For basic recreational diving, the primary concern is that the weights you are wearing are ditch-able in case of emergency. The secondary (but most primary for diving successfully) concern is that you are wearing the correct amount of weight.
It can happen that a diver requires a lot of lead. This can be due to both physical characteristics and equipment configuration. In this case, wearing weights in only either pockets or weight belts can seriously impinge on proper buoyancy control and trim, and therefore distribution of lead between the two is advised. Weight on the belt can drag your legs down, and I've seen plenty of people wearing too much weight in their BCD pockets which has the opposite effect, and so therefore if you need to wear 10 kilos of weight, perhaps 6 in the jacket and 4 on the belt is a possibility - but there are too many variables to suggest that one way is better than the other.
There are a number of different systems - belts, harnessess, pockets, backplate and wings - etc. - available but there is no single correct way to position your weights. There are some configurations that may be helpful to some but not to others, and to some extent this is all a matter of trial and error and personal preference. Anybody who tells you that you must only wear weights either here or there is, quite simply, wrong.
Experiment - whether that be taking a buoyancy class or just fun-diving with a buddy in an easy location where you can try different weighting configurations - the final decision is yours alone. If you wear different systems, make sure your buddy knows how you are configured what to ditch first in an emergency. Don't make it too complicated. Many BCDs have "trim pockets"; experiment with moving your tank up or down an inch or so; you will know when you hit the sweet spot.
Cheers
C.
It can happen that a diver requires a lot of lead. This can be due to both physical characteristics and equipment configuration. In this case, wearing weights in only either pockets or weight belts can seriously impinge on proper buoyancy control and trim, and therefore distribution of lead between the two is advised. Weight on the belt can drag your legs down, and I've seen plenty of people wearing too much weight in their BCD pockets which has the opposite effect, and so therefore if you need to wear 10 kilos of weight, perhaps 6 in the jacket and 4 on the belt is a possibility - but there are too many variables to suggest that one way is better than the other.
There are a number of different systems - belts, harnessess, pockets, backplate and wings - etc. - available but there is no single correct way to position your weights. There are some configurations that may be helpful to some but not to others, and to some extent this is all a matter of trial and error and personal preference. Anybody who tells you that you must only wear weights either here or there is, quite simply, wrong.
Experiment - whether that be taking a buoyancy class or just fun-diving with a buddy in an easy location where you can try different weighting configurations - the final decision is yours alone. If you wear different systems, make sure your buddy knows how you are configured what to ditch first in an emergency. Don't make it too complicated. Many BCDs have "trim pockets"; experiment with moving your tank up or down an inch or so; you will know when you hit the sweet spot.
Cheers
C.