weight belt failure

[TMHeimer]

I have a pouch belt and put less than half the weight you put in there. The only thing that has broken so far is the thing you pull the zipper closed with. I am still surprised there wasn't a bit of a tear you could see starting up as opposed to it just breaking. I do use suspenders which may ease the weight burden on the pouch, but I've used the pouch belt for 8 years. I have to talk Imperial on this, but I use 41 pounds with a 7 mil farmer john wetsuit and AL80 tank. 20 pounds in BCD, 7 pounds total in shoulder pockets and the rest (14 pounds--which is about 6 Kgs I think--in the belt). Probably a good idea to get some weight out of the belt whether it should've broken or not. I won't get into being overweighted. Weight checks don't lie. People with way more experience than me say I'm way overweighted--until they witness my weight check and watch me dive. Everyone is different. A fellow DM at the shop who just got his Instructors uses the same weight and is my size.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think reacted very well to a bad sitatuion, especially for a new diver. Closer inspection of the equipment before the dive is about I call suggest as to what you might have done differently. Stuff can happen, like equipment failures, and reaction to such events is a good measure of a divers abilities. I give you and your buddy and A+ on this one.
DivemasterDennis

 

[drbill]

Although I've never had a weight belt failure in 50+ years of diving, it IS something I've been concerned about at times. I always try to use good "locking" metal buckles (no plastic) and have often considered splitting my weights between the belt and weight pockets to ensure no catastrophic loss of all weight.

 

[TMHeimer]

Although I've never had a weight belt failure in 50+ years of diving, it IS something I've been concerned about at times. I always try to use good "locking" metal buckles (no plastic) and have often considered splitting my weights between the belt and weight pockets to ensure no catastrophic loss of all weight.

Agree about the metal buckles and distributing weight on belt and in BC--helps (me) with trim.

 

[XJJoe01]

Thank you to all that have provided advice and I assure you I will perform a serious weight check and distribute weight differently to make me a safer diver.

Joe

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[ibj40]

The concept of using trim pockets placed on your tank strap seems to have been overlooked as an option (suggested earlier, but it looks like you are committed to the idea of putting weights in your BCD pockets). I dive with a compartmented weight belt which is several years old, and have never had a problem, but once I started having to add weight due to going to a 5mm full wet versus a 3mm, I found that the weight belt was causing me to have back problems. I added trim pockets to my tank strap (very similar to how my wife's integrated BCD came originally), and it is amazing what taking weight off your waist can contribute to diving comfort. Putting weights into your BCD pockets still keeps the weight low on your body (although supported by your shoulders), but trims might help you in two areas: 1) Moving it off your belt; and 2) Moving it higher on your body for better in-water posture.

Just a thought.

 

[XJJoe01]

I ordered 4 xs scuba trim weight pockets that will show up in about 2 weeks to try what you suggested.

Joe

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[sphyrnidus]

Last year I got caught by a surge which I didn't expect and one of my Mares Plus integrated weight pockets left the premisses when I was slammed in to the gangway of the wreck I was swimming a long. Lucky as I am it fell on a ledge a few meters below and I was able to hold on to ship and retrieve it. This was at 25m. Of course in my other hand was my expensive camera. The SO was swimming behind me at that moment and she had no clue of my predicament at first but then put the pocket back in to it's socket. This was not the first time with the Mares BCD, which was about 5 years old, but in perfect condition. As we do some wreck diving I decided it was time to change to a BP?W. I put most of the weight in pockets attached to the backside of my tank and some in a pocket on the waist. I don't carry much lead, about 8 kg in a 7 mm suit going up to 12 kg when diving in a dry suit. This includes the back plate, of which I seem already to own several of for local diving (steel) and travelling (alu)
Putting some of the weight a bit higher helps you to be more horizontal.

 

[faze]

14KG in a 5mm wet suit???? I haven't read the entire posts so someone else may well have made this point, but that sounds hugely heavy to me - really, really heavy! - fresh or salt? and how large are you?

 

[sphyrnidus]

@faze yes he was told 2000 times