Anyone Wet the Line Before Tying a Bolt Snap?

[lowviz]

Nylon is favored for reels as it has just the right amount of stretch to keep knots and tie-offs in place. As @CT Sean described, be aggressive in finishing your knots.

And yes, I agree, burn the ends into 'mushrooms'.

 

[certainmisuse]

For the record, I have been burning them down, but I probably didn't go tight enough on the first couple. That said, the version that was wet first feels more solid. Something to consider until proven inferior.

 

[Yellowdog]

Works well for me:

 

[Nomad-Diver]

For what it's worth, I also add a loose cable tie "safety net" for anything that would disappear if the knot failed (such as backup torches tied to a bolt snap). No point doing this on 'connected' items like reg hoses or canister light heads.

 

[Ayisha]

@certainmisuse, in the video above, Achim says that the melting doesn't work with wet line. Something to wait and see, I guess...

You could tie it tight while it's wet and then wait till it's dry to melt it. Just a thought.

 

[Ed Shoemaker]

You can also use a soldering iron to melt the ends. This allows you to mushroom them up and melt a bit of the knot itself onto itself (though not too much or its integrity could be compromised). I also like the superglue idea.

 

[stuartv]

I use these, for stuff that is attached and won't get lost if the bolt snap comes off. E.g. primary regulator.

Hose Clip Retainer

However, I have not had one come loose yet.

I used to use cave line, but after I lost a light because the lanyard hole had a sharp edge and cut through the cave line, I now use 2 zip ties to attach bolt snaps to light. One a little looser than the other.

Also, there is a relevant tidbit in here:

Basic Care and Maintenance for Your Guideline Reel | Dive Gear Express®

Basically, cave line swells a bit (and I think relaxes/gets longer) when it gets wet. That is why this tek tip says to pull the line off a new reel into a bucket of water, then reel it up while wet. Personally, I have a reel where I did not do this and after it got wet it did swell enough to warp the side plates of the reel. They warped enough to rub against the frame and not let the reel turn freely. Fortunately, I pulled the line off and the side plates relaxed. I put the line in water and reeled it back up and the reel has been fine since.

So, if you want your bolt snap tie to be tight, I do think soaking the line first is a good way to have it be really tight when you're done. Do your tie, let it dry, then burn the ends or superglue it or whatever you want.

 

[JohnnyC]

Cave line. Tie it tight dry, melt the ends. Never had a problem with any of them.

 

[guruboy]

I’m surprised no one has asked you to quantify what you mean by “loose” yet.

Are you expecting bolt snaps to remain in any position you put them in?

Are you observing an obvious gap form between bolt snap and the body?