rubber weight belt

[MAKO Spearguns]

I was dubious about rubber belts for a whole bunch of reasons, including the amount of weight I have to wear, and my feeling that they would be hard to release if one needed to. But Dumpster Diver was so convinced about them that he actually mailed me one to try, and told me to pay for it if I liked it.

He got paid.

Mine's a Mako, holds 20 pounds of shaped hard weights, and the only complaint I have about it is that I haven't yet figured out the best way to secure the weights so they don't slide (standard triglides won't go on the rubber).

Great to hear that you like our belt. These will work, however, they have the extra D-Ring attached.



Maximum weight capacity on an elastic belt is probably somewhere around 25 lbs or so. If you need more lead than that, it might be more comfortable to add some lead to your BC or harness etc. (please make sure you have enough ditchable lead in an emergency).

 

[ams511]

What is the advantage of using a buckle that uses holes in the belt than a weight belt buckle that relies on friction?

---------- Post added March 16th, 2013 at 01:43 PM ----------

Mine's a Mako, holds 20 pounds of shaped hard weights, and the only complaint I have about it is that I haven't yet figured out the best way to secure the weights so they don't slide (standard triglides won't go on the rubber).

Why don't you talk to Tobin about this. He should be able to come up with something.

 

[TSandM]

The problem with a friction buckle is that you have to be very sure it's closed, and anything that catches the edge of the buckle can release it. The standard, prong buckle requires that you grasp the end of the belt and pull in order to free it -- it's not something that's ever going to happen by accident.

I'm REALLY happy with my rubber belt. I've had it over a year now, I think, and there are no signs of cracking or fatiguing in the rubber. It's comfortable, doesn't slip, can't fall off and can be released. I have 20 lbs on mine.

 

[Akimbo]

What is the advantage of using a buckle that uses holes in the belt than a weight belt buckle that relies on friction?...

You can easily stretch a rubber belt with a Marseille buckle more because you can pull, rest, and pull again without losing tension from the previous pull. I started using these belts for freediving but recently switched over for Scuba as well. Alas, I am developing old man no-butt syndrome and the belts I used most of my life are slipping.

I can make a Marseille-style belt with 10 Kg/22 Lbs just above my butt-crack so tight that it won’t slip at all, even with a two-piece 7mm suit at 60'.

---------- Post added March 17th, 2013 at 08:34 AM ----------

… The RA belt has nearly zero elasticity to it, which in my mind, negates most all of the benefits of this style of belt…

Interesting. I have an RA belt and it is about as stretchy as my Makos. It is about 3 years old. Not sure when the change occurred. IMHO, the reasons to choose Mako over RA includes price, availability, the non-slip inside texture molded in, and Mako/Dano is a great company to business with. World-class customer service.

 

[Akimbo]

…Putting standard lace-through hard weights on the belt requires, for me, a bit more time...

True. Rubber belts are thicker than webbing, especially the Marseille-style belts. I gave an old friend a Mako belt who has the same no-butt problem. He installed the Xs-Scuba weight pockets on his which eliminated the threading problem. Unfortunately, it also isolated the belt’s non-slip texture from contacting his suit.

This got me thinking about combining the comfortable and wide pad I have used on commercial belts for 40 years with the advantage of the Marseille belt. Here are photos of my old belt plus my latest experiment.





I found some 3/16" thick rubber sheet with a non-slip texture on both sides. The trick was to make belt guides that secured the 4" wide pad to the Mako belt at the buckle end but allowed the belt to stretch over the entire length through the pad guides and Xs-Scuba pockets. I made 5 dives with this rig a few weeks ago and am very pleased with it. It didn’t slip at all even though it wasn’t as tight as usual, didn’t twist as I flipped the end around my waist to put on, and was very comfortable. It isn’t as tough as my 40 year old commercial belt made from conveyor belting, but is much more comfortable and won't slip.

 

[Colliam7]

Like these? We couldn't find them anywhere..so we had a mold fabricated for our exclusive use. They work great on a BC Cam Strap too..

Can't see the picture for some reason right now. But, if it illustrates the MAKO 2 Pound "I" Weight, then 'Yes', that's what I am referring to. I wish you folks also produced them in larger sizes than 2lb.

 

[antattack]

FYI, metal triglides seem to work on my rubber weight belt.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

The problem with a friction buckle is that you have to be very sure it's closed, and anything that catches the edge of the buckle can release it. The standard, prong buckle requires that you grasp the end of the belt and pull in order to free it -- it's not something that's ever going to happen by accident.

I'm REALLY happy with my rubber belt. I've had it over a year now, I think, and there are no signs of cracking or fatiguing in the rubber. It's comfortable, doesn't slip, can't fall off and can be released. I have 20 lbs on mine.

Thanks for the positive feedback. We wish more scuba divers would try them

 

[kmurray719]

There's a company local to me (and Lewis) that is making weights that bolt onto rubber belts. I got to check them out at a recent dive show. They're not cheap (but then again lead generally isn't) but they work really well.

Evil Diver

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

There's a company local to me (and Lewis) that is making weights that bolt onto rubber belts. I got to check them out at a recent dive show. They're not cheap (but then again lead generally isn't) but they work really well.

Evil Diver

Those are interesting weights. MAKO also sells a specially designed lead weight that works with a rubber belt to eliminate sliding of the weights. They were invented by Tinman and have a unique internal configuration that allows the weights to be slid on and off the belt when it is stretched (and thus pulled thinner).. However when the belt is not under a lot of tension, the belt expands, effectively locking the weight in place. There are no moving parts or tools etc. required..


http://www.makospearguns.com/product-p/mpw2.htm