Anyone ever have to Ditch their weight?

[djanni]

This thread got me to wondering? http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=183764


Anyone ever have to ditch their weight? Why?

 

[djanni]

The only reason to drop weight that I can think of is if you're on the surface and the BC will not hold air or you can't get air to the BC to help you stay afloat. Dropping all your weight would help in that situation.

Are there other situations?

 

[in_cavediver]

Anyone ever have to ditch their weight? Why?

Yep. Just after certification. I needed to ditch about 10lbs of wieght. Took me 30 dives to figure it out though.......

 

[djanni]

Yep. Just after certification. I needed to ditch about 10lbs of wieght. Took me 30 dives to figure it out though.......

Was that just because your were trying to get properly weighted? I'm wondering if anyone has had to ditch weights for another reason. An emergency or something like that.

If it was for another reason why did you have to ditch the weight?

 

[DBailey]

This thread got me to wondering? http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=183764


Anyone ever have to ditch their weight? Why?

I have assisted people that were having difficulties (edit: on the surface) by ditching their weights.

 

[Jeremy Bouwman]

I've found a few weights on the bottom before. During my OW class, another student put his weight belt on too loose and it fell off at 50 feet. Took the elevator to the top. He was fine, but it is possible to lose a weight belt accidentally as well.

 

[Cacia]

I did a cesa after my valve was switched almost off as I strode off a boat. I reached about 70 ft and the "door" closed. At the time I was diving with my inflator disconnected (SS inflator button/ Halcyon issue) and solo. When I reached the surface I did not have any air in my lungs when I went to inflate my bcd, orally. The surface was rough, I was alone, so I dropped my weights, 6 pounds on a belt. I am not a fan of weighting my back plate because of how I dive.

I was fine, just had my cage rattled.

 

[do it easy]

I was freediving and the first time I got to 50', I looked up and chickened out because I couldn't see the surface (low vis). I ditched my weights to give myself every possible advantage and kicked my way up.

 

[Tom Winters]

Over the years, case after case involving scuba drownings compiled by the National Underwater Accident Data Center (NUADC) at the URI reported that the victim still had the weight belt on.
At the military dive club onbase at Pearl Harbor that I was a member of, SOP was that I would replace anyone's weight belt if they even remotely considered dropping it for any reason. No questions asked and no recriminations or smart remarks. Just replacement.
When I did dive charters, every guest was told that they would not be charged for loss of their weight belt no matter what the reason.
I never did have to buy anyone a weight belt, but I wouldn't have minded a single iota, even if they dropped it by mistake.
I diveds on Maui once with a lady who had a $200!!! weight belt, and this was in the early '80's. It was pink Dacor soft weights with one fancy belt. She was from LA, and besides her mask, this was the only other piece of gear she took on her travels.
No way in hell she would ever drop that baby. Also, she was the only person named Wilma I ever met outside of watching the Flintstones.

 

[Sjassi]

Nope never. I have never incountered anything more severe than heavy freeflow in all of my dives.