PFD chest harness best practice

Chest harnesses are a familiar part of all whitewater rescue PFDs these days, allowing you to enter the water attached to a tether, or to help with bank belays.
Research by Loel Colins and Chris Onions at the University of Central Lancashire found that 25% of chest harness releases failed to release properly under low load.
Building on this research, we have designed two new buoyancy aid chest harness systems.
Watch this video to check your harness is set up properly.
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Onions, C,. & Colins, L. (2013). A review of quick release harness performance in water rescue. International Journal of Emergency Services. Volume 2, issue 2
Colins, L., & Onions, C. (2014). Improving the performance of the quick release rescue harness. Journal of Search and Rescue. Volume 1, issue 3

[@rogerpalin5864]

Hi Palm, I have a question on this new design. I’m guessing it’s only your new Palm harness that are secured in this way? When your video is titled Best Practice, does it actually mean “correct way to secure our new PFD’s and harness”? Watching/reading your video, it could be construed that all harnesses should be secured in this way. As your videos on your old harnesses show to not include the metal loop back buckle, is it not possible this video could be misleading?

[@palmequipment]

Thanks BigGuy. We know the transition to a new protocol or set of recommendations can lead to a little confusion with legacy stuff still out there. The 30 mm tail length is what makes threading the back bar every time possible with the new protocol, and with the old non-adjustable harnesses that depends entirely on whether you need adjustability in the fit of the PFD for different users, or wearing more layers underneath. The tail length advice is best practice, helping significantly with low flow release ... as recommended by Loel Collins ... but it is hard for people to implement on non-adjustable older harnesses as it involves some user judgment and compromise. The advice issued with our legacy products still stands (it has not been retracted) and remains a safe way to operate that product ... we hope that this explanation and clear visual demonstration of the new best practice helps you to make the best choices for yourself. The new UCLan and Piggyback adjustable chest harnesses are safer and more convenient than every before.