How to attach a bolt snap?

[Rich Keller]

problem with that is if he goes to tech diving he has a fixed connection point that can't be broken in an emergency....

From a commercial diving point of view we would not use line for this if something more secure could be done. The odds of the line being cut by accident are much greater then the odds that it would ever need to be cut. However in the case of a light it would be attached to the top of my helmet or taped to my wrist.

 

[gypsyjim]

From a commercial diving point of view we would not use line for this if something more secure could be done. The odds of the line being cut by accident are much greater then the odds that it would ever need to be cut. However in the case of a light it would be attached to the top of my helmet or taped to my wrist.

I listened to two divers arguing about just this thing. One was criticizing the other's use of a plastic zip tie instead of tying a knot in nylon line, because it would be harder to cut the zip tie quickly with his knife.

The diver with the zip tie said, "OK" and twisted the dive light quite hard, breaking the zip tie. He said, "lets see you do that with nylon line without using your cutting tool".....

I still use the nylon knot, myself, but I would certainly not be afraid to use a zip tie if that was what I had available at the time.

 

[rhwestfall]

^^^ +1

Zip ties have been working well for me for the last few years....

 

[Akimbo]

I find the whole argument over being able to break or cut ties way over blown. In over 50 years of diving that includes military, commercial, and some fairly advanced recreational diving I have never even considered a situation where breaking the tie would be a useful.

I suspect that this is an over-reaction to the accident that happened on the Doria involving what has become known as a suicide clip: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...12-actual-deaths-involving-suicide-clips.html



They can get an over-sized line caught in them that can be very difficult to get out and can latch onto them by dragging them across it. That isn’t an issue with a bolt snap.



Commercial divers tend to favor snap shackles, also called Spinnaker shackles, because they handle heavier loads and release very reliably with a lanyard attached to the pull-pin.



I had a suicide clip literally welded into a D-ring on my weight belt for decades before replacing it with a snap shackle a few years ago. Yes, it did catch once in a while and I would unhook it. Instead of attaching it to the belt so it could be cut, which would have been failure-prone with tools attached to it, the plan was to just dump the belt.

 

[tbone1004]

agreed, bolt snaps are easier to get undone than cave line, why I zip tie most bolt snaps on regulators, but on lights and stuff the line is a bit more permanent, but can still be cut if need be. Commercial diving is a completely different ball game, for that I'd absolutely want a shackle on there

 

[Akimbo]

… Commercial diving is a completely different ball game, for that I'd absolutely want a shackle on there

Just to be clear, I wasn’t suggesting snap shackles for very lightweight loads. I like to use trigger snaps for a lot of lightweight loads because they are easier to grab with gloves and are more compact… as long as you disable the swivel. They can come off when twisted the wrong way but that isn’t much of a problem for something that is already attached by a hose.



I often use butterfly clips because they are much easier to use with gloves than a bolt snap.

 

[tbone1004]

I was referring to shackles instead of bolt snaps or zip ties. I use butterfly clips most of the time as well especially for gloves, nothing I tend to carry is heavy or even mission critical that it stays with it's snap, that's what double enders are for

 

[Hatul]

I never liked the idea of heating the knot as there is too much risk of weakening the line. I use superglue on the knot.

As far as the elastic hose keepers, they're for attaching to a hose which cannot be lost like a light. They can come undone and you've lost your light.

Another idea used by some is to use a couple of zip ties to attach the snap bolt.

 

[gypsyjim]

I never liked the idea of heating the knot as there is too much risk of weakening the line. I use superglue on the knot.

As far as the elastic hose keepers, they're for attaching to a hose which cannot be lost like a light. They can come undone and you've lost your light.

Another idea used by some is to use a couple of zip ties to attach the snap bolt.

Not to be argumentative, but I really can not see how the minor bit of melted nylon bonding into the edge of a knot could weaken it even slightly, let enough to add any risk. I won't be the one to preach how others must do something, just observing how I do it myself, and why. We simply do not see the slightly melted knob on the end of the nylon cord as sufficient to prevent the cord un-knotting, when just a small area of melted nylon bonding to the knot itself can completely eliminate the risk of the knot untying.

As I mention above, I have been convinced myself that the zip tie is certainly a viable alternative as they are strong, do not untie, and can be broken, if that is required.

Attaching heavy, vital tools, etc that are used in commercial diving are an entirely different breed of animal than the original snap bolt question seemed to involve. On that I would have NO opinion, because I would have no personal knowledge on which to base any opinion.

 

[Rich Keller]

I never liked the idea of heating the knot as there is too much risk of weakening the line.

This needs to be done with a little care so you are melting the bitter end onto the knot rather then melting the knot itself. I unwind the bitter end so when it melts it is connected to the knot in multiple areas and you do not concentrate all the heat to one part of the knot. I have never found that this weakened the knot but in this case they are looking for a secure way to attach something that can easily be broken so that is not an issue in this case. Also any time you put a knot in a line you are reducing the safe working load of that line by as much as 65% depending on the type of knot you are using.