What if you lose your weight belt?

[Genesis]

I've seen it and its not pretty.

Generally-speaking, its uncontrollable. All you can do is flare out your body to get the maximum surface area in the upward direction (which will slow your ascent), make sure you keep breathing OUT.....

Oh, if you have O2 on the boat, use it. It won't hurt you and MIGHT prevent a hit. Stay out of the water the rest of the day.

 

[String]

One of the basic ocean diver drills is own and casualty weight belt release in standing depth then "shallow water".

Normally this is about 3m depending on where you can find to do it.

If wearing a thick exposure suit, when that belt goes, you really go. Not a chance in hell of staying down (i doubt even holding onto a rock would do as you wouldnt have the strength to hold it long).

The procedure taught for uncontrolled ascent be it through belt loss, inflation stuck or other issue is to "flare". Horizontal in the water with arms and legs stuck out almost star shaped to create as much drag in the vertical axis as possible. Dont forget to breathe out as with any rapid ascent.
As you near the surface and it starts to get light start praying there are no boats or maniacs on jet skis buzzing about....

 

[mogwai]

One thng about diving over here is drysuits. You get a runaway ascent after losing a belt you can at least crack your neck seal good and wide. You might get pretty wet but better than dead.

 

[String]

That'd slow the ascent but there is still more than enough lift in the undersuit, air that cant escape and the body themselves to keep it uncontrolled ascent.

In the one exercise as an experiment on jettison i completely cleared my dry suit (yes the squeeze hurt, emtied the BC and kept the air at highest point (cuff dump).

I still went up like a rocket.

Just to demo it you can jump in the sea with no weight belt or other dive kit and will float high out of the water no matter how much air you squeeze clear.

 

[GQMedic]

drops off of you during a dive...

As you begin to ROCKET to the surface. arch back, flair your arms and legs out wide, blow LOTS of bubbles, this can be accomplished by your natural urge to scream "OH SH!!!!!T" through your reg as this happens. Once you've come crashing to the surface, pray to the scuba gods that you promise to get harness system and beg that you won't get totally bent.

All humor aside now, this was a most excellent thread of what if's!
It's something every diver should think about and acquire the best equipment they can afford to decrease the odd if not eliminate the odds of this ever happening. This event definately has a "pucker factor" of 9.5

 

[dazle]

Inflate your BC and fin to the surface so you can breach like a whale when you hit the surface, although you'll be bent, should be good value for spectators

As has been said, depends on how much weight you've got and how + bouyant you are without weight.

I did a dive and at 18m/100b found it vv hard to control my bouyancy, doh I forgot to put my 15lb belt on! Stuffed rocks in my pocket and scaved 3lb's off a diver. The safety stop was fun.

There's a big debate at the mo about non quick release weight's or integrated weights. Personally I don't like them. If You need to rescue someone and you can't ditch their weight's, it makes a tough job more tough. Become familiar with all??? My arse.