Wanted -Your opinion of diver friend's QR

[Battery]

I am still very inexperienced but to me it looks as if a buckle like that could break of an arm really quickly would scary to have.

I use similar buckles for securing hot tub covers down; apply a little pressure and snap.

What if he had to swim belly up and all the weight from his belt was pulling on it?

 

[kidspot]

hmm - twice I've had my weight belt come off accidentaly and fortunately get caught in the crotch strap - I don't think I'd want to make it even easier to happen... That buckle looks like a great idea for when you're on the land, but not underwater ... Is there another solution for your friend that might work better for him with the trouble he is having?

Basically regular weight belt buckles are "Q.R." style, it's just one that's less likely to be accidentally "activated" Anything that bumps those tabs on this type (top or bottom) will likely cause the weight to release. I have those plastic Q.R. on my backpack gear and while they are quite tough, it doesn't take much of a bump to get it to release, not a big deal on land... just pick it up and put it back on again... under water might be a different story. Hope your friend finds a good solution...

 

[markfm]

Not to say good or bad, but if anyone has an Aeris Reefrider (I do), that is precisely the QR mechanism. The two ditchable pouches each use one of those, so if you're vertical and pinch the mechanism, a flap opens at the bottom of the pocket and the wight drops down.
I've used that kind of mechanism in hiking gear for years without any failure issues. That's going on at the waist, a "protected" region, torso.
The downside on a belt is getting it snug -- my opinion only, but I get a better mechanical advantage with a cam. (weights don't do much good if the belt slides down your butt and off your legs
Same release (QR) on my tank weight, for that matter...

 

[Rick Murchison]

In the first place, a standard buckle is a QR. So he's just traded one for another.
(1) With the standard buckle, it's fairly easy to accidentally hang the buckle with a line or piece of gear or even a hand and release it; I see that happen several times a year to someone diving where I happen to be diving (I see a lot of divers, and a whole lot of new divers). The type of QR pictured is much less susceptable to accidental release. I may see that once a year on average, during training, from someone groping for the shoulder strap adjustment during the BC off/on drill. So my observation is that it would be less likely to result in an unintentionally lost weightbelt than the standard buckle. The downside is that it is a little harder to release than the standard buckle.
(2) The standard buckle is much stronger than the QR pictured as far as linear force-to-failure is concerned, but there is no way enough of that kind of force could be applied accidentally without the diver noticing it.
(3) The use of a non-standard weightbelt release could hinder a rescuer looking for a standard "right-hand release."
Bottom line - I wouldn't use that kind of buckle on a weight belt for reason #3, but the buckle itself is strong enough and reliable enough to make those issues non-players in the decision-making process.
Rick

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I use this type of buckle on my tool belt at work every day. I wear this belt loaded with tools when I am working 30 feet over peoples heads. I work from ladders and lifts, and the risk of 15 pounds of hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers falling onto an unsuspecting worker presents a greater hazard than a weight belt underwater. This type of buckle has proven itself to be durable and reliable. I lean over handrailings with the buckle directly on the metal and don't give it a second thought.

I had one buckle fail, one of the arms broke off, the other held the belt on for the rest of the day before I noticed. I agree with Rick in his earlier post, the buckle is strong and secure, the only downside is the ability for another diver to recognize this buckle as the weight release buckle. This could possibly be addressed by the color of the weight belt material, if all of the webbing on the divers BC was black, but the weight belt webbing was yellow then even though this was a non standard buckle the color of the webbing would bring a rescuer right to the proper buckle.

In my basic certification we were taught that the BC wasit belt should have the standard style buckle from the right and the weight belt should have the same style buckle from the left. I now dive a backplate and most backplate users that I know rig the waist belt on the plate with the buckle from the left. This could serve to confuse a rescuer, but I don't hear a large cry for this to change. My weight belt is one of the canvas pouch designs, the pouches are bright yellow but the webbing is black. I have a standard (SCUBA) style buckle on the belt because it is more adjustable in a diving environment. As my wetsuit compresses I can tighten it underwater, this is more trouble with the other type.

Mark Vlahos

 

[markfm]

Neat thought about a color other than black for the release -- a red paint stick would make it more obvious.

That's why buddy checks are so important -- learn what each other is using. Where I am, I haven't seen a normal weight belt anywhere other than the class -- everyone has some variant of weight-integrated BCs, and there are several different releases. Similar for air sharing -- if you need my air, it's the primary, since I have a Shadow+ octo. (Then again, as a newbie, racehorse at the Derby class air sucker, it'll be some time before anyone is likely to need air from me, short of a drastic mechanical failure.)

 

[gjmmotors]

So what does the guy say are his actual problems?

Most if not all people are trained on and many continue to use the standard weight belt. It just doesent seem broke to me.
-gm

 

[Gary D.]

Hi Gary!! Workin the lake this weekend? I'll be at Sanders diving Monday.

As to the QR, it's the cheap plastic job as pictured above.

I don't like those buckles for a weight belt. Have him get a good SS buckle with enough tail to pull it tight.

Half of the team is off but with fresh batteries in the pagers, polished light bars and full tanks of gas. Being #1 in the pecking order I'm off

No crime scene stuff for us over the weekend.

What time Monday?

Gary D.

 

[Rick Inman]

What time Monday?

Gary D.

10:am arrive, set up beach chairs, cooler, wife, make a dive. Then eat, sit, kiss wife, make a second dive. Then drink cold drinks, talk story, go home.

Just me, Priscilla and 2-3 other divers.

Please come dive, sit, say hello, anything.

Or, come pretend to arrest me, 'cause the other divers don't know I know the fuzz.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I am also interested in what the specific problem with a normal weight belt is.

Myself, I had trouble with a normal weight belt. I'm bigger thatn the average diver and thus need more weight and... well... my figure doesn't suit itself to a weightbelt. When doing my drysuit class I kept having the belt end up around my knees. My solution was to get a DUI weight and trim. A bit more expensive than a typical weight belt, but it won't be sliding off.