Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Any experience with Swaro black floatation strap?

I came across a Swaro black floatation strap I'd never seen before. As an aside I find 4 different Swaro straps (I'm not including the harness) from online dealers:
--#49174 Deluxe Padded Neoprene @ $21.95 USD said to be more heavily padded than stock straps supplied with bins
--#354273A Black floatation strap described below @ $19.95 USD
--#614-0545A Lift carrying strap (shown on Swaro Optics web site) @ $48.95USD
--#49172 Orange Floatation strap ( " ) @ $49.95USD

The design is different from the orange floater. It looks rather like the standard supplied strap but with kapok life preserver like padding attached. That's a guess obviously.

Anyone have any experience with this puppy? Comfort? Durability?

Swarovski #354273A Black Floatation Strap

I heard from a Leica owner who said this Swaro strap looks just like his Leica floater. He said that the minimal padding is overwhelmed by the kapok which ends up transmitting every little bounce to the back of your neck. Obviously he does NOT recommend this style floatation strap. So I'm back looking at neoprene. Perhaps the 65mm x 15mm Vero Vellini orange #15015 or the big Swaro orange listed above. Dunno.....

Every Fujinon that I have bought came with a flotation strap. They do tend to be bouncy, but these were "marine" binoculars and probably a good deal if using them where they might fall overboard!

My Swaros came with less than floaty straps!

When I bought my Swaro's from Doug, the same time that you bought yours, I asked that they send me the widest strap they had to distribute the weight over a larger area of the back of my neck. I like the one they sent me. It's neoprene, with no bouncing that you describe.

Dennis,

It has taken all the restraint I can muster to not tease about the merits of a floatation device in the Arizona brush. LOL

Don,

You don't happen to have kept the packaging SKU reference for those? I really like my Vero Vellini 2.25" wide strap (a camera model and not a bino) but although it allows me to do a cross chest under arm bino carry it is really much too long. I also have developed spinal stenosis in my neck area.... Hence my query here.

I have several of the Vero Vellini straps and they are comfortable. First one I got was for my 7x50 Steiner's and it helped distribute the weight. Didn't have any bouncing effect. They make them in several widths.

Roy

Give a bino harness a try.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=2025

Not quite as flexible as a strap but I do like them and it keep them off your neck.

Pugs,

Appreciate the suggestion. Actually I have tried a harness before but found it too much of a hassle especially if also wearing an ultralight daypack with hydration bladder or with a couple water bottles. Were I to go that route it would be with short leashes that strap to the front of the daypack. But frankly my use of bins these days easily constitutes 95% without any hiking hydration support. I just don't get along well with harnesses.

Hey- when you buy a Fujinon Polaris binocular, it's gonna come with a floatation strap. Mine currently wears the harness that came with my 15x56 SLCs. And the float straps come in handy when you sit to close at Sea World and get "Shamued"

I carried the 8x30 Fuji's hundreds of miles with the stock neoprene strap. They ARE somewhat bouncy and make my neck sweat something fierce! If I carry anything bigger than an 8x30 I use either the harness or I carry it with a long enough strap to carry the binos across one should and under the off-side arm. I carried 10x50s for years this way and prefer it to something hanging around my neck.

hahahaha Dennis if it weren't for your comment about your Swaros coming with less than floaty straps, the context wouldn't have seemed that floaters were a priority / need for you in AZ. hehehehe You're a good sport!

Anyhow what you're describing in terms of across the chest under arm carry is what I achieve with a Vero Vellini V35522 Air cushion 55mm wide comfort strap. It doesn't allow shortening things up though when in the ready position around the neck. That's my one beef that I'm trying to resolve with perhaps a different strap. The floaters, with their heavier padding, looked to be candidates.... hence my thread.

I prefer a double-layer nylon web strap. It allows me to slide the binos up to my eyes and then slide them back under my arm when done. You get real used to it after a while! The stock Swaro strap is OK but not as good as a plain double-layer (the ones that seem hollow inside) strap.

Dennis

Bob,

Sorry, but I didn't keep it.
Maybe a call to Doug would provide the info.
But, I do like Vero Vellini products, and that might be a best route to go. I have three of their slings, and they are excellent.

Don