Stupid question: What is this strap on the back of my BC?

[Zhukov]

OK - I have to ask a stupid question. I recently bought a new BC and was wondering what the blue strap on the back of the BC is used for. Is it for hanging the BC up? Seems over-engineered if so...

 

[dleewo]

You would loop it over the valve of the tank

 

[Zhukov]

You would loop it over the valve of the tank

That's what I've done, but is that what it's actually used for?

 

[Hawkwood]

If you wish, you can "tighten" it up around the tank valve once you have the BCD placed where you like. From then on, simply use the strap over the valve as a reference for where you want the BCD to sit on the tank. Nothing too special about it.

 

[SCRedWolf]

As Hawkwood said it's to loop over the valve which can help stabilize the tank not that it's essential for that purpose. I leave might at a set length so when putting the kit on the tank and loop it over the valve I let the BCD slide down the tank until that strap is tight. Makes for perfect tank setting every time so my hoses are at the perfect spots and my head doesn't hit the valve when looking upwards. It's engineered a bit tough because a fully outfitted BCD with weight pockets can be pretty heavy and all that weight in on the strap until you tighten the cam band on the tank. Well that's how I utilize the thing.

 

[tbone1004]

does two things, it's there to set the height of the BC on the tank, so you basically hang the BC from the valve, and then adjust the cam band, and then because the engineers wanted to make these as cheap as possible, they fitted them with one cam band instead of two, so it also helps to keep it from seesawing on your back

 

[Bennno]

It will catch your tank in case you didn't properly tightened the cam strap. The cam strap wont be as tight when wet which can cause your tanks to slip through when you're climbing out of the water after the dive.
So you 'shouldn't' need it but have seen it catch more than a few tanks.

 

[tursiops]

It will catch your tank in case you didn't properly tightened the cam strap. The cam strap wont be as tight when wet which can cause your tanks to slip through when you're climbing out of the water after the dive.
So you 'shouldn't' need it but have seen it catch more than a few tanks.

I've seen it do that too, but it is certainly not designed for that. If it were designed for that, it would not be so long and attached where it is, because that allows the tank to slip twice the entire length of the strap; that is, the stap would be attache from above, not from below. It is designed (as others have said) to allow placing the BCD at the correct height on the tank. Any affect it has on tank wobble is also incidental; the tank wobble is designed to be prevented by the shaped back-pack. Note you can also put a second cam band on that BCD is you want.

 

[Zhukov]

Thanks gentlemen. I've always used it for that but all of a sudden had an urge to know if there was an ulterior purpose for it.

 

[BRT]

I kind of like the adjustable ones because I can set the tank height as I tighten the band. I have some that are fixed and they make a better carrying handle.