Weights first or last

For as long as i can remember i have put my weight belt on last, after my BC. Keeping with the idea that should the belt need to be dumped nothing should be snagging it as it comes away. By putting the weight belt on before the BC is it possible one could 'bury' the weight belt under the cummerbund of the BC or additional gear, preventing a free release? Am i perpetuating a bad diving practice? I have tested this practice in water with ease. Upon removing my gear on deck the first thing off is the dive belt and seldom does it get snagged, unless the weight of the tank holds it until i jiggle a bit.

That is the conventional approach for BCs that don't have a crotch strap. The weights go on last and come off first.

Where things get interesting is when a diver has a crotch strap. One school of though is to keep the weight belt on the outside; pretty conventional. The other school of thought is that losing a weight belt at depth, for whatever reason, is very serious for the cold water diver. Some of these divers would rather have the weight belt UNDER the crotch strap so they have to deliberately unthread it in order to drop the weight.

I'm not in either camp. I use a DUI Weight & Trim Classic harness which is always the first thing on. But the weight pockets are positioned such that the top of the pouch is at the top of the hip bone. This will be below any BC or BP/W. Dropping the weights takes a deliberate act and nothing gets tangled.

Richard

According to the PADI open water video, the weight belt goes on first...

When I dive here in the PNW, I split my weights between my BC and a weight belt. The weight belt goes on first. The weights in the BC's weight pouch is loaded in last.

it would depend on what the condition was that you wanted to take off your weight belt, assuming you are out of air cause you never looked at your gauge or your primary regulator and your secondary exploded at the same time, and your buddy is off looking at the pretty fishes about 200 yards from you and you are only 30 feet from the surface and you are way over weighted because you never worked out how much weight you really needed, then yes you want to drop your weight belt.

otherwise why would you ever drop your weights in a hurry? you would drop them if you were unconscious on the surface or your rescuers would. you would drop them if you found yourself in a current and needed to swim to shore. there may be other reasons, that I have not thought of, but I can not imagine when you would want to drop your weights at depth and shoot to the surface uncontrolled. maybe I suppose if you had a dry suit flood, you might want to carefully leave some weight on the bottom to help you swim up, but remember the goal is to only carry enough weight to be neutral at 15 feet with empty tanks. the air in your tank weighs 6# usually only a 2# diff. at the beginning of a dive you should be at most 2-6# positive and you should be able to manage swimming that up in a controlled way. (single 80 tank).


if you just want a short answer then put your weight belt on last and while in a wreck use a second buckle to make sure it stays on.
:blinking:

The classic weight belt is pretty much independent of the BCD, so it should not matter in which order you put it on as far as the practical use is concerned. It should end up in the same place relative to the BCD either way. If you put it on first and it is trapped under the BCD, the adjustment takes only a few seconds.

When I use a weight belt, it always goes on first because it is a lot easier to put it on before the BCD is there to get in the way.

St Piquet:

For as long as i can remember i have put my weight belt on last, after my BC. Keeping with the idea that should the belt need to be dumped nothing should be snagging it as it comes away.

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For now, you are absolutely correct. As your experience increases, absolutes begin to blur.

capt. dave:

According to the PADI open water video, the weight belt goes on first...

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That's the way I remember it---way back when....

boulderjohn:

The classic weight belt is pretty much independent of the BCD, so it should not matter in which order you put it on as far as the practical use is concerned. It should end up in the same place relative to the BCD either way. If you put it on first and it is trapped under the BCD, the adjustment takes only a few seconds.

When I use a weight belt, it always goes on first because it is a lot easier to put it on before the BCD is there to get in the way.

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1+

Weight belt on first for me, for both a standard jacket-style BC and for a BP/W with Hogarthian-style harness.

The BC cummerbund or BP/W waist strap will for most folks typically ride at approximately navel-level, a weight belt almost always rides a couple inches below that level at the crest of the pelvis, and as John says, can be adjusted easily enough if it does not. The cummerbund should not cover it if the BC is sized properly for the diver.

With a BP/W, wearing the weightbelt under the crotch strap requires you to release the harness waist strap first, let it fall away, then release the weaightbelt.... so it doubles my time to drop weights in an emergency from 3 seconds to 6 seconds .... not a significant problem, and the weightbelt is more comfortable and secure under the BP/W waist strap (but is certainly "ok" above it if that is what you prefer).

Best wishes.

Edit: And for me, putting the weight belt on first prevents me from entering the water "sans weights" A bit embarrassing to not be able to sink and discover the weightbelt is back at the car after a long swim out... don't ask me how I know this....

The traditional old school teaching was weight belt last to ensure rapid release. The traditional harness usualy included a crotch crotch that could retain the belt. Remember that these divers had no BC so becoming positive, especially on the surface at the end of a dive could become mission critical. Even on the bottom they rellied on the J valve and estimates for gas management. If they ran short a rapid positive ascent beat drowning.

As time time went by and gear changed thinking has changed. Some divers will actually rig them selves to prevent the accidental loss of weights. This may mean releasing a crotch strap is so equipped but the dropping of weigh can still be done. This becomes a buddy brief topic.

Donning the belt last was easier with a traditional harness. Many modern BCs are competing for some of the same body space and end up somewhat overlapping. In these cases donning the belt first is a lot easier and while the BC may skirt the belt it does not prevent removal if needed.

Pete