How Do I Attach Things?
Attaching bits of equipment is a bit of a compromise - on the one hand you want to make sure that you don't lose anything On the other you most certainly don't want bits of string dangling about the place and potentially entangling you or becoming caught on something.
A number of general ideas have been set out below and these should help you to decide how to attach things but this will largely depend on what you have bought and what you want to attach it to.
There are a wide variety of clips available, some of which are better than others. There are a number of things to look for when buying a clip:
Is it made of marine grade stainless steel? Brass clips are widely available but will corrode to a greater or lesser degree and seem to have the nasty habit of cutting the end of your finger due to their shape. Always buy metallic items from yacht chandlers or dive shops to be sure. Can it be easily operated with a gloved hand? "Screw top" carabinas, whilst not strictly suicide clips can prove to be difficult to open if properly wound down. Can it be attached without having to "physically" operate it? These are a bad idea and are nicknamed "suicide clips"; they may become accidentally hooked on something, which you may then find almost impossible to remove, particularly if on a drift dive or with larger rope diameters becoming jammed through the jaws. (Carabinas and butterfly clips are all suicide clips).
The better clips all look similar to what you would use on a dog lead. There are two types available; the first is called a bolt snap and the other a double ender (see figure 1). The most common bolt snap sizes are 7.5cm if it needs to be unobtrusive (eg on a regulator) or 9cm if not (eg on a reel). The 9cm clips are available in most dive shops; the 7.5cm are available from Underwater Explorers, Aquarius Diving and Aleutian Diving Products (probably the cheapest).
One of the most basic principles or "tenets" of using clips is to ensure that you do not use metal to metal clips or connections such as attaching a clip to a piece of equipment with a shackle. Imagine you are stuck on the bottom, with your favourite torch jammed solid beneath a piece of wreckage - you need to cut yourself free, but the attachments are all made of steel - the result probably doesn't bear thinking about! This is why you should always ensure that there is a link, which can be cut or broken.
Breakable connections are used on pieces of equipment, which are impossible to lose involuntarily, such as pressure gauges or regulators because they are also attached to the tank. If these items of equipment should become snagged, or if you should need to remove/detach a piece of equipment quickly, such as in an out of air scenario, then you simply snap the weak link. Using an O-ring is probably the most popular form of a breakable connection, but you need to be careful to make sure that it will break easily. Some O'rings can be surprisingly difficult to break so always test the type you intend using first
There are two methods available, the first is where a normal tank O-ring is fed through the eye of the clip and attached to a hose or other item using a small zip-tie/tie-wrap. (See Figure 2). The zip tie is the part which will break first so make sure that you use a small one (2mm width at most), this particualr type of O-ring is surprisingly difficult to break.
The second is where a larger narrow O'ring is fed around the hose, through the eye of the clip, and then back around the hose (see Figure 3). You will of course need to remove the gauge/regulator etc to fit this type of connection. Some people cut and use a thin slice of bycicle inner tube in the same manner.
These are used on pieces of equipment which would become lost if that particular clip were to break free, but it MUST still be possible to cut the weak link with your knife if you had to. Non breakable connections normally use cave line (typically 100kg breaking strength). There are at least two methods available:
These are prone to ageing and becoming brittle so must never be used except as part of a breakable connection or to secure a rope knot. If you use a zip-tie on its own to secure a clip to your reel, for example, then you will almost certainly lose it, if not sooner then certainly later!
These are a bad idea since you don't want bits of string or telephone cord dangling about the place and getting caught up, on the other hand you don't want to lose that treasured possession if you let go of it! If you must use one or more lanyards, minimise the number and lengths as far as is possible. Particular points worth considering include:
An alternative to fixing a lanyard to a backup torch, or certain other pieces of equipment, is to attach a bolt snap instead which can be used to attach it to your buoyancy compensator until it is needed. If you also wear a loop of bungee around the wrist, you can simply clip it to this when it is needed and you will be able to hold it or let go as required.
Never, ever, ever attach a lanyard to a reel and clip it to yourself whilst it is in use. By all means hang it off a D-ring with a bolt snap until you need to deploy a DSMB, but then hold it in your hand. It is far too easy for a boat to accidentally snag your line and drag you to the surface. If it is attached, it will take valuable seconds to find the clip and detach it; however, if it is in your hand, it is only too easy to let go. Some quick release buckles have also been known not to work if under pressure or load.
All too many divers have made uncontrolled ascents to the surface as the result of having a DSMB reel attached to them, particularly during, but also after deployment. Don't be another statistic!
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Deciding how to attach or carry something tends to be more of an after thought than a subject in its own right and rarely something considered before that essential piece of equipment is purchased, but it requires careful consideration. On one occasion, some years ago, before I became more enlightened, I became trapped; tied to the bottom of a boat ladder by a combination of torch lanyards, a SMB line and a buddy line…this could easily have had serious implications. A bit of thought and planning and this problem would have been avoided before it had occurred, so please treat this topic with the care it deserves! There is no and can be no set formula for attaching things, this section merely sets out a number of ideas and basic principles which you can apply to your own equipment. Above all:
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Diving can be a hazardous sport and the information contained within this site is not intended to replace formal training.
Furthermore no responsibility will be accepted for any accidents, injuries or financial disadvantage, howsoever caused.
Copyright © H Beasley 01 August 2001 All Rights Reserved
