Losing your weight belt--Let us count the ways.....
- Thread starter nolatom
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soggybadger
Contributor
Why was he filming himself if he was under instruction?I may be going out on a limb here, but I'd guess YouTube
Remembered to continue shooting, but forgot that he could deflate his BCD. I believe that my priorities would have been somewhat different, and that's why I always use a tether on my camera rig.
deeno
Registered
I didn't exactly lose a belt, but...
About 5yrs ago I was renting for a boat dive in Hawaii. I was about 10min into the dive and thought to tighten the belt a little since I could feel it wasn't quite tight enough and I didn't want to lose the belt. Well! When I went to adjust it, the release lever came off in one hand and I somehow caught the belt with my other before it slipped completely off, so was able to pull it tight and hold it in place with one hand for the rest of the dive. I even managed to hang onto the lever and stick it in a BC pocket. It honestly wasn't too distracting and I went on to have a great dive.
When I came back on board I passed my belt up and fished the broken lever out of my pocket. The DM looked at me like I was crazy when I explained that I had just been holding my belt the entire dive. Being a newish diver at the time I didn't really realize what a problem I had just avoided.
I have never re-adjusted my weight belt mid-dive since then. In fact I had completely forgotten that happened until I saw this thread and I think I will make sure I bring my own belt from now on.
About 5yrs ago I was renting for a boat dive in Hawaii. I was about 10min into the dive and thought to tighten the belt a little since I could feel it wasn't quite tight enough and I didn't want to lose the belt. Well! When I went to adjust it, the release lever came off in one hand and I somehow caught the belt with my other before it slipped completely off, so was able to pull it tight and hold it in place with one hand for the rest of the dive. I even managed to hang onto the lever and stick it in a BC pocket. It honestly wasn't too distracting and I went on to have a great dive.
When I came back on board I passed my belt up and fished the broken lever out of my pocket. The DM looked at me like I was crazy when I explained that I had just been holding my belt the entire dive. Being a newish diver at the time I didn't really realize what a problem I had just avoided.
I have never re-adjusted my weight belt mid-dive since then. In fact I had completely forgotten that happened until I saw this thread and I think I will make sure I bring my own belt from now on.
Tom_Ivan
Contributor
Check out the 2017 BSAC incident report. It's full of lost weight incidents.
Never had a weight belt fall off in the water, but I did have one slip down my body as I walked along shore in La Jolla.
I do find the occasional lost weight pocket in the dive park though (lost by others).
I do find the occasional lost weight pocket in the dive park though (lost by others).
Rred
Contributor
I figure that one day I will lose either a fin or a weight belt on a bobbing transom but I really try not to let that happen. For whatever reason, my old school "lift the lever" plain cam buckle nylon belt is more than a foot longer than it needs to be, and I just tuck the excess into the waistband of my BC. That also mean that if I accidentally pull the lever (the buckle) and release the belt, there's still some extra length, some extra chance to grab at it. I've also got the weight distributed at the sides, none toward the rear, so it is again easier to "get a grip" on the middle of the belt, with the weight split on either side.
I've thought about adding a clip to the belt, so that I could clip it onto a line before doffing it, ensuring it couldn't fall down, but that means having someone else tend a line, and that complicates life again. So I just make sure that someone else really has a grip on it, before I let go of it.
I've thought about adding a clip to the belt, so that I could clip it onto a line before doffing it, ensuring it couldn't fall down, but that means having someone else tend a line, and that complicates life again. So I just make sure that someone else really has a grip on it, before I let go of it.
Bob DBF
Contributor
I put a D-ring on the back of my belt so I can snap it to a line attached to my kayak or boat. I have similar attachments on all my gear to keep it from sinking or floating off, even if someone else is bringing it aboard.
I haven't lost a weightbelt yet, but have had them slip and screw up a dive for a while. Most instances it is because I rush my routine when suiting up, or don't make my normal checks submerging and at depth.
Bob
AfterDark
Contributor
Fifty years and counting haven't lost a belt. I use a Tenka spring loaded self adjusting buckle same one I bought in the 80's. I re-tighten @ 20fsw as well as my harness and unless I'm going past 80fsw I don't touch either again until post dive. A standard buckle takes more frequent re-adjusting but the same results can be achieved.
Also I wear my belt under my harness these days so I cannot really lose it, my configuration allows me to dump from weight pockets on my harness, there is rarely a need to dump weight and even less to dump ALL weight. I say this as a diver that has dropped a weight belt while underwater, to save my life, so I'll never say never, but rarely.
The weight belt for my dry suit is a harness with standard weight belt buckles on the shoulder straps and the Tenka buckle on the belt. That one would be a hard to lose.
Also I wear my belt under my harness these days so I cannot really lose it, my configuration allows me to dump from weight pockets on my harness, there is rarely a need to dump weight and even less to dump ALL weight. I say this as a diver that has dropped a weight belt while underwater, to save my life, so I'll never say never, but rarely.
The weight belt for my dry suit is a harness with standard weight belt buckles on the shoulder straps and the Tenka buckle on the belt. That one would be a hard to lose.
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TrimixToo
Contributor
I have lost one. Left it on the Garloo. Never got back before Hank died to retrieve it. :-(
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