Anyone using an integrated weight system with a BP & wing?

[JohnN]

Diving dry I need 24 lbs of lead (in addition to my SS backplate). 10 lbs go on the top camband (two XS Scuba pockets), the other 14 (7 a side) go into a quick release pocket (again XS Scuba). I had a terrible time with weight belts shifting. This setup is keeping everything nice and stable for me.

 

[divad]

naturally I complied.

Compliance is futile...

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

+ 1 on the rubber weight belt. They "stick" where you want them to and they automatically depth compensate and stay put.
I don't see anything wrong with putting the weightbelt under the crotch strap. It means you'll have to do two things to dump it, undo the waist strap then undo the belt. The good part is that if your weighbelt ever comes loose for any reason the crotch strap will capture it. If you want the weightbelt gone just undo the waist strap and you're free.

Personally, I'm in the camp that doesn't believe in integrating weights onto the rig. I like the idea of having myself weighted neutrally at depth along with my rig being neutral. Some call this "balanced weighting".
I use a heavy steel tank and a 4 lb plate. The rest goes on me. I use super thick wetsuits, I'll bet I have the thickest wetsuit on all of Scubaboard.

 

[k_im]

I have dived a Diverite Transpac with a Rec Exp wing for single tank diving and put about 110 dives on it in 12 - 18 months (I say have because I have just converted it to side mount so it is no longer configured for single tanks).

I have used both the 16 lb. and 32 lb. integrated pockets with it, which thread onto the straps from the shoulder to the waist just above where they meet the belt.

Do you think these pockets would fit on a basic harness?




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[flots am]

Flotsam, she could have worn the belt over the crotch strap but my personal experience has been that 5 minutes into the dive the belt is working its way down to my ankles, so I advised her to do what I do.

The tradeoff is that OW divers are taught to ditch weights in an emergency or on the surface if there's a problem, and she can't do it.

If panicked, it's unlikely she'll remember that she needs to undo something else before ditching the weights.

In any case, something like the DUI Weight and Trim harness will fix both problems.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I use a MAKO rubber belt with pockets on it. I water jetted some custom slides out of Lexan to keep them in place. The pockets are mounted upside down and you can easily ditch a weight or weights. Properly weighted she should only need to drop a couple/few pounds anyway. No need to ditch the entire belt. And when you switch to something like this you just need to practice and drill with it a few times to build muscle memory. NO problem with the belt under the strap.

 

[dallaskincaid]

I just purchased a dive rite wing with the 16lb quick release weights. I'm headed to the Cayman's this weekend and I'll let you know how I like it.

 

[Nemrod]

With my tropical/warm water BP/wing I use integrated XS (or DR) weight pouches that have a QR feature. I do not believe in carrying weight that cannot be dropped except for trim weight. However, for my heavier exposure gear rigs I switch back to a weight belt. Basically, I attempt to always configure what is the most minimal satisfactory rig that can accomplish the task as opposed to the "always use the same rig" think.

Therefore, in warm water, minimal exposure suits/shorties or swimsuits and rash guards, I generally need so little weight anyways that a quick release/dump weight pocket integrated onto my harness is sufficient and minimalist and reduces clutter, in this case a weight belt is just not needed. In heavy suits or a drysuit or farmer john etc. where significant weight needs to be divided between weight belt, plate, (negative steel tank) etc. a weight belt is needed to carry the majority of the weight and that weight needs to be ditch-able. Thus a weight belt in these cases represents the most minimalist configuration that satisfies the requirement or task and satisfies the need to ditch weight for establishing positive buoyancy. And, unlike some here, I consider that requirement always important.

I some cases, I understand, where sufficient weight cannot be ditched to establish buoyancy, then that is another discussion beyond the OPs question which I assume concerns recreational open water diving.

See the WB101QR:

http://www.xsscuba.com/weight_belts.html

N

 

[Montana Diver]

I tried to place diverite pouches on my SS BP/W waist webbing and had no problems in the tropics. When I returned back to MT, I was fetching weights for an OW class and set my rig down in waist deep water to get them from shore and watched it sink to the bottom. Diving a HP119 Steel, DUI drysuit with a 27# wing and had about 14-16 lbs of lead. Good thing it was only waist deep. I picked up a weight belt, bought some additional webbing for the suspenders and built a weight harness. I use it all the time, MT and tropics with wetsuit. I like the harness since I don't worry about the weights slipping off my hips. The diverite quick release allow me the opportunity to ditch it needed and don't interfere with the crotch strap or waist belt webbing. Since I already had the weight pouches, I decided against purchasing the DUI weight harness. System works great for me.

Dennis

 

[Diving Dubai]

I moved to a BP/W earlier this year. In the winter I had integrated weight pockets and with a 5/7 suit 5lb in each pocket or hard weight. My pockets (Apex) had the waist belt threaded through but the also bolted to the rear back plate so if you needed to ditch you could (the outer sheath would stay located allowing the inner pocket to pull free easily)

Because my experienced has increased and the amount of weight I needed dropped drastically (now down to 2lbs in my 5mm) I use trim pockets only. If in need another couple of lbs I put it in a front accessors pocket fitted on my waist band

In your case I would suggest you can use integrated pockets for the majority of the weight with cam band mounted trim pockets for the rest, after all you don't need to dump all your weight loosing 10 out of 16 would be enough.

I'm not a drysuit diver so apologise if this set up doesn't work for a drysuit. In my experience its better to distribute the weight for the best trim whil egivign you the ditching option in an emergency.