Crotch straps are awesome!

[blueclearsky]

Thanks for this awesome thread - it was the decision maker ... just added a crotch strap to my Bella BC (after considering it for a year trying to figure out how I was going to attach it, especially a three-point) and it is definitely a game changer. Trim at depth (especially looking for fish under ledges), safety stop and surface dramatically improved with no other adjustments. I'm 5'2" 66 year old female ... 1" single strap attached with a quick link at the velcro loop where the back of the jacket attaches to the tank plate - only quick option! Loving it! Thanks!

 

[txgoose]

Thank you BCS for reviving this thread and allowing me to see it. The wife has been working very diligently on her buoyancy and trim. Friday, on our last dive she was a bit annoyed with her BC riding up. Today I see this thread and go check her BC (zeagle focus). A small 1" D ring in back and a 1" side release buckle already installed in the front! With minimal effort I should be able to make this work. And out almost nothing to try.

Thank you to all the contributors as well!

 

[blueclearsky]

Thank you BCS for reviving this thread and allowing me to see it. The wife has been working very diligently on her buoyancy and trim. Friday, on our last dive she was a bit annoyed with her BC riding up. Today I see this thread and go check her BC (zeagle focus). A small 1" D ring in back and a 1" side release buckle already installed in the front! With minimal effort I should be able to make this work. And out almost nothing to try.

Thank you to all the contributors as well!

Thank you ... almost didn't add to the thread but it made such a huge difference to the comfort of my BC and my trim. If she is half as happy as I am you will both be thrilled!

 

[Rred]

Crotch straps were standard back in WHAT day? Certainly not when I was certified or even ten years later. But then again, I think that was still before the words "technical diving" existed. I've rigged crotch straps for a long time, simply because the strap holds the BC low down on your body, and by holding the air down low, that makes your mouth float higher above the water when you are on the surface. Pull the BC down 6 inches, your head goes 6" higher out of the water. Any part of the flotation device that is above the waterline--has zero buoyancy.

I've seen the same argument in boating PFD's over the years. No one wants to fuss with a crotch strap...but in rough water, getting your head six inches further out of the water and the spray, can mean the difference between breathing or drowning from the spray.

"Normally you will don the weight belt and then" Uh, was I taught wrong? We were taught that the weight belt goes on absolutely DEAD LAST and nothing goes over it. I don't worry much about that. If I need to pop the crotch strap, I've got a Fastex release right there. Yes it is a PITA but isn't that the way of all gear?

 

[Neilwood]

I have to comment regarding the crotch straps - I personally think they should be standard on virtually all BCD's.

Why? Because they anchor the BCD down without having to resort to overtightening the BCD. For a lot of people, their shape (either at waist or chest) dictates that the only way to get a (non crotch strap) BCD to stop sliding up on the surface is to tighten the cummerbund and waist strap. This can (certainly did with me) have the effect that, when the BCD was at or near full inflation, I could barely breathe.

As soon as you put that strap there, the BCD is prevented from sliding which means that the cummerbund and waist straps can be a lot looser.

 

[scubafanatic]

Totally agree! Crotch straps (and dive socks) are two of the most cost effective ways to enhance dive comfort and control!

 

[CathyE]

Dive socks are next on my try list. I am sick of blisters. :-(

 

[scubafanatic]

Dive socks are next on my try list. I am sick of blisters. :-(

You will kick yourself for not having tried them sooner!

 

[DeepSeaPirate]

Dive socks are next on my try list. I am sick of blisters. :-(

What gives you so many blisters? No booties?

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Crotch straps were standard back in WHAT day? Certainly not when I was certified or even ten years later. But then again, I think that was still before the words "technical diving" existed.

"Normally you will don the weight belt and then" Uh, was I taught wrong? We were taught that the weight belt goes on absolutely DEAD LAST and nothing goes over it.

I was certified in 1985 by a cheap, old-fashioned instructor who had us use horsecollar BCs (with power inflators, not just by mouth) that required crotch straps. I love with folks back then who preferred no BC at all in the tropics.

We were also taught to put weights on last religiously but that seemed less critical once I had my own "modern" BC without crotch straps.

History repeats itself. I suspect what works for some is a pain for others.