BC Rides Up...

[Butch103]

I would suggest getting the smaller BC. Although the crotch strap would certainly help, if the BC is too big then the strap would be really pulling on your crotch, this could become VERY uncomfortable.

If you do go to a jacket BC go with WI style. This helps keep the jacket down.

 

[donacheson]

DailyLunatic once bubbled...
I have always had a problem keeping my BCD from 'ridding up' on me. Halfway through a dive I would always have to stop and pull the belly strap down from around my chest. Sometimes several times. My body type then, and even now, is not conducive to keeping that strap in place.

That was before I lost about 60#, and I now have a BC that is too large.... and rides up. Thus, I'm looking at getting a new BC. I have been looking at several different styles (all online so far as my LDS is very small) and noticed that on the more 'techie' types there is a crotch strap.

1] Would you recommend adding a crotch strap to a vest type BC? Thus allowing me to keep the too large BC.

2] Are there any vest types that come with this feature, or will I have to go to the back inflate styles?

I like what many people here are saying about the back inflation types, and I'm not ruling them out. I just want to make sure I know all my options.

Thanx
:creeper:

There's another consideration which no one seems to have mentioned yet: the behavior of a BC on the surface. I've been diving a backplate and back inflation unit since the late 70's and experienced no difficulties on the surface until I gained substantial weight and lost my waistline. While my BC behaved fine under water and caused me no difficulty on the surface for years even after the weight gain, a few years ago I had to wait on the surface in an unexpectedly rough sea for 15 or 20 minutes before being picked up. While never in danger, I found the inflated BC wanted to ride up my chest as my weight belt pulled me down. I had to struggle to keep pulling myself up in the BC.

Rather than go through that again, I added a crotch strap made out of a length of auto seat belt webbing. It works fine and I could probably float comfortably for hours now.

 

[victoriawtx]

and the design I believe will fit me better than any jacket BC. Also because of the crotch strap I won't have the BC floating up into my eyeballs. LOL I think that you could also try to sew one onto your current BC using some webbing or the seat-belt strap that was already mentioned. Good luck!

 

[DailyLunatic]

JeffAustin once bubbled...
just a thought, but how much weight are you carrying? Is it on your waist? If you are overweighted on your waist, you will be sinking and your BC will require more air to keep you neutral, and will ride up in relation to your body. Test yourself at the end of a dive, when your tank is at 500psi, you should have little or no air in your BC. If you can let out air and sink easily at the end of a dive, you can drop some weight, which might help in your situation.

I think it was around 18# or so (FW, & on a belt). I've always had to fight to stay down. My dive instructor ran us all through the exercises you describe above. I started off around 24# and managed to trim it down as I became a more experienced diver.

Until I had lost the weight I had always been able to float on my back, feet crossed, both hands behind my head, and still have my toes sticking out of the water. (Fell asleep that way one time, rude awaking when I tried to roll over in my sleep, but thats another story...)

Now, with the weight loss, I don't float as high in the water (just my head and chest are exposed now). I don't know how much I'll be using. I expect it will be less, but until I get back into the water I have no way of knowing how much.

 

[landlocked]

DailyLunatic once bubbled...
I have always had a problem keeping my BCD from 'ridding up' on me. Halfway through a dive I would always have to stop and pull the belly strap down from around my chest. :creeper:

Moving to a back inflate solved this problem for me. I really, really hated that ridding up thing!

 

[Ari]

But is seems that your BCD is just not the right size. That's quite natural for someone who lost so much weight.

You may not have a choice but to get yourself the right size BCD. If you do decide to get a new one, you might want to look into something that offers more adjustability. Some of the newer models are quite adjustble and can be configured to easily fit different body types and sizes.

Hope it helps.

Ari

 

[DailyLunatic]

Ari once bubbled...
But is seems that your BCD is just not the right size. That's quite natural for someone who lost so much weight.

You may not have a choice but to get yourself the right size BCD. If you do decide to get a new one, you might want to look into something that offers more adjustability. Some of the newer models are quite adjustble and can be configured to easily fit different body types and sizes.

Well, it was the right size when I bought it. Had the problem even then.

I'm thinking about just adding a crotch strap to the too large vest BC and making do for a year or so. A new BC has moved from #2 to #3 on my list today anyway. ($$$ reasons. **sigh**)

At the very least it will give me more time to decide which style vest vs back inflate I like best.