I encourage others to register personal experience with the options you
mention. I would really be quite happy to see some feedback (negative or
positive). I am very interested in the thought process for divers on the
list.
For my part I ask that you bear with me while I elaborate a few other
aspects that might be known to you. However, I frequently see people look at
only a part of this equation so one more comprehensive response may be
useful.
The most important aspect of weighting is to ensure the system is "properly
weighted" aka "balanced rig". In general divers wear far too much weight;
they also commonly wear detachable weight in a disproportionate amount. In
other words if I am using 20 pounds of total weight I do not want it all in
the form of a weight belt; dropping this much weight will cause a rapid and
largely uncontrolled ascent to the surface.
The first step is to determine exactly how much weight you actually need.
This is done with a weight test in which we purge nearly all the gas from
our tanks (500psi/35bar) and hover at 20'/6m. You should be wearing just
enough weight that you can stay at this point but have very little if any
gas in your BC/dry suit. You should also be able to swim this system from
depth without the aid of gas in the BC (preparing for the possibility of a
failed BC).
If you are weighted as described above then there is not really a need for
detachable weight. This is because you can easily swim from the bottom
without dropping weight which gives you much more control over your ascent.
If you need detachable weight then you need to see how much must be dropped
in order to swim to the surface comfortably with a failed BC. If you do not
need detachable weight then you have significant flexibility about wear to
place additional weight. This is because it does not need to be dropped. In
this case, you could use ACB, weight belt, a weighted single tank adaptor, a
stainless steel plate, or trim weights (on the tank) or any combination of
these. You may decide which to use based comfort or practicality. For
example, I prefer to have most of my weight off my waist and in the other
forms mentioned. Yet, when you travel it may be necessary to get weight at
location, requiring ACD/weight belt.
If you do need detachable weight or can't travel with integrated weight
(backplate, weighted adaptor etc) then you have to see how much you need and
where you want to partition this weight. Dropping a weight belt from a
harness system is feasible but needs to be practiced for proficiency (as do
most things). You need to be sure you can get at the belt and that you are
comfortable getting it to release from the harness/crotch strap. This was
part of the purpose of the ACB. The other side of the equation is that a
weight belt requires you to drop all the weight where as the ACB and other
weight pocket systems allow you to drop as little as one half the weight
(two pockets). This could be advantageous with some weighting scenarios.
Of course there are several complications to this idea of a properly
weighted system. For example, you have to consider equipment that changes
buoyancy during the dive (neoprene suits, breathing gas (helium changes less
than nitrox) and you have to consider various forms of weighting options.
There are also complexities to technical systems that require a lot of
weight due to the logistics ie double steel cylinders used due to gas
requirements. Yet, these are all more based upon a technical configuration
and the hope is one can gather experience with the concept and then make
better choices as they engage technical diving.
For my part, I hate weight belts and find them uncomfortable. I prefer to
use a variety of the listed options to reduce or eliminate weight on my
waste. Where I do use weight on my waist I try to minimize it as much as
possible and wear either weight belt of ACB depending on the dive, my
particular needs (amount that must be detachable). For recreational diving I
generally prefer the integrated weight pockets though I do sometimes use a
belt if that is more convenient for a particular series of dives.
Best,
Jarrod Jablonski
