Posted by tleemay on September 24, 2001 at 14:04:15:
In Reply to: ok... but can I just take your word for.. posted by amust on September 21, 2001 at 14:30:48:
We did something similar at a demo early last year. The test that day was very similar, only we
proved that a plastic BC clip would break if a
tank landed on it. A diver said that he had never
seen a plastic clip break "in all (his) years of
diving on party boats". We said, yes they do - but not frequently.
He said prove it, and we did with one 2 ft drop of
an alum 80 onto concrete. The clip once provided
the shoulder adjustment for a Oceanic BC, a fancy
tri-glide with clip receptical (quick in/out). If
that was a retractor type of gear clip, it's guts
would have been scrambled and jammed rendering the
mechanism useless.
You see, I know the tank band buckles are much
more solid than a BC clip, even the plastic ones.
Zeagle uses the best plastic clips, something Jim
Hoffman confirmed for me in one of our many gear
discussions. Too bad the Zeagle Ranger and Tech
BCs are expensive, convoluded, trim killing, air
trappers.
You really want to see a test? Take a plastic
buckle or cam and leave it in the freezer for a
day. Then take it out and apply the force of a
ball-pien hammer. It not only cracks, but break
apart in pieces. Try that with a SS buckle or cam.
ScubaPro's tank clamps are good though.
And to indirectly answer your e-mail;
Beretta 92 CL 9mm and a classy little SS Dan
Wesson 44 mag. Both will shame plastic or SS.
However, one Captain does have higher power available... but he don't do tests, just the real
thing.