Plastic waist buckle for your hog rig?

[SCU5]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Just curious if any of you have used a plastic waist buckle for your hog harness? I travel a lot for diving and seems the plastic will be lighter and travel gently w/out clanging and banging into everything. Any thoughts?

Cheers!
Jim

 

[rjack321]

It will break, someday. Possibly being real inconvenience. That said I use one to hold my canister light because I have it already, have no other use for it, and breaking it wouldn't be a big deal (my light would stay on good enough). I'm surprised you care about noise in a suitcase.

 

[TSandM]

The only time I have had a buckle let go, it was plastic. It was my weight belt, and it was a very awkward and uncomfortable situation.

I would not use a plastic buckle for anything but securing my can light (and I don't use one for that). The weight advantage for travel is trivial. Leave out a T-shirt.

 

[sphillips3]

For your Hog rig metal is the way to go - if only to avoid getting comments from all the other folks on the boat <grin>

Seriously - I've heard too many first hand reports of plastic buckle failures in tech diving to go with anything else. When gearing up with the canister light, reel(s), stage and deco bottles there is just too much strain on that waist strap. Once you get in the water everything is fine but on the surface you're really hauling around a bunch of weight.

Like the others I use a plastic buckle to keep the canister light from sliding around. If you are worried about noise or scratching your stuff during transport, stuff the buckle into an old wet suit glove.

 

[SCU5]

Hey a few people from Seattle in here! I'm from Edmonds and dove the Underwater Park ages ago. Now living in Hong Kong for work. Point taken on the plastic buckle, will stick w/ the stainless! Is there a big DIR contingent around Puget Sound?

 

[TSandM]

Yes, we have a fairly good-sized DIR community here, and a couple of clubs. Plus, there has been quite a bit of spillover into the general diving community.

 

[Mitchell]

About the same weight as a few quarters nickels and dimes. over thinking.

 

[Standingbear56]

I've had several plastic buckles fail for me, usually at the worst time possible. Metal is the best way to go. Heck, I even make them a standard requirement for my PADI classes! :<)
Take Care,
George

 

[Scubastud16]

I use a plastic for securing my can light, but definitely not for the regular harness buckle.

 

[*Floater*]

I have several different buckles that vary quite a bit in weight (see pic). I use the heavy-duty SS buckle with my SS plate, the small, light steel buckle with my travel plate, the Bryden to hold my can light, and the plastic for backup or when I need an extra for something... (the weights in the pic are approximate since the scale I used wasn't ideal for measuring weights in this range)