Harness crotch question, weight belt over or under?

[Nitro91]

Im not uncomfortable with the weight belt under the crotch/waist strap it's just hard to fasten the crotch/waist buckle properly over the weight belt as they both sit on my hip. maybe I should reposition

 

[Rich Keller]

The weight belt should always be the last thing you put on as it is the first thing you want to take off in an emergency where all else has failed.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I have been diving for 33 years and have just over 5,000 dives. I also have four backplate and wing setups for various types of diving. In all that time I have never been in a situation where it became necessary for me to drop my weight belt.

I know we train for this situation and I teach my students the proper method in Ow class. But I think it will be a rare instance when or if you actually have todo this.

I put y weight belt on first then my BP/W. The crotch strap is loose enough that it does not bind. The buckle can be center or offset it's your choice.

It does require one additional step to the weight belt off but that's maybe two seconds.

It all comes down to personal preference and what is comfortable and what works for you.

 

[Jorgy]

All BP/W divers I dive with know wear their weight belts under their crotch straps......

It should also be noted that all of them have their lead distributed in multiple locations, so the belt itself typically only has about 6 to 8 lbs on it.

The rest of the lead is combination of: ankle weights, SS BP, bolted on BP weights, weighted STA, weights in pouches on the cam bands or BP harness waist strap. This is so they can trim out horizontally under water.

Having it spread out can prevent a massive loss of lead at depth and an uncontrolled fast ascent.

All of the weight except the SS BP and BP weights are ultimately ditchable with a little work and/or help from a buddy.

M

 

[dumpsterDiver]

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?

The bolded statement is not necesarily true. I learned to dive with a horse collar BC and it was always stressed that the Weight belt went over the outside of the harness, so that the belt could be ditched. When I started using a BP/W about 8 yrs ago, this issue of weight belt under the crotch strap made me very nervous. It is way too much of a pain to put the tank on, and the crotch strap and then try to wiggle the weight belt on over it.. too hard for me on a small boat anyway...

So i have a compromise I think I can live with... I have a fastex 1-inch quick release clip on the loop of belt that is on my waist strap on my harness. The fastex clip allows me to make on the fly adjustments in the crotch strap tension and if I release it, then the weight belt is no longer trapped. It will still leave the crotch strap dangling from the rear attachment point on the plate. I DO NOT have to open my waist strap to free the weight belt from being trapped by the crotch strap.

I know people view a fastex buckle as a failure point, but come on, it is over my nuts...If I have an accident that is strong enough to damage the fastex buckle while wearing the rig, I think I will be worrying about "other things"...

 

[RTee]

I use Zeagle 2 in crotch strap on my SS BP/Wg (diving doubles) as well as on my Express Tech (diving single). If need be, the front part of the strap could be undone by hand to facilitate ditching of weight belt...if I was to wear one, which I don't anymore. However, if I happen to wear one again, I would wear it underneath my crotch strap (weight belt would be the first thing I would put on) and my buddy (if diving with someone else than my GF) would be ''educated'' as part of the pre-dive buddy check as to how he or she could easily get at it in case of emergency.

I also wear a two compartment front pouch dead center the belt of my harness which also covers ...and protect the crotch strap release mechanism against accidental releases.

 

[FuzzyNutz]

For me, I don't like having 2 buckles, and I think 2 belts are just a pain in the ass to deal with in general. In a full 3mm suit in salt water with a steel bp, I only need 2-4 lbs of lead, and have managed with none - and it's only there so it's easier to stay down with an empty tank for a safety stop, so I put it on the cam bands. I have a NON-ditchable weight pocket threaded onto both cam bands and put 2 lbs in each one (they can hold up to 5 lbs each). Nice and easy and out of the way! You never have to adjust them, they don't slide around, they're not gonna fall off, and it just feels really nice not having weights wrapped around your hips! If you're not using a lot of weight, maybe you'd like to try that? (just remember that you can't get ditch them!)

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I either have the weightbelt under the crotch strap or wear no ditchable weights at all. Get me to the surface and cut the whole damn rig off. Or support me at the surface until more help comes. One of the things I train my OW divers to do is support a diver at the surface for two minutes. Which is more than enough time to cut a harness, unbluckle and drop a weightbelt, get rid of integrated weights, etc.

 

[TSandM]

There is a school of thought that says that wetsuit divers should have the weight belt over the harness, because they have no redundant source of buoyancy, while dry suit divers are okay with it under, because they have two ways to become positive.

In my experience, it is very difficult to wear a sizeable weight belt, as we need to use in Puget Sound, over the harness.

If I had to cope with a completely panicked, out of air diver on the surface and try to get his weights off to make him safely positive, I think I'd find the "under the harness" setup to be at best a royal pain, and at worst, just plain dangerous. This is why we make our OW students in backplates go through the frustrating process of getting the belt on the outside. For myself, I am willing to gamble on the idea that I am not going to be both out of gas and completely panicked on the surface. And I have never been able to come up with a scenario where I would need to drop weights at depth.

 

[Splitlip]

The bolded statement is not necesarily true. I learned to dive with a horse collar BC and it was always stressed that the Weight belt went over the outside of the harness, so that the belt could be ditched. When I started using a BP/W about 8 yrs ago, this issue of weight belt under the crotch strap made me very nervous. It is way too much of a pain to put the tank on, and the crotch strap and then try to wiggle the weight belt on over it.. too hard for me on a small boat anyway...

So i have a compromise I think I can live with... I have a fastex 1-inch quick release clip on the loop of belt that is on my waist strap on my harness. The fastex clip allows me to make on the fly adjustments in the crotch strap tension and if I release it, then the weight belt is no longer trapped. It will still leave the crotch strap dangling from the rear attachment point on the plate. I DO NOT have to open my waist strap to free the weight belt from being trapped by the crotch strap.

I know people view a fastex buckle as a failure point, but come on, it is over my nuts...If I have an accident that is strong enough to damage the fastex buckle while wearing the rig, I think I will be worrying about "other things"...

Same here. I went through the same processes. Now in fact if I do need the belt, it goes on as soon as I get the bottom of my wetsuit on.