A knot useful for making a quick-release loop. If used as a jury-rigged harness, be cautious. Release under high load may not be reliable. I may experiment with waxing the lines to see if the knot becomes easier to release or simply too loose. I've used 1/2" rope with this arrangement as a belt for towing sea kayaks, but DO NOT use this around moving water, whether rivers, surf or strong tidal currents, if you value your abdominal integrity. Mount fail-safe deck cleats or loops ahead of or behind your cockpit for those uses.

For convenience when tying, the throat of the bight in step 1 can be stitched together with sailmaker's twine to make a permanent becket.

A bulky stopper knot, e.g a Figure Eight knot, should be tied in the end to be pulled for release (the end shown in the center of the whole affair in step 5) to make it easier to grip.

Diagrams liberated from The Complete Book of Knots., the title of which is obviously apocryphal.

For a loop of about 35 inches, start with at least 5 feet of rope.