In reply to UKC Articles:
Thank you Steve for your video and your answer.
You gave a good explanation for the British way of using the belay plate.
All I pointed out was, that it is not the way the producers recommend. (Even if "Monk" seems to think so).
I understand the reasons of this way of belaying, especialy in your climbing enverionment and that this method is optimal for the second who wants to reverse a move or needs to be lowered (therefore is the guide modus with its "autolocking" uncomfortable). But essential for this method is, that you have enough holdingpower in your brakehand.
What about belaying two followers with halfropes? One needs slack the other is moving up. The ropemanagment seems to me quite challenging.
And what about belaying a real heavy second and catching his fall and holding him for a while? Can´t it become quite uncomfortable for the belayer holding the brake rope with a lot of drag? Okay, thats why you show how to tie of the rope, but is this realy a solution for the moment the rope gets loaded with the fall?
What I learned is, that the brakingforce of the tube is quite small when both ropes run parallel out of the tube. When belaying a leader from the ground I´m quite sure you teach, even when topropeing and no leadfall is to expect, that the brake hand has to be under the belayplate because of the necessary brakeforce. Why has this not to be observed when belaying your second from above? If 99,99 % of the British climbers do so (as metioned above from somebody) with out having any troble with it, why don´t the manufacutures react and recommend this method as proper usage?
Once again, thank you for your video and answer.