Correct bolt snap for Halcyon Scout?

[b1gcountry]

Avoid buying snaps at hardware stores for $3.50 as they likely dont have a stainless spring and will begin to stick almost immediatly.

Come on...if something is cheaper and works just as well, if not better, then go for it. Dive shops are incredibly overpriced for things like this, and there's no reason to just throw your money at them, expecially when they can't even tell you where it came from/what sort of spring it has.

Tom

 

[RJP]

Come on...if something is cheaper and works just as well, if not better, then go for it.

That's a pretty big IF sometimes. Fact is, a POS $2 bolt snap from the hardware store will NOT "work as well if not better" than one made of marine grade stainless with a stainless spring.

Dive shops are incredibly overpriced for things like this, and there's no reason to just throw your money at them, expecially when they can't even tell you where it came from/what sort of spring it has.

Tom

I agree, if the dive shop can't tell you where the bolt snap came from or what sort of spring it has you SHOULD buy the bolt snap somewhere else - like another dive shop or a marine supply store, where you can get one made from marine grade stainless steel with a stainless spring.

However, I don't recommend getting bolt snaps and the like from Home Depot/Lowes/ACE hardware as those products ARE inferior to marine grade versions and my experience is that they pit, stick, etc very quickly. Especially if used in saltwater.

My 2 cents - which is admittedly much less than the price difference between a good bolt snap and a crappy one.

 

[TSandM]

It depends on the hardware store. I have a bunch of boltsnaps I bought at our local store that have held up very well, but they really weren't much if any cheaper than the ones from the dive shop. I have others of uncertain provenance that have pitted and stuck quickly. I'm lazy, and buy them at the dive shop now, since I'm usually only buying one or two.

 

[Rainer]

The two SS snaps I got from HD (one) and Lowes (one) both locked up after a few dozen salt water dives. They did not have SS springs. I wouldn't buy these again. The ones I've gotten from Nix and TDL have all held up fine after hundreds of SW dives.

 

[b1gcountry]

That's a pretty big IF sometimes. Fact is, a POS $2 bolt snap from the hardware store will NOT "work as well if not better" than one made of marine grade stainless with a stainless spring.

However, I don't recommend getting bolt snaps and the like from Home Depot/Lowes/ACE hardware as those products ARE inferior to marine grade versions and my experience is that they pit, stick, etc very quickly. Especially if used in saltwater.

We're talking about Bolt Snaps here for crying out loud. I am not going to make an argument out of it. I will just say that I have Lowes snaps on my backup light, primary hose, can light, etc. My double enders are also Lowes specials, and my singles rig SPG is held on with a Brass snap from Home Depot.

After 125 dives last year, I have not had one snap stick on me. Most of that was from fresh water diving, with two trips to Seattle, and two to Bonaire as well.

Tom

 

[RJP]

We're talking about Bolt Snaps here for crying out loud. I am not going to make an argument out of it. I will just say...

I won't make an argument out of it either. I will just say that my experience is completely the opposite of yours. Working on a dive boat I see Lowes/Home Depot SS bolt snaps pit, jam, freeze closed, or fail stuck opened every weekend. I've seen divers lose - or unable to deploy - lights, reels, catch bags, spears, guns, cameras etc.

Last guy I saw lost a brand new spear gun. Funny thing is, he didn't seem too excited about the fact that he saved $2 on the bolt snap.

On the other hand, I've never once seen a marine grade bolt-snap fail to open or close.

But hey, it's just a bolt snap for crying outloud.



PS - I'll try to take a picture of the one-and-only Lowes bolt snap I ever personally used and post it later.

 

[RJP]

Come on! We're talking about Bolt Snaps here for crying out loud....if something is cheaper and works just as well, if not better, then go for it. Dive shops are incredibly overpriced for things like this...

Below is a picture of two different bolt snaps.

• The one on the left has been dragged all over the world on more than 300 saltwater dives over the last three years.

• The one on the right was brand new last month when it went on a three week trip to Truk where it was used on roughly half of 57 dives.

One of these was $5 at a dive shop. The other one was $2.50 at Lowes. Now admittedly, that is a 100% price difference so the person who claims they are over-priced at a dive shop might have a point. Either way, do you think you can guess which was $2.50 at Lowes and which was $5 at a dive shop?

I'll give you some hints: The one on the left went on ALL 57 dives in Truk as well; no that's not dried salt on the one on the right, but rather genuine corrosion/pitting; yes, the indentations on the inside of the hook on the one on the right are where the steel was actually worn away from rubbing on the d-ring; no, I didn't polish the one on the left for the picture; lastly, I didn't have to pay any extra for the one with the handy "locked open" feature.