Bright Weights

[tridacna]

Anyone used these weights before? I did a few dives in South Africa this year. I was given these as ballast. I use a DUI harness on my DS and these tubes just slipped though the drainage holes of the harness pockets. I had to tie-wrap them together to make a non-slippable lump of weights. Total pain. The dive op only used these these things. Personally, despite their attractive look, I suspect that they solve a problem that doesn't exist.

Anyone else have no experience with them?

BRIGHTWEIGHTS - Swim Like A Fish

 

[sambolino44]

Interesting how the website says the problem is the waist belt being low and the BC air and your lungs being high combine to make your trim angle up; then the first product they show to correct this is ankle weights.

 

[4sak3n]

I own a set of these and am very happy with them ... as long as I just consider them a standard ballast system (like any other weight belt) and not a method of correcting my trim.

I originally bought them for that reason (correcting my trim) because I wanted the tank harness to put weight around my cylinder. I was struggling with my trim and didn't have trim pockets on the BCDs that I was renting.

However the tank weights are a HUGE pain in the ass. They are difficult to position so that they don't interfere with tightening the cam band. They made my cylinders more dynamically unstable (i.e. if I rolled to the side they would try to pull me even further around) and they got bent out of shape really easily.

That changed when I bought my bp/w. I bought a SS bp weighing ~3kgs so I simply swapped out the tank weights I was using for the bp and I immediately felt better. The weight is closer to my back and hence my centre of gravity so it didn't create such a huge moment/lever for the weight to pull me around and there was no issue with connecting it to the cylinder.

A SS bp and the tank weights aim to achieve much the same but the bp is MILES better. I would not recommend that tank weights to anyone. They are a pain in the ass and other options (bps and trim pockets) work much better.

However, the weight belt is another story. The little tube weights are designed to be like soft weight in that they conform to the shape of your waist. I simply adore my Bright Weights weight belt! It is the most comfortable weight belt I have ever worn. It is sort of a cross between soft and hard weights.

It has the advantages of hard weights (smaller volume for the weight and doesn't leak and stain everything) as well as the advantages of soft weights (moulds to fit your body).

I think the weight belt is an awesome product and heartily recommend it.

The ankle weights ... well those share the problems that all ankle weights do. No comment.

Tridacna, you had a problem with them because you used them for something they were not designed for. If you had tried o pour lead shot into your harness you would have had the same problem but wouldn't have complained because it is obvious that that is a silly thing to do.

Now granted it is a bit of a nuisance that Bright Weights can't be used for all ballast purposes (like in your harness) like hard weights can but if you had used a Bright Weights belt I think you would have enjoyed the experience.

P.S. They are ridiculously overpriced here in SA. As nice as Bright Weights are I wouldn't buy them new. They are ,after all, just a weight system and the small convenience provided by them isn't worth paying an arm and a leg for. Much rather put that money towards some other gear. But ... since I already own them

 

[tridacna]

Tridacna, you had a problem with them because you used them for something they were not designed for.

No...I had the problem because that's all that the Dive Store offered me. It would have been nice if they had a few regular weights too. I agree about the weight belt; It's kinda neat being able to slot in more weights at any time and in any position. But I don't wear a weight belt so no help there.

 

[Scubastud16]

I saw these at ProDive when I visited Australia earlier this summer, and to be honest I was a little confused by their "method" for correcting trim. On the other hand, the weights in general are a pretty cool idea.

 

[widget]

Hmmm, they have been sold in the USA and I can find out which store stocks them if you are interested - personally I think they are a waste of time and effort and dont really do anything a simple weight belt would not achieve and are reasonably expensive.

........but I concur, you were using them for an application they were not designed for, used correctly they are fairly comfortable (which in my mind is their only selling point) and because there are no "edges" they dont stick into your back or sides.