Retrieving integrated weights

[northernone]

Why can’t you just leave the weight pockets on the bottom?

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest the answer to that is the same as to why he can't just leave himself on dry land.

 

[lowviz]

@scubadiver888, is this thread still alive?

If so,

...//... Anyone have any other ideas? ...

Try a pelican hook/clip attached to a central D-ring. (They are my 'swiss army knife' when trying dumb lifting stuff...)

They can be had in many variations, pic below is the one I use. A pull on the ring at the bottom of the pic will open it and it drops away. Takes several pounds of force to open it. The rubber band increases the breakaway force. Maybe hang a bolt snap or a cheap bag off the pull ring to attach the weight?

Bad news is you lose the expensive clip if it opens and always be prepared for a large sudden and unannounced increase in buoyancy.

 

[diversteve]

Why can’t you just leave the weight pockets on the bottom?

That was my first thought also - trash collection? used weight pockets are worth nothing and with a bp/w you don't need the actual weights.

If the Niagara is anything like the rivers I've seen there's better trash to be removed.

We sometimes tether dive near a popular river tubing site - you find all sorts of things including wallets, rings, sunglasses, lots of beer cans etc.

 

[scubadiver888]

Have you ever found a stray weight belt on the bottom?

I have not found a stray weight belt on the bottom. Not sure why. People who wear weight belts tend to lose them less? Less people use weight belts now a days?

I suspect that if you put your weight belt on wrong, it tends to fall off before you get to the water but if you have your integrated weights in incorrectly, they might hang in for a while before they fall out.

Why can’t you just leave the weight pockets on the bottom?

I figure who ever lost the weight pocket might come back and find their weight pocket or a friend might find it if it is sitting on the picnic table at the exit. Essentially, just trying to be helpful. If I find something on a dive that a fellow diver might have lost I bring it back and see if I can find someone who lost it.

 

[scubadiver888]

@scubadiver888, is this thread still alive?

If so,

Try a pelican hook/clip attached to a central D-ring. (They are my 'swiss army knife' when trying dumb lifting stuff...)

They can be had in many variations, pic below is the one I use. A pull on the ring at the bottom of the pic will open it and it drops away. Takes several pounds of force to open it. The rubber band increases the breakaway force. Maybe hang a bolt snap or a cheap bag off the pull ring to attach the weight?

Bad news is you lose the expensive clip if it opens and always be prepared for a large sudden and unannounced increase in buoyancy.

View attachment 458489

I usually have some sort of clip (double ender or a carabiner) but I find it is near impossible to find a clip point on weight pockets. There aren't really any holes or anything to clip into. Now that I think about it however, maybe carrying a loop of bungee cord might work. I can wrap the bungee around the pocket's handle then use a double ender to clip the bungee to a D-ring.

Still like the idea of stuffing the weight pocket in my waist belt. With the crotch strap it just might stay.

I seem to be okay with the sudden increase in buoyancy. When I've tried picking up a weight pocket I've had to compensate for the extra weight then went it gets too much to carry and I drop it, I have to deal with the sudden increase in buoyancy. It is hard, being in just 20 feet of water, but it is overwhelming.

 

[Marie13]

I figure who ever lost the weight pocket might come back and find their weight pocket or a friend might find it if it is sitting on the picnic table at the exit. Essentially, just trying to be helpful. If I find something on a dive that a fellow diver might have lost I bring it back and see if I can find someone who lost it.

Friends did a drift dive on the Niagra last summer. I saw some video. That's one hell of a current. I certainly wouldn't be bothering to pick something up in that current.

 

[Scared Silly]

I jam found weights under my bcd in the small of my back, kinda works. Fine if I stay horizontal.

I was also going to suggest this tip. It actually works quite well anytime one has a pack on their back. Certainly not fool proof but works well enough.

 

[Johnoly]

...It is hard, being in just 20 feet of water, but it is overwhelming.

Do you have a dive boat on your drifts that is near you and following?

If yes, then why not do what the Jupiter spearo's do and carry 1-3 extra SMB's and shoot the weights (ie fish for us) to the surface right away and let the boat captain deal with it by grabbing it on the surface with a boat hook. Rolled up SMB's are cheap, won't catch on anything and easy to shoot to the surface with 30 lbs attached (lol, who wear's 30#)

If resale value on the used weights is only $20 it's not worth it. But if like us and I come across a $400 Fortress anchor (free repairs & lifetime warranty) and is in almost new condition with stainless chain, heck yaa I'll stop, wrap it up and shoot it to the surface. The captain will be bitching at me, but that thing will sell for $200 on the Hulltruth message board in an instant.

 

[scubadiver888]

I jam found weights under my bcd in the small of my back, kinda works. Fine if I stay horizontal. Otherwise, I'll use a section of string and tie it to a bolt snap to clip around my tank neck or belt.

I dive back plate and wing. My harness is pretty well fitted. So I don't think there would be enough room to fit something as large as a weight pocket in there. So fair the suggestions which sound best for my rig would be stuffing it in my waist or maybe use a bungee to wrap around the handle of the weight pocket then clip it to a D-ring with a double ender.

Mandatory warning about the dangers of using yourself as a lift bag... Have your buoyancy well under control before salvaging small stuff... My buddy thought up an anchor. Glad he kept a good grip.

An anchor? There is no way I would try bringing an anchor up in the Niagara River. It is something like an 8 knot current at points. An anchor is something I'd try to bring up in no current at all and I'd use a lift bag. A weight pocket is going to have between 2 and 10 pounds. If it had 5 pounds or less then I'd try retrieving it. But trying to use myself as a lift bag for even 10 pounds is very dangerous. I usually have 6 pounds of weight. Grabbing 10 pounds is going to more than double my weight.

Friends did a drift dive on the Niagra last summer. I saw some video. That's one hell of a current. I certainly wouldn't be bothering to pick something up in that current.

It is a ripping fast current. I guess this is one of the reasons I do it. But at some points it gets a little boring. No big obstacles to navigate through. Terrain is fairly constant. No marine life. Then i see a weight pocket.

Do you have a dive boat on your drifts that is near you and following?

If yes, then why not do what the Jupiter spearo's do and carry 1-3 extra SMB's and shoot the weights (ie fish for us) to the surface right away and let the boat captain deal with it by grabbing it on the surface with a boat hook. Rolled up SMB's are cheap, won't catch on anything and easy to shoot to the surface with 30 lbs attached (lol, who wear's 30#)

If resale value on the used weights is only $20 it's not worth it. But if like us and I come across a $400 Fortress anchor (free repairs & lifetime warranty) and is in almost new condition with stainless chain, heck yaa I'll stop, wrap it up and shoot it to the surface. The captain will be bitching at me, but that thing will sell for $200 on the Hulltruth message board in an instant.

The drift we are talking about is a shore dive. We go to the start of the Niagara River at a place we call the washing machine. You can either go around and round because of back eddies or you can drift out of the washing machine and it spits out down the river towards Niagara Falls. There is no danger of going over the falls because you'd have to drift for hours to reach the falls. But the current is really fast.

I don't do it for the resale value of the weights. I figure someone lost a weight pocket. Those things aren't cheap. Because there are only a few exit points, if you lose something on the drift you can usually go to one or two exit points to see if someone found it and dropped it off at an exit point.

Retrieving weight pockets is more for the fun and challenge. I wouldn't recommend it to someone just starting out. I'm a Divemaster for a local scuba club. I'd never encourage any of our OW or AOW divers to try something like this. The drift is VERY fast and the water to usually between 8 to 30 feet. Most of the students have a hard time maintaining buoyancy. You really have to have your buoyancy under control when you are dealing with 8 feet of water.

 

[stuartv]

(lol, who wear's 30#)

And in just one pocket?!?