# Nato Strap For Diving?



## wilfmannion (Jul 26, 2008)

I will be going on holiday at the end of the month and am planning on wearing my Omega SMP. It is currently on a Nato strap which looks cool but I'm not sure how suitable it would be for swimming/diving etc. I have a number of leather straps, some of which claim to be water resistant (Hirsch Carbon for example) but how water resistant or suitable for diving etc is a standard Nato type?


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## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

always wear a nato when im off on my hols.....they dry in minutes mate.....i'd take a spare too.....

just give them (and your watch) a rinse at the end of the day, or if you can after you come out of the sea....


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

They are good, and safe too if you get a spring bar failure, the only thing is they do get longer when wet, so it will become loose when diving....


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

All our diving webbing got a shot of 3M Fabric protector. Might work for your bracelet.


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## Andy the Squirrel (Aug 16, 2009)

Nato straps are made of nylon, not sure fabric protector is going to be much use on that?


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

Andy the Squirrel said:


> Nato straps are made of nylon, not sure fabric protector is going to be much use on that?


Yep just like our webbing.


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## hippo (Jun 27, 2006)

jasonm said:


> so it will become loose when diving....


Hi everyone, just popped in for a quick look about after such a huge absence the above quote caught my eye! :shocking:


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## phil hill (Jul 8, 2010)

Hi, Where's the best place to get a nato strap?


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

phil hill said:


> Hi, Where's the best place to get a nato strap?


Our host. I just got his Bond regimental NATO (gray) and it's terrific. Nice tight weave, great buckle, superb color. Here's a taste...










BTW, I wouldn't recommend a plain NATO for diving or such, unless it has a superb buckle. If it should catch and come loose on something, bye-bye watch. A double-latching bracelet would be my choice, or a very sturdy rubber strap with big, secure buckle.


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## phil hill (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks. I'll have a look now.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2010)

There were some up on ebay a little while ago advertised as being made from the same material as yacht sails, and with a large velcro faster. Might be worth seeing if any of them are still being sold...


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## mattbeef (Jul 17, 2008)

I keep my holiday watch normally on an Omega clone style rubber. Works for me and more importantly sun cream washes off it easily


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## therooster (Jul 1, 2010)

I have lost and damaged a fair few watches over the years whilst diving, including one reasonably expensive timepiece :wallbash:

Do you also wear a dive computer or dive timer? As I only use my watch as a back up in the event of a dive timer failure I now wear it on a rubber strap under my wetsuit to keep it out of the way.

If I am swimming or drysuit diving I now tend to wear a cheap watch just in case......

Regards

Roy


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

It actually didn't occur to me until reading this thread today ... that a single-strap rubber diving strap (easily bought if you look around) would be a suitable replacement for the NATO while really diving. Just unthread it and rinse it off after the salt water jaunt, rinse the watch, and put it back on the NATO for land lubber wear.

If I was diving, I'd be sure to use heavy duty spring bars, and even oversized (length) so that they absolutely will NOT come off without a spring bar tool (or diagonal cutters!).


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## seadog1408 (Feb 12, 2007)

nato are fine for diving, i just dont like the dampness afterwards so use the bracelet.


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## therooster (Jul 1, 2010)

Couldn't agree more David, if I had upgraded my spring bars I would still have a very nice Citizen in my collections :wallbash:


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