weight belts or integrated?

[Peter Guy]

I just want to point out there is a third option between a "weight belt" and a "BCD with integrated weights." That 3rd option is a weight harness. Now I'd only suggest that if you need a lot of weight (i.e., cold water diving) because the advantages really only accrue when a lot of weight is needed.

Advantages -- weight placement (up/down) is adjustable; holds a lot of weight; keeps weight off the BCD/Tank to equalize total weight per item; works with people with no waist or hips (like me); travels easily (take weights out).

Disadvantages -- additional piece of gear/cost; can be bulky and perhaps not quite fit under existing BCD (especially jacket BC)

How/where you place your weight really depends on how much weight you need for the dive you are doing.

 

[fisheater]

For me, integrated weighting wasn't a good solution for cold water diving.

- Picking up and donning the scuba unit with a large steel tank and a bunch of lead was very daunting.

- Underwater doffing and donning was a bit hairy, as my neoprene-clad body wanted to rocket to the surface, while my scuba gear wanted to plunge to the bottom - and take all my air with it. (Why try to doff and don underwater, you ask? Sometimes, it's the only way to resolve an entanglement. I dive around lots of kelp and the occasional fishing gear.)




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[Dive the World]

Depends on your BCD!!!

both are good enough!

OR

You can dive steel tanks and never worry about weights.

 

[Paladin]

I am one of those unfortunate individuals who have trouble keeping a weight belt on without cinching it very tight. I've struggled with this for decades. I tried using suspenders, which worked, but they were just something else to deal with and the belt wouldn't be as easy to dump in an emergency. So, I added XS Scuba weight pockets to the belt for easy dumping. That still didn't eliminate the hassle of extra gear to bother with. Since I was still using my horse collar BC and old-fashioned campack, I transferred the weight pockets to the 2" wide waist belt of the campack and, essentially, turned my campack into a sort of weight-integrated system. It worked but was still not ideal. I still use the system when diving my double hose, horse collar and campack.

I eventually gave up and bought a weight-integrated jacket. It works for the way I dive. I don't do cold water, by the way.

 

[TomZ]

I use an integrated BCD, however I'm very leg heavy, short, and had to position my tank so high I was konking my head on the reg first stage constantly. After observing another troll like diver, I learned my current solution. Half my weight goes in the BCD, the other half attached to the very top of the tank via a cam band and weight pockets. With a 1mm suit in Coz I need 10 lbs. If I put only four lbs on top and six in the BCD, I could remain a bit more upright for U/W photography. My wife has very buoyant feet. She uses the same arrangement, but her "weight belt" goes towards the bottom of her tank. The adjustability and flexibility of this system is awesome.

 

[chrpai]

I got a BP/W. Now I don't need a weight belt. Problem solved.

 

[rhwestfall]

lots of variables. For me, in my BC days, no hips = integrated (though alternatively, I went for a harness). DS = harness as the BC conflicts with the inflator valve, and the weight is extreme for most W/I rigs. This is for my type of diving. You may desire something else. It is what works best for you.

 

[eelnoraa]

Another vote for split between weight belt and integrated. The main differences is weight belt adds weight on YOU. Integrated adds weight on your rig. It makes no differences if you and your rig never separated. But chances are you will, or at least you want to consider what if it happen.

Ideally,you should split the weights so that both your rig and you are close to neutrual buoyant independently. If you ditch your rig, you won't shoot up to the surface or you rig won't sink to the bottom. In reality, it is may be hard to archieve. But that is the direction you should shoot for.

One big disadvantage of integrated weight is it can increase the requirement on lift capacity of your BC espeically in cold water. This makes you less streamline in water, bigger lift also increase the chance of air trapping.

 

[beaverdivers]

It seems that divers who have been trained and are " attached " to their weight belts and love them.

Newer divers that have been trained with wt. integrated B.C.'s tend to stick with them.

We sell 100 wt. integrated B.C. to 1 non-integrated.

 

[Paladin]

What? A post by beaverdivers without a spiel to buy Scubapro gear? I'm shocked! This may be too much for my feeble old system to take!

Sorry, bd, I just couldn't resist!