight from clothing and non-dive gear first. Although, I admit I travel with a SS (short) BP so I don't have to deal with the hassle of weights in tropical waters.

Same here. I bring a SS plate AND a weighted STA. Deodorant? Toothpaste? That s**t is heavy!

 

[divad]

Maybe I'm the voice of reason...

Or the voice of treason.:burnout:

 

[S R]

Save weight and money by drilling-out your existing SS buckle. Just put the holes out towards the end of the handle not in close to the point of pivot. . . Might work and might save the same weight.


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[The Chairman]

Or the voice of treason.:burnout:

I kinda like that!

 

[Akimbo]

I am usually the first to deride plastic parts on dive gear but one of these was attached to something else I ordered.

XS Scuba Weight Accessories

The design is really quite good but the key is glass filled Nylon. Most of the really crap buckles are molded from ABS and are not glass filled. I would bet on this one over any other I have seen on the market.