Harness crotch question, weight belt over or under?

[Nitro91]

I have a bpw with crotch strap and I also use a weight belt. Wondering If I should put the weight belt over the crotch strap or under it, the latter putting the weight belt on, then putting bc and crotch strap over it.

I found having the crotch strap over the weight belt kind of uncomfortable and will try it under weight belt next dive but also interested to hear what others do.

 

[highflier]

Noob here, would it not be a little more difficult to drop the weight belt if it was under the harness?

If so I would think the rule of thumb wold be belt on top, so it can be droped by a insta buddy in a emergency.

Highflier

 

[dbulmer]

To the OP,

Keep the weight belt under the crotch strap.

Generally speaking you should not really be noticing that you are wearing the weight belt. Try tightening your belt a little more and do a weight check to make sure you are not carrying too much weight. The crotch strap should be a snug but comfortable fit. If the crotch strap feels too tight slacken it a little bit. Just remember to keep it fairly tight bearing in mind your exposure equipment. A neoprene wetsuit will compress at depth so you need to make adjustments bearing this in mind.

Putting the weight belt beneath the crotch strap does make releasing weights in an emergency take a bit longer but you can practice this in shallow water quite easily. The more you dive the easier this gets.

Most of the time we dive we want to prevent the weight belt coming off in order to prevent positive buoyancy. With the belt under the crotch strap if your belt comes loose it will most likely get caught in the crotch strap and so you do not lose your weight belt - you just get your buddy to help you refit it (or refit it yourself).

With the weight belt over the crotch strap it's more likely to be lost - at depth this is something you do not want to happen of course.

 

[g1138]

Either or. There is no right universal answer. There are pros and cons to each configuration and a different mindset to each as well.

If you put your weightbelt on first, so it's under the crotch strap, you'll be unable to quickly ditch your weightbelt w/o first undoing your waist buckle and unthreading the crotch strap.
One such mindset behind this configuration is you should never have to dump your lead ever to get the the surface. You should instead be able to swim your weight up to the surface even with a full loss of buoyancy in your wing.
If not then you should be equipped with some form of redundant buoyancy.
There may be other reasons, this is just the most common one that I've heard so far.

Putting the weightbelt over the crotch strap so it's easily ditchable stays with the usual mindset that you're taught in Basic. That is you should always be able to easily and quickly ditch the majority of your lead.
If you chose this configuration, make sure your lead and belt is sitting under your backplate, and not over it. Also make sure it's not blocking your D-rings.

One thing to think about is if you would ever need to ditch and don your BC underwater to clear a first stage entanglement or fix a loose tank. Should this happen having the weightbelt under the crotchstrap would make the whole process easier and safer. However on the counterargument, it is just as easy to take preventative measures to ensure this doesn't happen.

The choice is up to you how you want to configure yourself. Just take note about how this affects the way you're able to dive. Both configurations should be equally comfortable. Perhaps your Bp/W isn't fitted right or you're wearing your weightbelt too high/low?

 

[g1138]

I'd also like to add, based on highflier's comment, that not all divers are taught to ditch a belt on the bottom if performing an unconscious diver rescue.

If you're belt cannot be easily ditched, it's your responsibility to tell your buddy. And also your responsibility to give your buddy a solution as to how they could rescue you from the bottom should they be unable to swim you up.
eg. orally inflate BC or power inflate or undo waist buckle and ditch belt etc etc.

Give them a solution or procedure. Even if it's blatenly obvious to you, sometimes it's better to just state it.

On another topic. If you're a diver whose panicking on the surface, and your belt if under your crotch strap, your buddy can't really help you with that. Don't expect your buddy to magically be able to quickly ditch your belt.

 

[fdarden]

I do not wear a weight belt, personally I think they are a terrible design. If I did I would want to be able to easily ditch it myself, but MORE importantly I would want others to be able to find it and ditch it with minimal effort. Placing the weight belt outside of any additional straps or harnesses (which eliminates a gear specific situation) is the best choice IMHO. Certainly lacing through the crotch strap is not something the average diver would expect, and if you need to ditch in an emergency is an additional step that you might not have time for. Actually I would recommend investing in a pair of ditch-able weight pockets and get rid of the weight belt. Dive-Rite makes a nice set that will slip all the back on your waist-belt, and you really dont notice them there. I was extremely hesitant to use these (i only use weight in the winter with my wetsuit) But I am glad I tried them.

 

[buddhasummer]

...or if you use the DR 1" or 1.5" crotch strap as shown below, no unthreading is required simply unclip and the weight belt will drop away unhindered.

 

[buddhasummer]

I wear a 2" without slide release ,as shown below, with weight belt under.

 

[buddhasummer]

On a side note am unable to use edit function when posting from IPad...strange....

 

[SeaCobra]

First thing I would say is be sure you are properly weighted; weighting and proper trim are an art form that is often overlooked and highly beneficial to the diver. I also use the DR clipper pockets on mine and they work quite well. I dive in cold water, with a drysuit most of the time, when I use a single E8-119 I need about 6 pounds of ballast. (YMMV)

While we do not want to lose our weightbelt at depth, strapping it under your crotchstrap is a knee jerk reaction to a problem that does not exist. For years off of the jersey coast most of us dove with a military harness (it had a crotchstrap), no bc and weightbelts were worn over the harness. I do not recall anyone losing their belt and rocketing to the surface. You needed to be properly weighted, put the belt on properly and paid attention when you got to depth.