scubaseeker
Guest
With so much interest about the loss of weight pockets, I thought I'd give an update after my frightening uncontrolled ascent - weight insert loss experience. Before venturing on a holiday to Musandum, I took my Mares Prestige BCD back and told them of the uncontrolled ascent and the problem of the weight pockets falling out. The dealer tried each mechanism himself and did not argued with my view 
, instead saying it would be send it away for a check out. A week later I went back and he returned it but with new inserts and suggested I try these out before sending to check out the internal mechanism itself. I was okay about this, but this time I did two things:
1. tied fine rope/string to each weight insert and to BCD as a precaution
2. distributed 2 kilos in each pocket maximum and two each in rear pockets. (8 kilos total)
On the next series of dives, none of the weights moved out - thank goodness, and I could sense much more friction in the inserts then previous.
Conclusion:
I will never entirely trust weight pockets again but I will keep the tied-line as an extra precaution. My Buddy mate has a Dragon BC and he uses spairegun loops instead after his weight pocket losses.
I also feel Mares should consider a warning people about the potential risk of weight pocket loss and advise purchasers to take a precaution and distribute the weights across the rest of the body (possibly a maximum 2 kilos in each insert) so that, in case a pocket does falls out, one can not be in danger of an uncontrolled ascent, noting that this defect could have been very serious indeed.
Extra info background: my uncontrolled ascent occurred after loss of one weight pocket in about 7 metres of water. A relatively new Prestige BC.
, instead saying it would be send it away for a check out. A week later I went back and he returned it but with new inserts and suggested I try these out before sending to check out the internal mechanism itself. I was okay about this, but this time I did two things:1. tied fine rope/string to each weight insert and to BCD as a precaution
2. distributed 2 kilos in each pocket maximum and two each in rear pockets. (8 kilos total)
On the next series of dives, none of the weights moved out - thank goodness, and I could sense much more friction in the inserts then previous.
Conclusion:
I will never entirely trust weight pockets again but I will keep the tied-line as an extra precaution. My Buddy mate has a Dragon BC and he uses spairegun loops instead after his weight pocket losses.
I also feel Mares should consider a warning people about the potential risk of weight pocket loss and advise purchasers to take a precaution and distribute the weights across the rest of the body (possibly a maximum 2 kilos in each insert) so that, in case a pocket does falls out, one can not be in danger of an uncontrolled ascent, noting that this defect could have been very serious indeed.
Extra info background: my uncontrolled ascent occurred after loss of one weight pocket in about 7 metres of water. A relatively new Prestige BC.
