Crotch-straps not on all BC's=RIDICULOUS!

[Tortuga68]

Re: weight belts, try wearing it over the back of your crotch strap and under the front of it... easier to ditch but won't fall off accidentally

 

[TartanFrog]

As someone that used to jump out of airplanes I can handle the crotch strap with no problem. I would never consider going out of a plane without it!!! Not a good idea to see your chute harness going over your head when it deploys.

Now that I am doing scuba, yes a newbie, one of the frustrations I feel is that my BCD doesn't fit correctly and is always rising up to my chin. I am constantly having to pull it back down. I guess I have not quite figured out how to adjust the BCD to keep it from rising. One of the things I am strongly considering is a harness and wing. Primarily because the crotch strap will keep it from rising and i like not having stuff all over me.

It seems to me as a newbie that having integrated weights in the BCD gets around the weight belt issue with a crotch strap. If you can dump 10 - 20 lbs from the integrated weight pockets that should get you to the surface quick enough. Just a thought as a newb!!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Both quotes above explain a lot about misconceptions of gear. ZKY's people are always wondering where do I put the weight belt. O my god the crotch strap gets in the way of my weight belt. Does it go under or over? If over how do I ditch it? The fact is have any diver in the past 10 years had to ditch "their" weight belt? When I ware a weight belt it goes nice and neat UNDER my crotch strap. If I am useing my steel tanks I dont even ware a weight belt. Yes I said it I don't have ditchable weight.

My people?

I don't know where that's coming from, I don't have any issues with where to put my weightbelt.

My weightbelt goes on first and the crotch strap over. If the buckle comes undone then the crotch strap catches it, sort of a built in safety device. If I want the weight belt gone then I simply undo my waist buckle on my rig and the crotch strap falls away along with the weightbelt.

My philosophy is that ditching a weightbelt is an absolute last resort preceeding a blow and go. Any problems encountered while at depth need to be resolved and training needs to reflect this in my book. Even though I don't cave dive or wreck dive the same philosophy holds true for me, bailing is not an option, the problem needs to be worked through and resolved at depth.
However in the extremely unlikely event that my belt would need to be ditched I simply undo my waist strap and the belt buckle, one - two - both right hand release, and I'm gone.

On my vintage rig the weightbelt usually goes over the rig straps but that is because my vintage rig harness is a slightly different system than a stardard modern day setup, so it just works better over the top.

 

[drbill]

The only time I've ever felt the need for a crotch strap was with my BP/W. I dive a soft harness (ScubaPro X-Tek) and wing and don't have any problems with it shifting. Definitely have more problems with my BP/W doing that, which is why I rarely dive it. Of course in the decades before 1989, I used a backpack and tank.

 

[silvernotch]

My waist is the smallest part of my torso, so when I re snug the cummerbund after my initial decent it stays put. If you are more pear shaped I could see the need for a crotch strap to hold your tank in place when you are in a head down position as your shoulder straps do when you are in a head up position.

that's what I normally do, get down to depth then adjust the cummerbund. I just picked up a new BC so hopefully I can use this method with that one too

 

[fjpatrum]

The only big difficulty is dropping the weight belt! How are you supposed to do this with a crotch strap?

Just put it on over the crotch strap. Simple solution.
Aren't most people using jackets using integrated weights? (Serious question.)

To Knowone... Am I seeing your gear correctly? That looks like pruning shears for a line cutter, a knife, and (???) a folding spade/shovel? Is that what that is?

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

My people?

I don't know where that's coming from,

Well I guess I totally goofed that one and I am sorry instead of "ZKY's people are" should be something like:

In relation to ZKY's post it seems to me that people are ECT. ECT.

Sorry about that dude now I read it and wow thats not right.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Weightbelt under crotch strap for me. There is no issue in releasing it quickly, just one additional buckle to release:

1. Release waist strap buckle. Waist strap and crotch strap fall away neatly.
2. Relase weightbelt buckle. Drop weightbelt as per original instructions from the beginning of scuba/skin diving... i.e., only in an emergency, and if it is an emergency, without hesitation.

I've practiced.... it takes me 3 seconds to drop the weight belt if on top of the crotch strap, 5 seconds (or less) if under.

I feel the weightbelt is more secure (less likely to fall away if buckle accidently opened) when under the crotch strap, but this is just personal choice.

Best wishes.

 

[Tortuga68]

I feel the weightbelt is more secure (less likely to fall away if buckle accidently opened) when under the crotch strap

I pity those poor non-crotch strap divers that don't have this additional safeguard - I hope they manage not to kill themselves

 

[elan]

So after dealing with a rising/shifting BC for quite a while, it finally dawned on me that I could probably just add a crotch strap. I went to an LDS (Wiley's Scuba Locker) and bought one for about $10. PROBLEM SOLVED! I can't believe 2 things: 1) that I dealt with the rising/shifting BC for so long before doing something about it, and 2) that a crotch-strap isn't standard on all BC's. It probably would probably cost manufacturers something like $2 to add one of these and they make a HUGE difference. So anyway, If you have a BC without a crotch-strap ADD ONE...well worth your money.

I never had an issue with BCD or even BP/W with a single tank without a crotch strap. You issue could be caused by poor fitting BC.