jbd:Can't disagree with you on this, however these are most likely the same people who insist on diving in a horizontal attitude. I have yet to have an unbuckled weight belt fall off when I'm horizontal. Yes I have been in situations where the belt was unbuckled both intentionally and unintentionally. IMHO weights should be easily ditchable---at least some portion.
I agree that this dive should have never happened.
I always wear my weight belt under my crotch strap. I don't have any trouble getting the weight belt off either. There is no extra step because I don't need to undo the crotch strap in order to get the belt off.
In fact this is the way I demo it for students both at the surface and at depth so not only can I do it but I can do it very quickly and easily. I can get it on the same way.