Weight Belt Over Crotch Strap?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

MaverickNH

Contributor
Messages
71
Reaction score
9
Location
New Hampshire, USA
It seems a weight belt should go over a crotch strap, as the strap would prevent easy ditching if the weight belt was under it. That said, removing one's BC or BP/W would be somewhat complicated by the weight belt over the crotch strap, and putting the BC or BP/W back on would be more complicated.

How should it be done?
 
In the tech community an accidental release of weights is viewed as a much bigger problem than having to drop weights intentionally. Common practice is to have the belt under the crotch strap since the only time you should need to drop weights with a balanced rig is on the surface and barring an incapacitating injury you should be able to swim the rig up and stay on the surface long enough to drop the belt. Worst case is cut the crotch strap as you are releasing the weight belt buckle. Or release both buckles at the same time and the belt will drop away cleanly. Good idea to practice this on a regular basis.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk
 
I always have my weight belt under my crotch strap. I have had my weight belt slip and get caught by my crotch strap. Thank goodness or I would have been bobbing at the surface within a few seconds.

Plus as the OP mentioned there have been times I have removed my kit to deal with an issue. The weight belt needs to remain on in order to keep me negative, so I am not left holding my BC as it is trying to sink and I would be heading to the surface. Integrated weights are not a good thing in my book, for that reason and many other reasons.
 
Under, for all the reasons stated above.

Like Peter C, I was saved from a probable nasty uncontrolled ascent when a new weight belt slid down my narrow hips over a new drysuit and was caught by my crotch strap.
 
Not over your crotch strap at any rate. Given what a pain it was (for me) to put the weight belt on then don the BP&W properly I opted for no weight belt - all my weights are in pockets. Some of those pockets I can reach to dump weight. Some I cannot. Since I dive a drysuit the suit compression with descent (therefore increasing negative buoyancy with descent) is offset by my adding air to the suit. My wing is not used to provide too much lift therefore in the event of catastrophic wing failure I can swim up easily. Similarly in the event of catastrophic suit failure I can swim up with the aid of my wing. Summary: no need to dump weights = no weight belt.
 
for a class - as DM im going to see about wearing it over the crotch strap.
2 reasons
1> Demo of removal if needed
2> loosing it will have no effect on my system weighting since i have to have one for padi requirements, it will only have 1lb on it to meet this criteria. loosing it will have no effect.

My shop also asks us to carry 2-4lbs of extra weight in OW classes, which i will do in a left side ACB system so i can hand it off if needed.

I will be slightly overweighted 3-5lbs but that is managable and i am able to swim the rig up.

when not involved in a class i will not wear the weight belt or have the acb pocket installed. wet or dry.
 

Back
Top Bottom