Buddy did a Polaris
- Thread starter nategasser
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As Polly mentioned spreading your weight around is the best plan.
I use a weight belt with only two pounds on it for demonstration purposes.
I use a weight belt with only two pounds on it for demonstration purposes.
Wristshot
Contributor
Just like love, you want to spread the weight around.
When I first dove cold with 34 lbs on a weight belt it was difficult. (Two piece 7mm thick wetuit with tremendous bouyancy) When I switched to WI, I was down to 30 lbs, but it was awkward inserting the weight pouches. I have a fairly new BC so I have clips instead of velcro and I feel more secure. After a while I added a weight belt (colr coordinated of course) with 10 - 12 lbs, thereby diminishing the weight in the BC. 4-5 lbs in each of 4 pouches, two dumpable, two non-dumpable. Now I can dump various amounts if I choose to, and there is no huge amount anywhere. A 10-12 lb weight belt is nothing, and a BC with less than 20 lbs is much more manageable. (I use about 10-12 lbs when I dive warm) I always readjust my weight belt at depth, but I do so very carefully and horizontally. This is just what works for me.
My buddy has no hips, so weight belts do not work for him. He is super bouyant by himself, and when diving cold he uses 40 lbs. That was way too much for a couple of BCs. They will hold that much weight, but it extremely cumbersome, and very hard to insert pouches. He got a DUI Weight and Trim system, and he loves it. It distributes the load better for walking, and allows him to spread the weight and to be able to dump varying amounts if necessary. That is just what works for him.
YMMV.
Wristshot
When I first dove cold with 34 lbs on a weight belt it was difficult. (Two piece 7mm thick wetuit with tremendous bouyancy) When I switched to WI, I was down to 30 lbs, but it was awkward inserting the weight pouches. I have a fairly new BC so I have clips instead of velcro and I feel more secure. After a while I added a weight belt (colr coordinated of course) with 10 - 12 lbs, thereby diminishing the weight in the BC. 4-5 lbs in each of 4 pouches, two dumpable, two non-dumpable. Now I can dump various amounts if I choose to, and there is no huge amount anywhere. A 10-12 lb weight belt is nothing, and a BC with less than 20 lbs is much more manageable. (I use about 10-12 lbs when I dive warm) I always readjust my weight belt at depth, but I do so very carefully and horizontally. This is just what works for me.
My buddy has no hips, so weight belts do not work for him. He is super bouyant by himself, and when diving cold he uses 40 lbs. That was way too much for a couple of BCs. They will hold that much weight, but it extremely cumbersome, and very hard to insert pouches. He got a DUI Weight and Trim system, and he loves it. It distributes the load better for walking, and allows him to spread the weight and to be able to dump varying amounts if necessary. That is just what works for him.
YMMV.
Wristshot
My good friend and dive buddy was diving with several of his friends. They were at about 75 feet when his dive buddy on that dive decided to turn left abruptly. in the process of turning his fin caught my buddies weight belt just right and unbuckled it. Bef ore my friend new it he was on his way to surface. Lucjily his other friends saw it happen and were close enought by to get on top of him and pin him to the ocean floor and get his belt back on. It took four guys to pin him to the bottom all kicking in a downward motion to keep him there. While a his dive buddy put the belt back on. This story played a key role in my choosing a BC with integrated weights.
Mike
Mike
Leadking
Contributor
nategasser:
I lost my weightbelt two decks down in a room where another diver had died previously. I was in a Unisuit and 36 lbs positive. My belt slid under the floorboards and I tood on the ceiling fulling up the floor looking for it. Visibility was going so I decided to go without it. I was a mess... pulling myself down throught the first doorway my regulator hoses caught on something and were yanking the regulators away, my buddy had no understanding of what was going on. I thought "so this is how it ends". Obviously I made it out but it was not easy. The lesson I learned was dive with TWO buckles on my weight belt, both in a row, so they're easy to throw.
Two buckles is ok if you feel you need it. However It's probably more important not to have too much ditcheable weight (balanced rig). You just don't need to have that much of it ditcheable in order to ensure that you can become comfortable positive either at depth or at the surface. Diving a 2 piece 7 mil wet suit and a single tank I dive with 4 pounds ditcheable on a belt. The belt is under the crotch strap. If I loose it there won't be any problem at all at depth because of suit compression and especially if I have much gas left in my tank it won't be a problem closer to the surface either. If I'm low on gas I might have some trouble holding a shallow depth but I'll be able to control may ascent rate pretty well. In my doubles and a dry suit I don't have any ditcheable weight.
Another thing is that if you are horizontal and you're buckle comes undone...you still won't lose the belt!
Another thing is that if you are horizontal and you're buckle comes undone...you still won't lose the belt!
Here's my .02 on ditchable weight.
First, you would only ever have to dump any weight in the event you were diving solo, your bc had a catastrophic failure, and you had to get to the surface RIGHT NOW.
Second, assuming you had all of the above by the last happen, you could slowly remove individual weights until you had succeeded in removing what you needed to dump.
You should never have to be in a position in which you have to get to the surface RIGHT NOW.
Some will say what about an uncontrolable descent? My answer is, you were over weighted to begin with. You should have your bouyancy set before you descend. Dumping your weight in my eyes is just not an option.
As I said, my .02 worth.
Brian
First, you would only ever have to dump any weight in the event you were diving solo, your bc had a catastrophic failure, and you had to get to the surface RIGHT NOW.
Second, assuming you had all of the above by the last happen, you could slowly remove individual weights until you had succeeded in removing what you needed to dump.
You should never have to be in a position in which you have to get to the surface RIGHT NOW.
Some will say what about an uncontrolable descent? My answer is, you were over weighted to begin with. You should have your bouyancy set before you descend. Dumping your weight in my eyes is just not an option.
As I said, my .02 worth.
Brian
nategasser:
Er.. I've handed intergrated weights back to my buddies quiet a few times. One of them fell down on a wreck next to me just before I shot a fish. Of course, if my buddies stop losing weights around me I'll never know where they are
Kidding of course.. I keep pretty good track of where my buddies are.
BigboyDan
Guest
All this tells me is that there needs to be a better disign for weight belts. I'll see what can do...
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