WARNING! snowboard ratchets may be hazardous to your health

[Larry Horne]

Please check your ratchet release and make sure it will work when there's lots of pressure on the straps!
i just took the super-slick ratchet set-up out of my wb 'cause i realized that the buckles do not release when there is a lot of pressure. i tried 4 different buckles and they all had the same problem. this is a very bad thing!
i know some of you have addressed this issue in your outfitting, but if you have not..please just check it out.

i went back to 2" webbing with ladder locks. these buckles are very secure and release is fast and fail-safe. i connect both buckles to one "ripcord" so one pull releases both straps. not as much fun to enter though, i did kind of enjoy clicking in...

[kneeler]

I agree that snowboard ratchets can be dangerous.

I have stopped using them in my outfitting because they kept bending on me and would stick. Sometimes they will even rust slightly.

Now I swear by airplane style seatbelt buckles. I like having a clean break at the release point where there are no straps that need to feed through a buckle. Once you pull the release the buckle on an aiplane seatbelt, you are free.

[Marko]

HI


If some one knows where to get airplane buckless please let me know.

I would never trust Snowboard buckless either. I have snowboard buckless ofr tightening and normal use and velcro on the other end for quick release.


marko.....

[kneeler]

I have heard that the original VW Bug seatbelts are much like airplane seatbelts.

I did a quick web search and found some for around $25.

http://www.gotbelts.com/60nochlilela.html

They also market seatbelt extenders to overweight individuals that are embarassed to ask for seat-belt extensions from a stewardess. They are more expensive:

http://www.extend-it.com/orderext.htm

Discalimer: I have not purchased products from either of the above links.

[the great gonzo]

The main difference between tthe VW beetle and the airplane seat belts is weight.
The Beetle belts are steel, while the qairplane ones are aluminum.
I never used airplane belts, but I use a VW belt in my Prelude, and used to have the same belt in my Delirious.

One modification I made to help find the release while getting really worked in big hole that one should probably have avoided in the first place is to attach a short cord with a wooden grip (piece oa an old broomstick), this is much easier to find and pull on than the actual buckle.

martin

[Marko]

I tihnk my local carage should have Wv belts . good to know they are good.

Any problems with rusting ?

[the great gonzo]

So far I have had (in 2 years, no problems with rusting. I spray them once in a while withWD40, and I do, due to the distance , no surfing on saltwater.
Make sure that they are the 2-point vintage lap belts with the lift up release, the newer styles with the push button release are, in my opinion, much less safe for boating.

http://www2.cip1.com/PhotoGallery.asp?P ... 11%2D704RD

martin