Are Weight Belts Obsolete?

[lucybuykx]

Nitrox aside, the superior, modular, flexible and multi purpose wing/BP/weight belt will rise up to slay the puffy, cumberbund integrated weight BC units. They simply are unsuited for anything beyond limited recreational, tropical diving.

85%+ of UK divers go on at least one diving holiday a year. The figure is similar for US divers. From a totally unscientific survey of divers I have met in this area, most divers ONLY dive recreational and tropical once or twice a year.

The limited nature of their diving is more related to the days of holiday granted by their employer than the kit they wear or depth they go.

 

[String]

Where did you get the 85% figure from?

FWIW BCDs are still by far the most popular thing you'll see worn in the UK for local diving. For every wing you'll probably see 10 BCDs (half of which are Buddy Commandos!).

I know of trimix divers using their BCDs quite happily too.

Wings are slowly getting more popular but still a massive minority for both local and foreign diving.

 

[Walter]

I dive in cold water, with a dry suit, and use a fully integrated weight system. I use a Zeagle Ranger and it has enough weight capacity to handle me and my drysuit.

I started diving in 1980 with an ATPAC. And have used nothing but integrated weight systems for my entire diving life. The only time I use a weight belt is in the pool where I have to demonstrate weight belt skills to students.

Diving with an integrated weight system is a different set of skills than weight belts. Weight integrated BC's don't suck, it's just that most divers have never been properly trained on how to dive weight integrated. The basic scuba courses all focus on weight belts and require weight belt skills.

I was lucky that back in 1980, the standards allowed more local control of content and I happened to sign up for basic scuba at a store that taught all their OW classes with ATPAC's. So, I learned integrated weight skills from the beginning.

ATPACs and raining lead shot - lovely.

It's not a different skill set. Weight integrated BCs are either a PITA because they are to heavy with which to easily switch tanks or they are a PITA because you are removing weights before switching and reinserting weights after switching. You obviously like them, good for you, enjoy.

I'm not aware of a single course that requires a weight belt instead of a weight integrated BC, although some courses (hopefully all) do require students to learn to use a weight belt.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If Scuba divers would take a lesson from freedivers and use rubber weight belts that automatically compensate for wetsuit compression and prevent sliding and slipping, then most of the complaints about weight belts would disappear. Maybe DIR will someday take a critical look at the weight belt and come to the obvious conclusion that a black rubber weight belt is clearly superior. They seem to agonize over the smallest details and then, in my opinion, fail to address an inferior piece of gear which has the potential to really cause problems if it is uncomfortable, too loose, falls off or rotates. I've not yet seen someone who has tried a rubber belt, go back to a nylon belt again. The depth compensating (spring -loaded) buckles don't provide enough tension and they lack the rubber which seems to slide less than nylon.

I have nice one of those sea soft, belts with 16 lbs of shot weight (found it years ago), if any one likes those things, I will sell it for cheap (although I wonder what shipping of 16 lbs of lead would cost). I really don't need it in my garage anymore... $15 plus shipping?

I disagree with your opinion that rubber freediving belts are superior for scuba, actually they are quite dangerous and here's why;
I've witnessed rubber belts that have a nick in the side suddenly tear in half and fall off a diver. This happened to my dive buddy one day while we were gearing up to go freediving for abalone. We had to jerry rig it back up so he could dive.
If this would have happened on a deep scuba dive let's say, it could have been fatal or someone could get seriously hurt.

BTW I use rubber belts for freediving because if they give way, so what, you just go up. But I use only nylon webbing for scuba. I also use the largest weights I can to get the right weight, i,e, 2 - 12lb weights, one on each side for a 24# belt. This works better for me.

If that guy's belt didn't give way that time I'd probably still be diving with a rubber belt not knowing the dangers.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I've not seen a rubber belt fail yet. I have one that is a little dry rotted and the rubber is 30 yrs old. I'll check my belts for nicks!

 

[Thalassamania]

I disagree with your opinion that rubber freediving belts are superior for scuba, actually they are quite dangerous and here's why;
I've witnessed rubber belts that have a nick in the side suddenly tear in half and fall off a diver. This happened to my dive buddy one day while we were gearing up to go freediving for abalone. We had to jerry rig it back up so he could dive.
If this would have happened on a deep scuba dive let's say, it could have been fatal or someone could get seriously hurt.

BTW I use rubber belts for freediving because if they give way, so what, you just go up. But I use only nylon webbing for scuba. I also use the largest weights I can to get the right weight, i,e, 2 - 12lb weights, one on each side for a 24# belt. This works better for me.

If that guy's belt didn't give way that time I'd probably still be diving with a rubber belt not knowing the dangers.

I've been using rubber belts for about 40 years and never seen on fail in the way in which you describe, but I'll be on my guard now. I also find that the rubber belts work better with more disributed weights.