Underwater gear removal....should I have a weight belt?

Hi Guys,

When I started diving I purchased a weight integrated BCD (jacket style) so I never wore a belt. BTW, I dive year round here in NE so we wear lots of cloths under our dry suits and lots of weight (I often dive with around 30lbs).

Now that I'm getting "more serious" with diving, I've switched to a TPII, and I've begun practicing getting out of my BCD underwater so that if I get hung in a wreck or something it won't be the first time I have taken off my gear underwater. The thing is, with all my weigh in my BCD, as soon as I slip out of it I'm REALLY positive. Now I can hold on for dear life and while I can still get my BCD back on with some fancy moves, but, it is pretty hard work.

Should I pick up a weight belt and throw 10-15lbs on it (I have had some back problems, which scares me a little bit with putting lead right aroudn my waist), for the purpose of being negative or neutral when removing my gear? What do most divers do? I'd hate to have pull off my gear in a wreck and get plastered to the ceiling.

another way to deal with this... would be to not take your rig off in the first place.... and should you get entangle you will have your buddy right there to help.... unless... your aren't one of those solo divers are you?

If you have to do this for a class or training.... then either continue to do it the way you are.. or do what you have already suggested (weight belt). You may also check out some of the "harness" weight systems if you have back problems. The weight harness's distribute the weight across your shoulders, and will not effect your back problem(s). They are VERY comfortable. These harness's fit on under your TPII without interfering.

There is a method of "sitting" on your BC (like riding a horse), and wrapping your legs around the thing... then shift your hips forward, and let the BC ride up your back slipping your arms into the harness as it makes its way up your back. If you master it....
it works well and looks very cool. lol.

If you are not doing it for just a class... I would agree with
UP.

Hi Pug,

I'm not a solo diver, although sometimes in wrecks one person will swim a corridor (with a guide line) while the other waits at the exit with a light - so I'm somewhat alone - although we have banging signalsto summon the other diver.

Still,I can't help but think underwater removal of a BCD as a basic skill, you guys all disagree?

cybordolphin,

So there are harnesses that go UNDER one's BCD? Is the DUI one like this? I used the sitting method, it actaully workes well, although without any weight on you have to hold on for dear life, I also use a modifed version where you "figure four' the tanks,it involves a roll and tends to get messy espcially with a 7' hose.

MASS-Diver once bubbled...
I'm not a solo diver, although sometimes in wrecks one person will swim a corridor (with a guide line) while the other waits at the exit with a light - so I'm somewhat alone - although we have banging signalsto summon the other diver.

Click to expand...

Yah... actually I am in favor of splitting the weight between the rig and myself when diving singles (isn't possible with the double 104s)...

I just wanted to point out the other way to deal with the situation and re-emphasize the buddy thang....

BTW... when doing this removal/replacement maneuver... what are the odds of further entanglement plus siltout?

And are you really going into wrecks and down corridors with single tanks???

Hi UP,

Ya, taking off your gear inside a wreck (or even outside) is pretty serious and I would only do it as a last resort. But, you have to admit it's a nice option to be able to slip out of your BCD.

I know you and the rest of the world don't want to hear about guys doing overhead stuff with singles (and with good reason). Part of the reason I do it I just haven't been able to get the cash toghter to get a nice manifold and part of the reason is practical. I do alot of dving off a small boat (a 16' Maratime Skiff) often in semi-rough conditions, it's not flat calm too often aroudn here, and we do lots of shore diving including some pretty extreme hikes (sometimes over mud, rocks, or even ice/snow). I'm not a small guy by any means and I'm in pretty solid shape, I just don't think I could do alot of it with twin steel 100s withough throwing out my back or killing myself from a fall. It's not the kind of diving that is for everyone, but, we enjoy it. BTW, the reward for the remote shore dives is often tons of lobsters (caught at "secet" spots).

That said, I do often swim down corridors of wrecks and I've been entangled in soem tight spots- not enought to start pulling gear off, but, enough to scare me, these wrecks are not in 170", but, often in 50-75' (overhead stuff, but, we don't even come close to deco diving). We dive NITROX whenever we can get it. My rig is a 120hps and a 40cuf pony slung under my arm, not the best rig, but, I also don't think it counts as reckless.