Reason for RH release waist buckle?

[stepfen]

I can't recall if it was during my OW or AOW but I was told that the reason for this is that in a rescue situation the rescuer hugs the victim from behind, with his (rescuer) arms below the victims armpits. He then uses his left hand to grab/hold the victim and to do things like inflate/deflate BCD, hold regulator in the victim's mouth etc as needed, while with the right hand the rescuer can release the weight belt and/or the waist belt (both are supposed to be right hand release) in case any of them needs to be released.This is possible only with right hand release.

I don't know if that is true - it kind of makes sense though. Keep in mind that I haven't done rescue yet and both my OW and AOW were done by humble rec instructors. Nothing tec or too advanced there.

Lot's of the people in here have much more experience than me hence they can confirm or reject this...

 

[rjack321]

Cannister lights not only have to come off to be charged but were historically much larger and heavier and needed to be ditchable in an emergency.

This ^^^
So you could remove and/or dump a very large 5lb negative SLA can light ballast that is on the right side away from the stages and holding the long hose too.

1st Bonus being right handed is more common
2nd Bonus if you are ditching a weight belt you will also need to undo the crotch strap or it will likely get entangled. So one hand can readily undo both buckles

 

[The Chairman]

The loop of my crotch strap is placed strategically over my buckle.

 

[lairdb]

I can't recall if it was during my OW or AOW but I was told that the reason for this is that in a rescue situation the rescuer hugs the victim from behind, with his (rescuer) arms below the victims armpits. He then uses his left hand to grab/hold the victim and to do things like inflate/deflate BCD, hold regulator in the victim's mouth etc as needed, while with the right hand the rescuer can release the weight belt and/or the waist belt (both are supposed to be right hand release) in case any of them needs to be released.This is possible only with right hand release.

Interesting angle. When I did OW we used a mix of horsecollars and the new jacket style; I distinctly remember that the jackets were closed with the same buckle style, but left hand release — the point was distinctly made that it was opposite to the weight belt on purpose.

 

[moose_grunt]

This ^^^
So you could remove and/or dump a very large 5lb negative SLA can light ballast that is on the right side away from the stages and holding the long hose too.

1st Bonus being right handed is more common
2nd Bonus if you are ditching a weight belt you will also need to undo the crotch strap or it will likely get entangled. So one hand can readily undo both buckles

Only 5 lbs? I got one of those 2x7ah SLA canisters that looks like a small trash can. I bet it weighs a standard crapton more than 5 lbs .


In all seriousness, can light goes on the right. When people were using those trash can-sized canisters, it had to go on the right to stay out of the way of stages on the left (also a convenient place to stow the long hose).

If you thread the buckle backwards, you can’t pass the can light mounting strap over the buckle. If it is loose enough to do that, then it will slide back over the buckle and be all over the place.

 

[NAM001]

I can't recall if it was during my OW or AOW but I was told that the reason for this is that in a rescue situation the rescuer hugs the victim from behind, with his (rescuer) arms below the victims armpits. He then uses his left hand to grab/hold the victim and to do things like inflate/deflate BCD, hold regulator in the victim's mouth etc as needed, while with the right hand the rescuer can release the weight belt and/or the waist belt (both are supposed to be right hand release) in case any of them needs to be released.This is possible only with right hand release.

I don't know if that is true - it kind of makes sense though. Keep in mind that I haven't done rescue yet and both my OW and AOW were done by humble rec instructors. Nothing tec or too advanced there.

Lot's of the people in here have much more experience than me hence they can confirm or reject this...

that could be true and as well the proceedure may have been created for what was standard at the time. chickern or the egg. I was taught that you are right handed so your harness is set up for right hand operation. in a rescue/ assist you would be facing the vic and his left handed bucklefor the weight belt would be a right handed operation for you.

 

[Zef]

I can't recall if it was during my OW or AOW but I was told that the reason for this is that in a rescue situation the rescuer hugs the victim from behind, with his (rescuer) arms below the victims armpits. He then uses his left hand to grab/hold the victim and to do things like inflate/deflate BCD, hold regulator in the victim's mouth etc as needed, while with the right hand the rescuer can release the weight belt and/or the waist belt (both are supposed to be right hand release) in case any of them needs to be released.This is possible only with right hand release.

I don't know if that is true - it kind of makes sense though. Keep in mind that I haven't done rescue yet and both my OW and AOW were done by humble rec instructors. Nothing tec or too advanced there.

Lot's of the people in here have much more experience than me hence they can confirm or reject this...

My training indicates the weight belt or pockets are released at the surface to establish and maintain positive buoyancy. Of course if the diver is weighted and/or their buoyancy compensator is compromised and mine is not enough to get us both moving upwards, then their belt/pockets will be removed at depth.

Other than a BC casualty that prevents moving a victim upwards in the water column where their exposure suit (if one is worn) becomes more buoyant, removing their weight at depth may make it difficult/impossible to control the ascent during the rescue and can lead to further injury that is best avoided.

At the surface, right hand/left release...if you can't figure it out then just cut the weight belt off the victim to ensure they are positively buoyant.

-Z

 

[Russjstewart]

Can I risk public ridicule and suggest that people are over thinking this. As a recruit many years ago and being taught how to correctly wear a uniform I was told that “male was always right” so the male end of a belt is fed from the right. A check of online style guides also says this. Maybe RHR came about because that is how most divers, who were men, put their belts on.

 

[lairdb]

Can I risk public ridicule and suggest that people are over thinking this. As a recruit many years ago and being taught how to correctly wear a uniform I was told that “male was always right” so the male end of a belt is fed from the right. A check of online style guides also says this. Maybe RHR came about because that is how most divers, who were men, put their belts on.

Agreed -- and I also think we've gotten a bit astray from my original question, which was whether there was a reason the harness buckle should not be in the same position on the waist, but positioned LHR. From the discussion, I'm concluding "no -- unless you want to thread accessories,e.g. canister, on the R side, which woudl be blocked by the buckle."

 

[abnfrog]

i was told /taught in the 70s , it was rh release because tank was a left hand release ,that made sense