Need help with weight belt use

[Diverlady13]

A few months ago I started volunteering on the dive team at our aquarium. We dive on hookah and wear weight belts plus wetsuits, boots, fins, gloves, and (of course) masks. Obviously, it's shallow, so most of us wear at least 20 lbs in the pocket-style belts so that we can more easily stay down and clean. (This is what the volunteer dive coordinator has told us to do. Normally in the ocean I wear 14 lbs when diving in full gear with 3 mm wetsuit.) Quite often we're either hovering very near the bottom or literally on our knees to reach into certain areas. I'm really struggling with the belt and wonder if anyone can give me pointers.

In the more open turtle tank, I'm generally OK due to the configuration fo the tank. However, in the Polynesian tank I'm really struggling. Due to the tasks, we're moving around quite a bit and it's a pretty narrow space. I'm finding that the weight belts shift around a lot and also are difficult to keep from falling down over my hips. (I have a wider waist and narrow hips - like a pencil with boobs - ha ha.) I wet the belt before putting it on and then I cinch it as tight as possible, but it still shifts around my torso which completely screws up my buoyancy. Think of 20 pounds of weights positioned at your side, so your body wants to tilt sideways.

Am I doing something wrong or is this just how it is with weight belts? I've never used them anywhere but the aquarium. Is there something I can do to keep the belt from shifting around? Also, the weights falling down is problematic since I have heavy legs from weight lifting and a buoyant chest. When I'm on SCUBA, I place trim weights up high to counteract my upper torso buoyancy, but I don't think wearing a weight belt around my chest is quite the same.

 

[Scott Lemmon]

i started using a weight belt with a spring-loaded buckle. the real purpose is to keep the belt tight when you descend and the wetsuit compresses, but i find that it seems to keep the weights from shifting as well.

 

[laikabear]

Try a freediving weight belt made of rubber. Mako has a good one. You can get block weights for it and the rubber can be pulled very tight and it won't move around when your wetsuit compresses. I use one because I need the belt low around my wide hips, and belts made from webbing just slide up onto my waist. They are pretty comfortable, too.

Be aware not all brands of block weights will fit on the Mako belts because the belt is a little thicker front to back than webbing. So check that the block weights will slide on before you buy a bunch. The belt is REALLY long and you may trim the excess if you want, once you see how long you need it. Remember that the belt will need to weave in and out of all the weights, so do NOT trim it until you see how many blocks you will be using. Ask me how I learned that (and why I have 2 Mako belts, one long and one short). LOL.

 

[ibj40]

Weight Harness

Not an endorsement, but I saw another diver using something like this once.

 

[rick00001967]

how about something like this....

DUI Weight & Trim Classic Weight Harness

 

[TMHeimer]

I have heard of and once saw the harness. Good stuff. I have used the pocket belt with (dive) suspenders basically since I got certified in 2005. No tightening the belt, no belt slipping down or moving a round. I do realize removing the belt in an emergency would be a big problem, but I have 20 other pounds in my BC, so am sure to tell a prospective buddy to remove those if need be.

 

[Bob DBF]

The problem is a weight belt sags when you put it on standing up, so it never properly tightens. I always tighten again once underwater and horizontal. Using a rubber belt this can be minimized.

 

[Diverlady13]

Thanks everyone. Maybe I will buy a harness to dedicate to aquarium use. At least that would keep the weight higher on my body. I should have mentioned that the aquarium prefers that we do not wear our own gear out of concern for cross contamination. However, we can use gear that we buy to dedicate for aquarium use. I guess technically we could wear gear that we dive in elsewhere, but we'd be required to bleach sanitize it. (It's really discourage though except for masks.)

 

[Diverlady13]

I have heard of and once saw the harness. Good stuff. I have used the pocket belt with (dive) suspenders basically since I got certified in 2005. No tightening the belt, no belt slipping down or moving a round. I do realize removing the belt in an emergency would be a big problem, but I have 20 other pounds in my BC, so am sure to tell a prospective buddy to remove those if need be.

Interesting! I was unaware of dive suspenders. That may be a good option for me.

ETA: Not too worried about needing to drop weight in an emergency in this situation, so this may be the way I go.

 

[Diverlady13]

Try a freediving weight belt made of rubber. Mako has a good one. You can get block weights for it and the rubber can be pulled very tight and it won't move around when your wetsuit compresses. I use one because I need the belt low around my wide hips, and belts made from webbing just slide up onto my waist. They are pretty comfortable, too.

Be aware not all brands of block weights will fit on the Mako belts because the belt is a little thicker front to back than webbing. So check that the block weights will slide on before you buy a bunch. The belt is REALLY long and you may trim the excess if you want, once you see how long you need it. Remember that the belt will need to weave in and out of all the weights, so do NOT trim it until you see how many blocks you will be using. Ask me how I learned that (and why I have 2 Mako belts, one long and one short). LOL.

Thanks! If the harness doesn't work, I may try the belt. I'd pretty much have to use the aquarium's weights, so if I go that route I'll need to get some measurements.