How do you wear your weight belt with BP wings?

For tropical waters this is not as big a deal because the weight is really not that much but for winter diving I have to carry a very big load on the belt. I was wondering, those who wear the belt under the crotch straps, have you had a problem ditching it? Does it not get stuck in the crotch strap?

Thanks.

There's actually an active thread on precisely this topic, in the Hogarthian diving forum, I think. The bottom line is that heavy weight belts are problematic, because it is difficult to put them outside of the crotch strap, and they WILL hang up on it. Redundant buoyancy is a good idea in cold water -- either that, or use a weight system like the DUI harness, that permits easy ditching.

TSandM:

There's actually an active thread on precisely this topic, in the Hogarthian diving forum, I think. The bottom line is that heavy weight belts are problematic, because it is difficult to put them outside of the crotch strap, and they WILL hang up on it. Redundant buoyancy is a good idea in cold water -- either that, or use a weight system like the DUI harness, that permits easy ditching.

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I found it! Very useful info. Thanks.

The old school answer is to wear it on top of the crotch strap. The weight belt is always the last thing you put on so in an emergence it can be the first thing to come off.

love my DUI harness......

it also lets me wear my weight lower (I have no butt or hips) than I could with any other method.....

Under the strap. But mine has pockets and I can ditch as much as I want easily and quickly without undoing any buckles.

Jim Lapenta:

Under the strap. But mine has pockets and I can ditch as much as I want easily and quickly without undoing any buckles.

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So basically you will be pulling out each weight and dropping them instead of one motion that drops all weight?

Get some double 130s and you won't need any further weight. When I dive singles I use two cam band pouches, a 5lb v-weight, and a single pocket on the left waist webing to offset my can light. This has worked well for me.

One weight (2-4lbs depending on what I'm diving) is all I would need to get positive if my wing failed and I needed to swim the rig up. One weight dropped allows me to do a controlled ascent rather than an imitation of a Polaris missile. That one weight will also be enough for me to stay positive at the surface long enough to drop any additional if I choose to. The most I ever have in a belt is 10-12 lbs with my dry suit. With single steel tanks I use 8lbs of weight bolted on to the plate diving dry and 8lbs on the belt. With double 85's I use 4lbs on the belt with a steel plate and no bolt on. Diving wet with dbl 72's no ditchable weight. Diving single al 80's I might have 4 lbs in the belt and I'll add 6 between two cam band pouches.

The last thing I want to do is drop all weight at depth. If someone decides they need to drop all my weight I better be dead. Otherwise there is no reason to drop all weights. On the surface if I would decide for some reason that I needed to drop everything. My zip knife cuts the crotch strap as I'm dropping the belt. Worst case. Otherwise kicking will keep me up long enough to undo both buckles.

"IF" you are weighted properly from the start then only your wetsuit is providing lift with an empty BCD. Dropping your weights should not be much of an issue unless you are wearing something like a 7mm farmer john or a neoprene dry suit. If you have some of the weight integrated then even doing so with a 7mm is doable. I know this is not what is currently being taught but it is fail proof. The weight belt should always be the LAST thing you put on!