Weight belt or pockets for BP&W?

[fjpatrum]

having been doing this for the last 4+ years, I can't at all agree with your statements....

YMMV. I hated having the weights directly on my harness waist strap.

 

[Hatul]

and the reason is?

I tried putting different types of wt pockets on the waist band and had two problems. First it makes the harness really awkward to handle and don having heavy weight on the harness belt. Second you have to permanently secure the weight pouch to the waist belt or it will slide during the dive or when you're donning the harness.

I found it much nicer to just go with a rubber weight belt. There is another nice benefit to the weight belt, in that if you remove the rig in the water the wing has to lift less weight.

 

[Ayisha]

Laikabear, some of the shops in SoCal rent steel 80's and I found it really helped to cut my weight down and trim out better. The first time in SoCal, I used 20 lbs with an AL 80, the next time, I rented HP steel 80's and wore only 10 lbs (with a jacket), and it was very comfy. With my AL bp, I'd probably only need 8 lbs or so, but haven't been to SoCal since I switched 5 years ago.

The trim pockets on your cambands work really well, and you can even put 2 more if you have upper and lower straps.

Also a weight on your bp works very well. My bp is different, and has a removable weight in the Single Tank Adaptor, and it sounds like you can attach a weight as well.

Lots of good options!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I tried putting different types of wt pockets on the waist band and had two problems. First it makes the harness really awkward to handle and don having heavy weight on the harness belt. Second you have to permanently secure the weight pouch to the waist belt or it will slide during the dive or when you're donning the harness.

I found it much nicer to just go with a rubber weight belt. There is another nice benefit to the weight belt, in that if you remove the rig in the water the wing has to lift less weight.

There's another significant benefit to the weight belt. Your weights are mostly to offset the buoyancy of your exposure suit. With a weight belt, the buoyancy and weights are effectively a unit. When putting all your weights on your rig, should you have to remove the rig in the water you are effectively separating your body ... which is where all the buoyancy is ... from your rig ... which is where all your weights are. Your body now becomes buoyant, and your rig heavy. Unless handled carefully, you'll suddenly find yourself on a ride to the surface without your breathing gas (which will be making its way toward the bottom). This is particularly of grave concern when diving cold water, with a heavy exposure suit and significant offsetting weight.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[decompression]

As Bob says, it can be a good idea to distribute your weights....I reflect on how many times in an emergency had to remove my gear......in a few thousand dives.....right about....not once. Not to say it can't happen, the kelp in PNW can reach out and grab you.

 

[icechip]

I use a set of Zeagle weight pockets that attach to my SS BP. They can hold up to 10 lbs each, snug nicely against your sides and can be easily dumped.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

There's another significant benefit to the weight belt. Your weights are mostly to offset the buoyancy of your exposure suit. With a weight belt, the buoyancy and weights are effectively a unit. When putting all your weights on your rig, should you have to remove the rig in the water you are effectively separating your body ... which is where all the buoyancy is ... from your rig ... which is where all your weights are. Your body now becomes buoyant, and your rig heavy. Unless handled carefully, you'll suddenly find yourself on a ride to the surface without your breathing gas (which will be making its way toward the bottom). This is particularly of grave concern when diving cold water, with a heavy exposure suit and significant offsetting weight.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yes there are so many reasons I prefer a wt belt over integrated weights. If you only need a little integrated weights.. then maybe, but I find a rubber belt with hard weight to be the most comfortable, convenient and versatile configuration.

I also think it is probably safer since it may well be easier to ditch if you get in trouble and may also be more conspicuous to a rescuer as well.

A lot of people don't "have a waist". An inelastic belt (a conventional scuba belt) must be tightened up VERY tightly to not fall off their ass AND it often requires re-tightening at depth if they are wearing a thick wetsuit that will become compressed. This does absolutely nothing good with respect to comfortable and efficient breathing.

A thick wetsuit already provides enough restriction of the chest and abdomen to make breathing less comfortable - why add a tight belt across your belly too?

If given the choice of an uncomfortable nylon belt that falls off OR integrated weights... it is easy to see why so many new divers will select a weight integrated solution. They most often are never given a third choice...

A rubber belt which will stretch and cling to your body and will not slide down or spin around. It also, as mentioned .. will automatically compensate for suit compression at depth.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

As Bob says, it can be a good idea to distribute your weights....I reflect on how many times in an emergency had to remove my gear......in a few thousand dives.....right about....not once. Not to say it can't happen, the kelp in PNW can reach out and grab you.

If you are diving from a small vessel with no ladder, it is sooo much easier to hand up a weightbelt. You get the belt off, and you are comfortably floating, slip out of the bC and the helper will appreciate the 10 or 15 lbs less weight.. Also, I personally really like having enough lead on my belt so that i can jump in and snorkel should some cool creature show up on the surface interval. If you have a thick suit and all your lead is on BC pockets, you are going to be pinned to the surface and may not even be able to kick and swim at the surface well because you are so buoyant.

In very cold water, with multiple layers of 7 mm suit, I will often add some non-ditchable lead to the harness, or scuba unit .. 4-6 lbs or something, but a good portion of the lead will be on my (rubber) weightbelt.

 

[Bob DBF]

I use an XS scuba weight belt, it has pockets for solid or soft weights. I use it because of of that, and I have a variety of tanks and may need to change weight between dives, and this makes it easy. Since I only put 10 to 15 pounds in the belt, I use XS Scuba pockets on the cam bands for the rest of the weight and trim. I use steel tanks to minimize the weight I do need.

By limiting the weight on the belt, it does not have to be kept overly tight to keep it from slipping, or killing your back from the weight while horosontal.

I also find it is easy to do a weight check on a shore dive, at 15', 500#, and empty BC, just slip a weight out of a pocket and set it on the bottom to check your buoyancy. Do it enough and you can feel if you are over or under weighted.


Bob

 

[REVAN]

The biggest risk with weights is losing them when you don't want to. The only waist mounted system (integrated or belt) that has never failed me is a rubber belt with an actual buckle as opposed to a clip. I like distributing weights for trim and also that with distributed weights any single failure will not send you rocketing to the surface out of control.