Weight belt follow-up

Thanks all for the good info. My follow up question is:

Why hasn't the dive industry recognized this as a potential safety hazard and

1) started instructing on how to prevent it or deal w/ it if it does occur;

2) developed weight belts that are more secure (yet still able to be released quickly if need be). Surely they could design something that "locks" to the point that it wouldn't accidently come off, but with some pressure, could be removed if an emergency ascent is needed. Or does such a belt exist and I haven't seen it?

How many accidental weight belt releases have you first hand knowledge?

I don't want to sound argumentative but is this a real problem?

in the last year among divers on my boat, and I'm a private boat owner - not a charter guy!

One was MINE. I caught it before it got away from me - thankfully. The other was a friend of mine, and she did the Polaris.

Neither of us were hurt - fortunately.

When it happened to me I switched to wearing my belt under my backplate harness. With it underneath it is NOT going to come out accidentally, but I can still (with some difficulty) ditch it.

We were diving this past weekend and one of my friends almost lost his belt which raised the issue for us. I agree it probably is still infrequent, but if it does occur, it could be dangerous, especially if it is a deep dive. Just seems to me it warrants a little more attention than it does (like even mentioning in the cert. class).

Ok, I stand corrected. I think Gen makes a valid point in making it harder to get off, I'm not clear how your harness is securing do you mean you wear it under the crotch strap?

In reality ditching someone's weight is going to be at the surface anyway, I don't see myself ditching weights on a living diver at depth.

Its under the crotch strap; I put it on BEFORE rest of my kit.

For my HP doubles on an AL plate, I need no belt with a wetsuit.

If I need to ditch on the surface, I'll ditch the TANKS. Any wetsuit is more than positive enough to insure that you don't sink.

cd_in_SeaTac once bubbled...
In reality ditching someone's weight is going to be at the surface anyway, I don't see myself ditching weights on a living diver at depth.

Click to expand...

I completely agree.

I would say that also holds true on a "nonliving" diver as well. Normally it would be desirable to have everyhing properly in its place for the equipment post mortem. Orally inflating the B/C to begin a controlled ascent should accomplish this. At that point it is a salvage issue anyway. Using a lift bag with a reel line for control may even be more appropriate, if you are certain the diver has been "nonliving" for a long time.

this weekend - I'm sure this will be fun, as the PADI manual for the class makes a relatively big deal about the entire "right hand release" and wearing the belt on top thing.

Well, I don't and I won't. Not now, not for class, not after class either. I wear it under for a good, PERSONAL reason, and intend to continue doing so.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in the class....

Genesis once bubbled...
If I need to ditch on the surface, I'll ditch the TANKS. Any wetsuit is more than positive enough to insure that you don't sink.

Click to expand...

That might be true for your tanks but are you really meaning to advocate ditching the buoyancy compensator? The average diver in a jacket bc and AL80 would be in dire straits wearing a weightbelt without a bc.

If you ditch the entire kit (BC, tanks and all) assuming you are wearing as little as a 3 mil wetsuit you are +10.

You will NOT sink.

Typically a drysuit (unless its been holed!) will be even MORE positive.

If diving an AL single, the tank is typically positive when empty - so ditching the kit is counter-productive. But if you're diving a steel tank then it is negative, even empty, and in that case ditching the kit as an emergency response on the surface is appropriate.

After all, on the surface you don't need the tank, do you?

(No, I'm not advocating ditching the tank FIRST. I AM, however, advocating ditching it AFTER the weight belt if the kit is negative, or, in my case, if I have no belt on at all!)

With the belt on under my crotch strap I still will have to ditch it first (before the tank(s)), but in an emergency anything that is negative that I can remove, once I've made the surface, is going to the bottom if I need the additional positive buoyancy.

The only reason to ditch your kit is if your BC is holed and thus worthless as a buoyancy device. Given the choice between ditching a weight belt and inflating the BC, I choose the second, because (1) its faster, (2) it preserves my trim, and (3) it preserves ALL my options.

There is no reason to ditch a belt, even on the surface, unless you CANNOT inflate the BC. Since BCs can be inflated orally, even when the tank(s) are empty, that means that only in the event that the BC will not hold air is it appropriate to ditch the kit - and likely, the belt as well. (Exceptions noted for people who are severely overweighted!)