Do you care about ditchable weights?

[MrTW]

I just got back from my LDS and had an interesting discussion about weight systems.

Essentially, I was told that an 'experienced' diver (whoever classifies as such) does not need and/or use ditchable weights.

I personally never had to ditch weights but do like the idea of being able to do so in case of an emergency.

My current setup allows to ditch though not in one motion - I would have to open velcro, reach around things and funnel the weights out.

Now I'm wondering who really cares about ditchable weights or at least the ease of ditching them?

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I do.. for both freedivers and scuba divers. So much so that I will replace your lost MAKO Belt and/or MAKO weights if they are ever lost in an emergency.

You can read the details of our policy toward the bottom of this link.

Freedive Weight Belt | MAKO Spearguns

thanks
Dano

 

[BRT]

Some ditchable weight is OK. Not too easily ditchable is better for most of the weights.

 

[2airishuman]

PADI places considerable emphasis on ditching weights because they conducted some sort of a study of accidents among new divers and concluded that a common pattern was drivers drowning after reaching the surface safely and failing to ditch weights.

My thinking has evolved over time and dives, and with watching others.

I dive with proper weighting (not overweight), and with a warm water (3mm two-piece) wetsuit, I can swim my rig up to the surface, and ditch my kit, with an empty BC. I can also swim my rig up and inflate my BC orally. I practice all this stuff. With a 3/2 wetsuit I don't use any lead and can still swim my rig up. If I'm diving with no wetsuit at all then I'll dive without a (steel) backplate to stay balanced. So in these situations, the ability to ditch weight doesn't matter to me personally in my diving. Other divers with different skills, confidence, inherent natural buoyancy, etc., may need to depend more on ditching weight.

With cold water the situation does change, as with a 7mm two piece wetsuit I will be carrying 20 pounds of lead, or 14 pounds of lead and a pony tank that is 6 pounds negative, and I may have to ditch weight under some circumstances.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Ditchable weights are not specific for the experienced or inexperienced diver -- it's an important feature to me to have when an emergency occurs. Emergencies don't only happen to inexperienced divers. They can happen to everyone so it's important for me to have ditchable weights. It's also important to know how to ditch your buddy's weights in an emergency and to communicate how to have them ditch yours as well as you being familiar with your own.

 

[Nemrod]

I just got back from my LDS and had an interesting discussion about weight systems.

Essentially, I was told that an 'experienced' diver (whoever classifies as such) does not need and/or use ditchable weights.

I personally never had to ditch weights but do like the idea of being able to do so in case of an emergency.

My current setup allows to ditch though not in one motion - I would have to open velcro, reach around things and funnel the weights out.

Now I'm wondering who really cares about ditchable weights or at least the ease of ditching them?

I am afraid I must disagree with whoever told you that. Yes I care and yes I have ditch-able quick release weight. I may use trim weights that cannot be quickly released but I can (quick) release enough to provide sufficient positive buoyancy at any point in the dive and post dive (suit crush).

N

 

[Silver $crambler]

Wonder if any dive buddies have been whacked by the falling weights?
One of my instructors had a story of finding a line of weights in the sand apparently dropped one by one from a weight belt.

 

[tech3324]

Try using this calculator to see if your setup requires ditchable weights: The "Ultimate" wing lift calculator :)

 

[gcarter]

I just got back from my LDS and had an interesting discussion about weight systems.

Essentially, I was told that an 'experienced' diver (whoever classifies as such) does not need and/or use ditchable weights.

I personally never had to ditch weights but do like the idea of being able to do so in case of an emergency.

My current setup allows to ditch though not in one motion - I would have to open velcro, reach around things and funnel the weights out.

Now I'm wondering who really cares about ditchable weights or at least the ease of ditching them?

Horsepuckey. It depends on your configuration. Exposure protection, warm water versus cold, singles versus doubles, wet suit versus dry suit, etc. A lot of different factors. And even if you dive the most balanced rig possible, experience as a diver does not mean that it might be nice to ditch some weight if you are spending an extended time at the surface awaiting pickup.

 

[BoltSnap]

I use weight integrated BC for recreational diving and it has ditchable weights except for some trim weights. I have been diving for over 40 years (active all of these years).