How To Wear Weightbelt with Harness

[dkatchalov]

Hi all

I have a DR deluxe harness and am trying to work out how to wear my weight belt with it.

I noticed that with the harness properly adjusted the waist strap normally sits just below my ribs and I tried putting the WB on underneath that but it feels uncomfortable and tends to push up the waist strap.

So how does everyone a WB with a harness? Can I wear the WB underneath the harness? i.e. Put WB on first, then harness and crotchstrap? Removing the WB becomes more difficult, but is it still possible/safe if I need to ditch weight?

Thanks.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Hi all

I have a DR deluxe harness and am trying to work out how to wear my weight belt with it.

I noticed that with the harness properly adjusted the waist strap normally sits just below my ribs and I tried putting the WB on underneath that but it feels uncomfortable and tends to push up the waist strap.

So how does everyone a WB with a harness? Can I wear the WB underneath the harness? i.e. Put WB on first, then harness and crotchstrap? Removing the WB becomes more difficult, but is it still possible/safe if I need to ditch weight?

Thanks.

When I dive dry I wear a weight belt with eight pounds. I always put my weight belt on first. Then my harness and pull up the crotch stap. If I ever had to ditch weights it is a matter of pulling two buckles instead of just one. When I dive with a wetsuit I don't need a weight belt being that I'm properly weighted without one.

In nearly 30 years of diving I have yet to find the need to ditch my weights. Maybe I'm just lucky. The only time I ditch weights is when I'm working with Rescue divers on skills with the unconscious diver drills.

 

[tc]

They make weight pockets for the DR, thats one option. Another might be a weight harness, DUI has one and there are a couple of others out there. You could wear the weight harness below the DR harness and just ditch the pockets if a problem arises.

 

[Land Locked]

I use the DUI weight and trim II with my DR deluxe harness, works for me. YMMV.

 

[battles2a5]

If you are wearing a weight belt, wear it below your harness. If diving wet, wear it over the crotch strap, dry where is below. Are you using a stainless steel backplate? Singles or doubles? I don't have to wear any weight with a drysuit and doubles, or when I'm diving wet w/ singles using a SS BP and STA. That may be an option as well.

 

[dkatchalov]

If you are wearing a weight belt, wear it below your harness. If diving wet, wear it over the crotch strap, dry where is below. Are you using a stainless steel backplate? Singles or doubles? I don't have to wear any weight with a drysuit and doubles, or when I'm diving wet w/ singles using a SS BP and STA. That may be an option as well.

Battles, Im diving 7mm wet+5mm vest+boots, gloves, hood.

so far I dived a jacket bcd on singles.

my weight with the above setup was 12kg (26 pounds), which was too much (could not hold the 20ft safety stop with no air in bc, kept sinking).

with my new setup I have an alu bp/w setup (oxycheq 30lb) with a 2lb sta and will def. need to drop some weight. just need to figure out how much. going to do some pool dives tomorrow to try and work this out.

when you say "wear below your harness" you mean harness goes on top of belt? i.e. put belt on first, then harness?

thanks.

 

[evil_xander]

I do it like this:

- when diving wet, WB goes over the crotch strap (rubber belt, wear it really low, below the harness waist strap line)
- when diving dry (thus needing more lead), WB goes under the crotch strap (under the crotch strap, again, below the harness waist strap line)

What you can also do is wear it under the harness, but above the waist strap line. If you have a rubber weight belt, it will give you more flexibility about your options.

I'd suggest to try any of the above mentioned scenarios and see what fits you best.

If you're skeptical about putting the WB under the crotch strap, you can also put it under the strap in the back and over the strap in the front.

Hope this makes sense to you.

p.s. With that much exposure protection and lead, you really should have gone with the SS plate, not AL, to remove some lead from your belt.

 

[dkatchalov]

I do it like this:

- when diving wet, WB goes over the crotch strap (rubber belt, wear it really low, below the harness waist strap line)
- when diving dry (thus needing more lead), WB goes under the crotch strap (under the crotch strap, again, below the harness waist strap line)

What you can also do is wear it under the harness, but above the waist strap line. If you have a rubber weight belt, it will give you more flexibility about your options.

I'd suggest to try any of the above mentioned scenarios and see what fits you best.

If you're skeptical about putting the WB under the crotch strap, you can also put it under the strap in the back and over the strap in the front.

Hope this makes sense to you.

p.s. With that much exposure protection and lead, you really should have gone with the SS plate, not AL, to remove some lead from your belt.

I go the Al plate given I will need to travel with my rig and there is no way I'm going to lug around a plate that weighs 3kg.

I may consider investing in channel weights/weight pockets to take some weight off my waist. Given my past diving in a jacket BCD, I should be able to take about 3kg off my belt with this setup.

 

[Colliam7]

when diving wet, WB goes over the crotch strap (rubber belt, wear it really low, below the harness waist strap line) - when diving dry (thus needing more lead), WB goes under the crotch strap (under the crotch strap, again, below the harness waist strap line). … What you can also do is wear it under the harness, but above the waist strap line. If you have a rubber weight belt, it will give you more flexibility about your options.

As Xander suggests, you should try several configurations and see what works for you, because there are lots of equally effective ways to do it (and you have gotten several very good posts demonstrating this – web WB, rubber WB, DUI Weight & Trim harness, etc.). Yet another way to move some weight off your waist is to use ankle weights clipped around your tank. The two issues you raise are: 1. Is the WB over/outside the BP harness, or under/inside the BP harness (crotch strap); and 2. Is the WB ’above’ or ‘below’ the waist strap on the harness. For situations where I need a WB, wet OR dry, I wear it under/inside the BP harness, and ABOVE the BP harness waist strap. (Tried the WB above and below the waist strap and above works best for me.) I also have set up my BP harness waist strap buckle so it sits slightly to the right front of midline (IOW, to release it I have to reach across my midsection toward my right side to release it), AND I put my WB on with the buckle at midline or even very slightly left of midline. Like Jim, I have never had to ditch weights ‘for real’, although I regularly practice doing so and having the WB under the harness and above the waist strap is not a problem (I also switch to a BC for Rescue classes).

Im diving 7mm wet+5mm vest+boots, gloves, hood. … my weight with the above setup was 12kg (26 pounds), which was too much. … I have an alu bp/w setup (oxycheq 30lb) with a 2lb sta and will def. need to drop some weight.

With that much exposure protection and lead, you really should have gone with the SS plate, not AL, to remove some lead from your belt.

Very important point, and would agree! Whether a drysuit, or thick neoprene, if you need a lot of lead for single tank diving, consider a SS BP. Even if you have purchase an AL BP, think about adding a SS. My read of your OP is that you are diving single tank, cold water (? quarries, winter ?). In that situation, I also use a steel tank, to reduce weight on my waist

 

[dkatchalov]

As Xander suggests, you should try several configurations and see what works for you, because there are lots of equally effective ways to do it (and you have gotten several very good posts demonstrating this – web WB, rubber WB, DUI Weight & Trim harness, etc.). Yet another way to move some weight off your waist is to use ankle weights clipped around your tank. The two issues you raise are: 1. Is the WB over/outside the BP harness, or under/inside the BP harness (crotch strap); and 2. Is the WB ’above’ or ‘below’ the waist strap on the harness. For situations where I need a WB, wet OR dry, I wear it under/inside the BP harness, and ABOVE the BP harness waist strap. (Tried the WB above and below the waist strap and above works best for me.) I also have set up my BP harness waist strap buckle so it sits slightly to the right front of midline (IOW, to release it I have to reach across my midsection toward my right side to release it), AND I put my WB on with the buckle at midline or even very slightly left of midline. Like Jim, I have never had to ditch weights ‘for real’, although I regularly practice doing so and having the WB under the harness and above the waist strap is not a problem (I also switch to a BC for Rescue classes). Very important point, and would agree! Whether a drysuit, or thick neoprene, if you need a lot of lead for single tank diving, consider a SS BP. Even if you have purchase an AL BP, think about adding a SS. My read of your OP is that you are diving single tank, cold water (? quarries, winter ?). In that situation, I also use a steel tank, to reduce weight on my waist

Thanks for all the replies guys, it really helps.

I dive in Melbourne, Australia. Water temp currently is 14 celcius and it rarely gets above 20, even in summer. Hence all the exposure protection.

Realistically, I think I can wear 9kg on the belt (20 pounds). I will try this config on the weekend in the pool to see if it works.

As I mentioned before, I dont want/need a two-plate setup at the moment so I got the alu plate for travel.

I am also tall (6'7", skinny - 87kg and lanky), hence it has always been harder for me to descend, hence all the weight. But as I am getting more experienced now I am realising that 12kg was way too much.

I may try the ankle weights on tanks as well.

Thanks for all the suggestions.