suicide clips?

[ltb7733]

i was up in cave country this past weekend and noticed side mount divers with suicide clips on the harness and tanks. i thought those types of clips were a no no?

[Walter Pickel]

I use them on my SM bottles...Is this a DIR no-no of which you speak?

[skip]

When I set up my sidemount I talked with several others about their gear and several used the suicide clips and d-rings to mount the tanks. I too considered them a no-no, as well as using d-rings (hard mount, can't cut it loose). I never did get much more than a shrug from anyone I asked. I tried using the standard clip and found that reaching around and holding down the spring load and trying to clip it on was a real pain, whereas the suicide clip snaps right on no problem. Also, trying to remove the tanks wilth the standard clip was almost impossible! The suicide clip comes right off. I suspect there's a trade off here - if you get in trouble do you want a quick release of your tanks, or do you want to fight with them? If a line gets caught up in the clip it's fairly easy to unclip, and deal with cutting or un-entangling. I did dump the hard connection (d-ring), but then had to keep replacing the string connection cause it did not take long for it to chew through and drop the tank....guess it's all a trade-off.

-skip

[ltb7733]

iam not dir, but was taught way back when dinosaurs ruled the earth that those type of clips were not accecptable. being a wreck diver as well as caver and ow instr, i tell my students not to use them. why are they ok in caves?

[Walter Pickel]

I was being a smart ass...The bolt snaps are potentially more of a problem than suicide clips would be.

[Jay]

No suicide clips here. I don't find them acceptable.
I found large enough spring clips so I can hold my tank comfortably with one finger and unsnap them.

[Jordan]

Boat clips a.k.a. suicide clips are fine -- you people are a bunch of wussies. It's funny how people will believe anything they hear without reason. If you try them out, they are great!

Wreck diving vs Cave diving.... When cave diving I consider there to be a lot less chance of entanglement than when wreck diving (especially penetration). There is typically only one line nearby and you keep your eyes on it and it is usually underneath you. When wreck diving there can be mono line that you don't even see. Me, I still use boat clips when wreck diving.

Wussies.

[Tegg]

No suicide clips here. I don't find them acceptable.
I found large enough spring clips so I can hold my tank comfortably with one finger and unsnap them.

I found that when diving spring clips in caves with tight restrictions and lots of sand, that being able to work the clips was next to impossible.

I then switched to suicide clips and have never looked back.


Here is the way my suicide clips are used:

Harness Attachment Point --> Suicide Clip --> double bungee loop attachment --> cam band

I can remove the connection from the suicide clip to the tank with a quick sweep of the z-knife, if it comes to that.

Just the way I dive it, how others dive their rig is of no concern to me except when the entrance is on the other side of them from me...

[DiveTrain]

I haven't dove with suicide clips because of what I have heard. However, I have given them some thought lately because my spring clips are always catching and entagling line. The thumb button seems to reach out and grab the line more than anything on my harness. I'm sure most of it is me but if we are discussing entanglement issues with clips I can't imagine having more problems with a suicide clip.

Anyone else with similiar issues?

CJ

[skip]

iam not dir, but was taught way back when dinosaurs ruled the earth that those type of clips were not accecptable. being a wreck diver as well as caver and ow instr, i tell my students not to use them. why are they ok in caves?

also being a cave and wreck diver and ow instructor, i too tell students never to use suicide clips. but as a sidemount diver, i use them. why? cause it's easy. we can be and say one thing in one setting and be and say the opposite in another setting. certainly no one thinks that there is one and only one right way that applies in every situation....is there?

maybe i'll look for the bigger clips now that this thread has me thinking about it......

-skip