Weight Belt

[CALI68]

If the weight belt is to be put on first then how do you ditch it if it's under the crotch strap?

Thank You.

 

[Wendy]

Just undo it and pull it out from under the crotch strap. Its not hard to do. The crotch strap shouldn't be so snug that you can't do this. Practice a couple times in a pool or some place like that.

 

[CALI68]

Thank You!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Thank You!

Cali,

Wendy's right, you can pullit out if you need to. Here's an alternative method.

First put on your weight belt, tighten just enough not to drop it.

Put on your harness, shoulders only. Lean to the side and reach back and around the side for your crotch strap. Grap it and pull it forward around the side, not between your legs.

Tuck the end of the crotch under the weight belt from the top, and pull it down and around the side to the back. Now it's under the weight belt at the rear.

Swing and pull the crotch strap between your legs, tuck up under the weight belt. Fasten the waist belt / crotch strap of your harness, then snug up weight belt.

Your good to go with the weight belt on over the harness.

Sounds like a struggle, really pretty easy.




Regards,




Tobin George

 

[francr]

Unbuckle the crotch strap and then your weight belt. IMHO, if you've decided to ditch your weights, something terribly wrong has happened and it is your last ditch effort to get up to the surface. If you know your gear configuration, and actually practiced the procedure, this is not a big deal. In my single tank gear config, if I have to ditch my weights (6lbs, 3lbs on the front left and right hip. This is all the weight I need with a stainless steel BP and ST Tank), all I have to do is unbuckle my backplate belt and pull on the strap on the right. This action will loosen the crotch strap and makes it easier for me to release my belt. IMHO, the act of releasing your weights is not spur of the moment decision, but a culmination of series of events/crisis you are experiencing underwater. I can still remember my O/W instructor, "stop, breath deeply, think, and act." You should have enough time to do what you got to do to release your belt.

 

[Soggy]

The only time you would ever need to ditch your weights is on the surface and even if you have to undo the crotch strap, it only takes a second. The security of not being able to accidentally lose your weight far outweighs the potential downside of it taking a few extra moments to ditch the belt.

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

I've never heard of the weight belt going on first??!! Is that something new? It was drilled into my head the belt is the last thing to go on and first to come off.....Years ago when we used the horse collar, I saw a guy ditch his belt and it got hung on the crotch strap. I always put mine over the strap. And no direspect intended but dropping a belt when the situation warrants it should be the rule. To say you should only drop a belt from the surface isn't in my experience a statement I can agree with. I've dumped my belt several times from say 30 or 40 feet, and the ride was kinda thrilling, but fortunately no after-effects....not the BEST thing to do, but better than the alternative. Gotta be careful what you say, a newbie at 20 ft drowns because he reads where you shouldn't ditch unless you're on the surface and hesitates. There are as many different kinds of divers as there are divers. Obviously ditching from 100 ft would be a disaster, ditching for the kind of diving I do is a little safer.

 

[Soggy]

To say you should only drop a belt from the surface isn't in my experience a statement I can agree with. I've dumped my belt several times from say 30 or 40 feet, and the ride was kinda thrilling, but fortunately no after-effects....not the BEST thing to do, but better than the alternative.

Think of it this way...

A diver with a single Al80 only needs enough weight to offset the 6 lbs of gas in the tank. That's all. So, at any given time, a diver never needs to be able to swim up more than the weight of their own gas. How is dropping a weight belt underwater solving a problem? All it does is increase the odds someone will need a chamber ride or worse, embolize.

Plus, unless you have weight that is ditchable in pieces, dropping a 15 lb belt from 100 ft ensures a rocket ship ride to the surface. Better hope the boat is close and has plenty of O2.

This, of course, assumes a properly weighted diver.

 

[Dan Gibson]

One can also put the weight belt on so it is over the crotch strap in the back and under in the front. This way it is protected a little better from opening in the front and easily ditachable because it is over the strap in the back.

This is something AG taught us back in our early 2002 Fundamentals class. I no longer use it as I'm never that overweighted that I would need to drop the belt.

Cali,

Here's an alternative method.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'm not advocating ditching your weights, just providing a means to don your own gear with the weight belt on outside if this is what you prefer. This a very common question from new users of BP/W's


I do have question however. I'm not baiting anybody. I do want to know.

What is the DIR position regarding weight belts, and or ditchable weight in general?



Thanks,



Tobin