Crutch straps

doris

doris

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In all the threads we have had recently about MOBs and their recovery the strength or otherwise of crutch straps never seems to come up. My current set of integral life jackets/harnesses all have nylon/plastic clips to do up the crutch straps. V. convenient and comfortable if you put them on correctly. The question is.....when I am connected to a haliard and winched back on board will these little clips hold or do I slide out of my jacket into the briney? Is there any actual experience out there as I am about to ship in some new gear.

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Tricky issue really - I think that it's all a bit pot luck, that - and the danger of never being able to dress on the left again.

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Claymore
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I've just done a sea survival course today - where the vexed issue of crutch straps came up.

I'm not sure you really need one to stop you falling out of the LJ when being winched aboard.

1. An LJ with integral harness is pretty tight - I do not think mine would allow me to slip out.
2. Your supposed to try to get the MOB on board in a horizontal position with a sling under the legs to stop mob dying throught loss of blood pressure - so shouldn't slide out anyway.
3. Lots of retrieval methods - Jonbuoy, sail etc support the MOB horizontally.
etc etc
4. We were hauling people up and into the liferaft by grabbing the lifejacket and none even remotely came near to sliding off. Note - we were all wearing crutchless numbers (sorry couldn't resist that! - serious matter I know)

Our instructor did say however that a crutch strap was good for entering the water from a height - to stop the rapidly inflating jacket giving you a severe whack under the chin and then holding the jacket more firmly in place when actually floating.

Under those circumstances, I wouldn't imagine there's much load on it.

Hope that's helpful



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mmm I suspect you may well find that the crutch straps / harness will not stand up to the drag and weight (you may not weigh much but your clothes will wet) and break.. landing you back in the briny... I would recommend that you use a climbing / scaffholders harness.. these are made to stop a fall and some will even enabel the harness to be used as a bosuns chair too.. they are altogether stronger and better designed.

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I have posted this response in every thread I have seen regarding Lifejackets.

A couple of years ago I was involved in a comparison test on a group of Self Inflating Lifejackets. Two major things showed up.

1) A Lifejacket with a zip up stole is useless (failed to inflate correctly in 3 out of 4 tests).

2) A Lifejacket without crutch straps is worse than useless. You tend to fall out of them in the water.

As to whether the straps are strong enough to support you when being winched out I don't know. All I can say is that I always wear mine with the straps done up & so does my son.

Martin

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not relevant...

in a test i hoisted a crew member using a lifesling which is just a loose strap round the chest and under the arms. there was no tendency to slip out of it.

note that the inflated jacket is pullung upwards at several points around the belt hence the tendency to ride up in the water. when suspended from a single point in front of the chest the belt tightens and does not come off.

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The main advantage of crutch straps is to stop the thing riding up once you are in the water, not as you jump in.

If you attend a Sea Survival Course, you will be taught to hold the front of the bladder down, as you jump in, with an inflated jacket.

I would suggest that a jacket without straps is dangerous once you are in the water.

Martin

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Re: high pitched voice

By the way.. I wouldn't have a "crutch strap" rather have thigh straps, less damage caused to both male and female.
BrianJ

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Re: Test results

It wasn't in a mag it was for a sail training organisation that I belong to.

The best were the Baltic & the Crewsaver in that order. The Baltic definitely has it on the spray hood, if you use one. Although when I purchased on I went for the Crewsaver purely because it was easier to find Gas Cylinders Etc.

Martin

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Snap

coming from ordering LSA for ships, and having worked at a training centre, I reached the same conclusions. I have had a few "goes" at Crewsaver (who are a division of Cosalts, incidentally) on their yotti spray hood, because their professional kit has an excellent spray hood. They tell me they will be doing something about it - integral spray hood in collar - in due course.

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Got to have them

Following testing our crewsavers by stepping into the local swimming pool from a height of about 30cm without crutch straps I went out and bought four sets.

Quite disconcerting having your safety equipment trying to kill you by riding up over your head and blocking your viz and restricting your arms.

Yes you should hold it down on entry but you might not have time to "asume the position".

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Re: Crutch/Crotch straps

I always thought you put your armpit in a crutch and at the other end of your body was a crotch. Whatever, you need a decent harness to lift any one's body out of the water and most life jacket crotch straps are only to stop the thing going over your head. Spend the extra cash!

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