A women's problem in freediving

In my freediving courses and training sessions, I always notice that there is a problem that most women have in freediving, but hardly any men: what could it be?

For most men, the circumference of the stomach is larger than the circumference of the hips (the phenomenon is known as the "beer belly") and so the weight belt, once tightened to hip level, stays where it belongs. Be it on the surface, during a duck dive, a descent, a turn or an ascent: The weight belt stays firmly in place. For the men of creation, the weight belt is perfect just the way it is!

For most women, however, the situation is different: Women's hips are often wider than their waists: if the freediver pulls her weight belt tight at hip level, it works its way up a few centimetres during the next duckdive, reaches her waist and, poof, the weight belt either falls to her breasts or hits her chin. I imagine both would be painful. During the turn, the weight belt then falls down again and often a piece of lead lands roughly on the hip bone: This is also not an experience that you would want to repeat in apnoea at the bottom of a body of water!

I have already made improvised crotch straps for a few freedivers from a piece of paracord and a snap hook. But I was never satisfied with the solution: the crotch strap is not adjustable in length, the weight belt can no longer be dropped so easily and it's also improvised and doesn't look particularly good.

I was ready to design and produce a crotch strap myself when I found what I was looking for: The perfect crotch strap is already available to buy! Although I'm a little annoyed that a clever inventor has already developed the perfect crotch strap before me, I'm glad that there is now a simple solution to a problem!

Can be found in my webshop: Adjustable crotch strap

The adjustable crotch strap is practical and looks good too

Fastening the crotch strap at the back of the weight belt

You can easily adjust the length of the crotch strap

Length adjustment with one screw

Attachment to a Marseille buckle

Attachment to the belt with quick-release buckle