wire buckle quick release for backplate harness with crotchstrap

[dm9876]

I've long thought about better ways to fasten the backplate waist strap and crotch strap. The issue I see with the traditional approach is that if you want to ditch it quickly on the surface then the buckle on the waist strap catches the loop of the crotch strap and you either would need a second (quite tricky) action to free the loop over the buckle, or risk it getting hung up on your fins. On solution is to put the buckle on your left side of the crotch strap loop, which would mean the strap on your right side can slip of more easily out of the crotch strap loop but still the potential exists for it to become stuck.

I saw this old-school solution which seems pretty nice: (point of interest is at 13:29)


I've not seen these commercially available these days, though you can get that same style for a weight belt and could easily fabricate the connection for the crotch strap.

Trident Wire Weight Belt Buckle
http://vintagescuba.proboards.com/thread/3816/wire-weight-belt-buckle

I think the advantage is just one motion to completely free the harness, also another diver unfamiliar with your kit could do the same and not need to have any special knowledge about clearing the crotch strap after releasing the buckle.

Help me see any potential downsides compared to the standard backplate harness. I can see a couple. maybe you have less streamline / more bulky buckle at your stomach, is it a line entrapment issue? The same could be said about a standard buckle though it is maybe more out of the way around to your right side, instead of right on your stomach area ready to catch something.

Thoughts...

 

[Bob DBF]

From the shape and size of the female portion of the Trident buckle, it might have to be re-engineered so the crotch strap buckle would have room and slide off properly. Not something that should be too hard to fix since his original is drop dead simple.

I use that type buckle for my weight belt free diving, and have used it when SCUBA diving, and have had no issue with entrapment. The buckle end sets against the belt so any line would have a tendency to go over the buckle rather than wedge itself under. I normally use a pocket style weight belt on SCUBA because I change between different tanks often (and change weight) and I would have to DIY for that style buckle.


Bob

 

[RainPilot]

Poseidon makes this, I have it on my wife's rig, works well. Would be a bit fiddly with thick gloves but in warm water it's fine.
Gurtschloss für 50 mm Gurt Bleigurt Schrittgurt Harness Jacket Platform Poseidon | eBay

 

[Bob DBF]

Poseidon makes this, I have it on my wife's rig, works well. Would be a bit fiddly with thick gloves but in warm water it's fine.
Gurtschloss für 50 mm Gurt Bleigurt Schrittgurt Harness Jacket Platform Poseidon | eBay

I've never seen type of release before, it seems like an ingenious solution. Even with my aversion to plastic buckles, it would be interesting to try out.


Bob

 

[rhwestfall]

why not just use a QR buckle like is on the Transplate, the old DUI Delta, etc. that sits below the buckle? The modern non-ferrous buckles are quite more reliable than historically labeled, and if you aren't scootering (and even then, isn't is really loading the rear connection?)...they likely can do the job....

 

[Captain Swoop]

I like the ' Normal Air' at the end, it looks very military.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I've never seen type of release before, it seems like an ingenious solution. Even with my aversion to plastic buckles, it would be interesting to try out.

Bob

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bob
It's concept and basic design is that of a WW11 British Paratroop quick release buckle ( or at least I was told it was a WW11 British Paratroop quick release buckle )

It was used in the genesis of recreational diving in SoCal when we were searching the many WW11 Surplus stores for solutions to diving.

It has been many years -- but as I recall the British version required the user to push and slightly turn the buckle . It never really caught on and was discarded in favor of the double D ring release.

What is new is often OLD

SDM

 

[RainPilot]

This one has separate tabs to push to release individual straps. The twist ones tended to corrode shut etc quite easily.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Brandon
Have you ever seen or used a WW11 British Paratroop quick release buckle in UAE?
You certainly have a lot of titles under your name-- good for you!

SDM

 

[RainPilot]

Not in the UAE, when I was in the Air Force I used them for a variety of purposes. When we did water paralanding training we always had the buckles stick shut, was a real PITA. The plastic buckle from Poseidon is on my wife's rig.

The title is the best thing I've been called on this board, like @NetDoc title as well.