crotch strap location

[Jbell8289]

Hey everyone, i just got a new basic harness from dive rite, (hog harness) and i have a few questions about the crotch strap. I got the 2'' one the dr sells and it has a loop on one end and a free end with weight keeper and d-ring i know how to install it but my question is what side of the waist buckle do you put the crotch strap, or does it matter.
I originally had the crotch strap on the left waist strap then the waist buckle weaved on after it. The problem i see with this is that you have to step into the crotch strap before you put the harness on, and with tanks on that seems hard. is it possible to put the waist buckle on the far left and then have the crotch strap on the right side that way when you undo the waist buckle the crotch strap falls free. Are there any dangers associated with this that i need to be aware of?

thanks as always

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hey everyone, i just got a new basic harness from dive rite, (hog harness) and i have a few questions about the crotch strap. I got the 2'' one the dr sells and it has a loop on one end and a free end with weight keeper and d-ring i know how to install it but my question is what side of the waist buckle do you put the crotch strap, or does it matter.
I originally had the crotch strap on the left waist strap then the waist buckle weaved on after it. The problem i see with this is that you have to step into the crotch strap before you put the harness on, and with tanks on that seems hard. is it possible to put the waist buckle on the far left and then have the crotch strap on the right side that way when you undo the waist buckle the crotch strap falls free. Are there any dangers associated with this that i need to be aware of?

thanks as always

The Waist Buckle passes through the webbing loop on the front (free) end of the crotch strap.

When assembled the loop should be centered.

To gear up:

Get your arms through the shoulder straps

Stand up and swing you hips while reaching between your legs to grab the end of the crotch strap. Having a scooter dring helps here, but it's not vital.

Slide the left hand waist strap and buckle on the end of the crotch strap.

Feed the right hand waist strap through the buckle and tuck the end through the webbing loop on the crotch strap.

Tobin

 

[tbone1004]

What Tobin said. No idea why you'd be stepping into it...

The DR crotch strap does have a scooter D-ring so no worries there. You can also reach back and grab the strap at the backplate and pass it between your legs. Either way my buckle is closer to my right hip bone than center, thus the crotch strap goes on the left strap first.

 

[TSandM]

I have always done it the way Tobin describes, but it has occurred to me to wonder why. I know that, in "olden days", the waist strap buckle was part of what secured the light canister, and the lead-acid canisters were considered part of ones ditchable weight. I assume that being able to pop the waist buckle and quickly free the canister was a consideration in where to place the buckle.

But now, when we use NIMH or LiIon canisters, which aren't any ditchable weight at all, and most of us secure them with a second buckle, it has occurred to me that it would be far simpler to have the crotch strap loop on the free end (it would certainly make getting the gear off in the water a little easier). It does crowd the left waist band a bit, and push the knife a little off center, though.

 

[Jbell8289]

The Waist Buckle passes through the webbing loop on the front (free) end of the crotch strap.

When assembled the loop should be centered.

To gear up:

Get your arms through the shoulder straps

Stand up and swing you hips while reaching between your legs to grab the end of the crotch strap. Having a scooter dring helps here, but it's not vital.

Slide the left hand waist strap and buckle on the end of the crotch strap.

Feed the right hand waist strap through the buckle and tuck the end through the webbing loop on the crotch strap.

Tobin

I did it this way first but it wasn't easy slipping the crotch strap loop over the waist buckle and not something i would want to do all the time. so i just left the crotch strap attached and thus had to sort of step into it. is there any problem you see with putting the crotch strap on the free end?

 

[Jbell8289]

I have always done it the way Tobin describes, but it has occurred to me to wonder why. I know that, in "olden days", the waist strap buckle was part of what secured the light canister, and the lead-acid canisters were considered part of ones ditchable weight. I assume that being able to pop the waist buckle and quickly free the canister was a consideration in where to place the buckle.

But now, when we use NIMH or LiIon canisters, which aren't any ditchable weight at all, and most of us secure them with a second buckle, it has occurred to me that it would be far simpler to have the crotch strap loop on the free end (it would certainly make getting the gear off in the water a little easier). It does crowd the left waist band a bit, and push the knife a little off center, though.

This is how i was considering doing it, although i hate to cut the webbing and get it set up and then find out that there is a dangerous issue or something with this set up. do you see any problems with doing it this way? , and what if i just move the knife to the other side of the crotch strap , its still accessible with both hands?



I stole this pic from LauraJ of Halcyon profile, i think she is trying to show her she-p valve but the way her crotch strap is set up is what im thinking for those of you who cant visualize what im saying .

 

[PfcAJ]

It pushes the knife very far off center.

 

[tbone1004]

Right hand release... I know some people that do reverse the buckles, but it still ends up on the left side of the strap and on their right hip bone
It's also better for using different exposure protection. If you have it way on the left side, and you have thick exposure protection everything will shift off center and you may not be able to reach that far to the left with your right hand... Most of the important stuff is on your left hip, so having the most real estate over there is important

 

[Jbell8289]

Right hand release... I know some people that do reverse the buckles, but it still ends up on the left side of the strap and on their right hip bone
It's also better for using different exposure protection. If you have it way on the left side, and you have thick exposure protection everything will shift off center and you may not be able to reach that far to the left with your right hand... Most of the important stuff is on your left hip, so having the most real estate over there is important

that kind of makes sense, i think the problem is more do to the dive rite crotch strap loop, if i had just made one myself i could adjust the front loop so it would slide over the buckle easier. i think i will just do it the normal way and try and stretch the loop webbing alittle, also havent tried it wet yet so maybe that will help. thanks for all yals help

 

[tbone1004]

hrrm... My DiveRite 2 incher that came with my Nomad fits. It's not like a chihuahua going at it with a Great Dane, but it goes over the buckle pretty easily...
That being said, I think my homemade one for my plate is actually smaller than my DR one... but I'll check.

The webbing DR uses is real stiff. Which is good for most things, but not so much for squeezing a piece of steel through it. Webbing stretches when it's wet. It's a property of the fiber that it's made of. Hence why you're supposed to get your cam bands wet before you tighten them on the bottle.
After a few dives it'll start to stretch a little bit on it's own, and it will get a little bigger when it's wet, not much, but enough to make it a little easier