Crossing the straps?

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

What benefit or change in how the harness sits on you does crossing the straps accomplish?
http://photos1.blogger.com/photoIncl...l_ad_2006b.png

I saw this picture in another thread and was just wondering. I am new bp/w diver.

[Doc Intrepid]

What benefit or change in how the harness sits on you does crossing the straps accomplish?

None.

If the plate and harness are properly fitted to you in the first place, you don't need to cross the straps.

If you want to cross your straps, by all means go for it.

[TSandM]

Doc, this is one of the very rare occasions when I am going to disagree with you.

If you are a very small person (as I am), running the straps the usual way can end up with them chewing holes in the inside of your upper arms, and having the webbing sit on the ball of your humerus (the bumpy part of the shoulder) rather than in the natural channel just inside of it (where a purse strap would sit). Crossing the straps brings them closer in to the body, and relieves that problem. I used to finish my dives with ugly linear bruises on my upper arm -- no more.

The cost is that it lowers the backplate about an inch or so, which is not an issue unless you are diving doubles AND find that you can't set the tanks high enough, which is rarely a problem. The other issue I've run into is that some drysuits are cut so that the latex neck seal runs low enough to have the straps chafe on it. I solve that by having the shop put a warm neck collar on the suit, but if that hadn't been an option, I was going to get some neoprene to put on the straps where they cross.

[Geoff_H]

). Crossing the straps brings them closer in to the body, and relieves that problem. I used to finish my dives with ugly linear bruises on my upper arm -- no more.

Isn't that configuration non-DIR though?

[TSandM]

Not as far as I know. But I'll ask Bob Sherwood when I see him in a couple of weeks . . .

[Doc Intrepid]

Actually, Lynn, I'd argue for using a different sized plate to fit smaller people. (Same as using the mini-Scouts, and other down-sized gear to fit smaller female frames.)

But I do agree that crossing straps may provide a better fit for smaller folks if they are going to use a standard sized plate.

Either way, I'm glad you've come up with a solution that makes sense for you!

[TSandM]

The small plates I've seen are shorter, but not narrower.

[GDI]

I am not a smaller folk by any means. My straps are crossed. In my case I like it as the straps seem to be allow for better weight distribution when walking with the dbls. I have made dives with them uncrossed and in the water there was no difference. I also believe there is less wear and tear on the straps.

As far as the DIR issue why would crossing them be a concern the straps will cut off just as easy

[karstdvr]

This is an old argument,but it used to be termed the Playtex versus non-Playtex. (for the Playtex cross my heart bra) :-)

[ZzzKing]

I used crossed straps for the past 6 months just to experiment. Re-rigged last week sans crossed because it is ever so slightly easier to get in and out of my rig with tendonitis in both shoulders.