Weightbelts, why does everyone hate them so much?

[CT-Rich]

I have a clip on my float line hanging a foot below my flag. If find an object like a weight belt or small anchor, I can swim it up and clip/tie it off before resuming my dive. I am getting too old for rough entries/exits but you can tow heavier finds back to shore. You can also use a DSMB to lift some objects. Doing it my way you are not trying to hold onto more crap during your exit. Get on the beach and deal with it once you are safe.

 

[Imla]

I don’t understand the hatred towards weightbelts.
Maybe I’m old school, but I’ve always been a believer in using a weightbelt to split up my weights between the rig and my body. It allows me to use a smaller wing on my rig for better streamlining, it allows me to remove my rig underwater if the need ever arises, it gives me an option to ditch some lead in the event that I need to bail out of a situation.
When I saw the first BC’s coming out with integrated weight pockets I thought it was a bad idea. Even during my tech diving days we wore weightbelts with two buckles. Phil Sammet was always a big advocate of weightbelts.
Now with this new craze to have all weights non ditchable is mind boggling to me, I honestly don’t get the rationale. I think it’s bad enough that industry has made it where you are supposed to stuff all your weight onto/into a BC rig, but to not have anything ditchable just seems like insanity to me.
I can see putting some weight on the rig to relieve the need for a giant weightbelt, but still having some weight to ditch just seems like a great idea and provides a margin of safety.
What’s wrong with using rubber freediving belts?
They are comfortable, they don’t slip, they’re great.

Please help me understand when and how this new trend started and how long it’s supposed to last.

I have a vested interest in this phenomenon, otherwise I could care less what people do.

From your picture... you look like the "standard male". Smaller waist than torso. For you guys, a weightbelt might seem all fine and dandy. If you pop those measurements arount... with a significantly larger hip vs waist, the consequence of a weightbelt will be either needlessly tight and uncomfortable, or a weightbelt lodged somewhere between your bellybutton and your ribs... I can tell you... it is NOT comfortable. Beeing slightly (ok, abit more than slightly) hippy also comes with a different buoyancy caracteristic than the standard feet heavy male... If I were to dive with lead placed the same as my male buddies, it be so top heavy that I wouldn't be able to trim out. A weightbelt is a real PITA!