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There are three buckle designs: thread-thru force friction fulcrum buckle, wire bail buckle with rubber belt (can be used with standard webbing but is a real PITA) and SeaQuest buckle and belt. The thinking diver will try and select the one that does the best job.
To my way of thinking, a weight belt should have a positive opening and closing buckle that permits the buckle to be opened and the belt to be removed with a minimum of motion and with just one hand. I do not feel that a buckle depending on friction meets that specification.
To the best on my knowledge the wire bail buckle and SeaQuest buckle answer all the issues that have been raised while the more conventional thread-thru buckles do not. Thats not to say Your Gonna Die if you use the conventional buckle, but I seen enough situations in life where such buckles added one more problem and so I no longer use them.
As far as IW systems are concerned, if you can take the tank off and not lose buoyancy control, no problem. But if removing your tank would result in your not being able to maintain your depth or prvent you from making your stops on your buddys auxiliary, you might want to give that some thought. The incident detailed above in only one of many unexpected and unplanned for things that can and do happen. I have a SeaQuest Black Diamond that I like to use in the tropics with a thin suit, I never use more than 10 lbs in it, since I can swing 14 lbs on my lungs and in an emergency can ditch my tank and still maintain my buoyancy be shifting my breathing lower in my cycle.
To my way of thinking, a weight belt should have a positive opening and closing buckle that permits the buckle to be opened and the belt to be removed with a minimum of motion and with just one hand. I do not feel that a buckle depending on friction meets that specification.
To the best on my knowledge the wire bail buckle and SeaQuest buckle answer all the issues that have been raised while the more conventional thread-thru buckles do not. Thats not to say Your Gonna Die if you use the conventional buckle, but I seen enough situations in life where such buckles added one more problem and so I no longer use them.
As far as IW systems are concerned, if you can take the tank off and not lose buoyancy control, no problem. But if removing your tank would result in your not being able to maintain your depth or prvent you from making your stops on your buddys auxiliary, you might want to give that some thought. The incident detailed above in only one of many unexpected and unplanned for things that can and do happen. I have a SeaQuest Black Diamond that I like to use in the tropics with a thin suit, I never use more than 10 lbs in it, since I can swing 14 lbs on my lungs and in an emergency can ditch my tank and still maintain my buoyancy be shifting my breathing lower in my cycle.
