How to get back onboard with weight pockets?

[Phil_C]

For now I use the formula - pockets for shore and boat dives and the belt for the Zodiac. Do you have a better idea? Do you use weight pockets with a BP&W at all?

Thanks!

J.

Johanan - I dive with a Dive Rite Transpac harness and wing, and I have recently been diving it in a drysuit as well with a crotch strap. On mine the weight pockets are attached to the shoulder straps at the waist where it joins the belt and are secured to the waist belt so they can't ride up. I wear a small amount of lead on a normal weight belt under the harness and the bulk of the weight I need in the weight pockets/pouches. This ensures the pouches are NOT completely full and stressed and the pouches are not straining against the retaining buckles as can happen if you fill them to the maximum capacity. When I dive from a RHIB (as I did last weekend) I pass the pockets up to the crew, then remove the harness and wing and pass it up empty of weight and finally pass the belt which has just a couple of pounds on it up last.

I float quite happily with the harness and weights out and still do so when the rig is off and passed up so the couple of pounds on the weight belt don't even dent the buoyancy of the dry suit.

If your weight pouches have tendency to ride up I would check the pockets are properly attached and are not too full of weight. I don't know what harness you are using or how the pockets are fitted, but I am a bit surprised if they are free to move. I'd check they are fitted right and make sure they can't ride up without blocking the pockets.

Good luck - P

 

[The Chairman]

The reason for handing up the weights BEFORE the BC is more for your safety. Are you negative with the weights in your dry suit? If you're still positive, I would just hand the whole thing up and let them deal with it.

 

[Peter_C]

I dive from a Zodiac all the time. I cut the crotch strap loose and take my weight belt off then toss it in the boat. Clip my kit off with a tag line and then jump in the boat. I like using a weight belt myself, and do not want the weight on my kit in case I have to take it off underwater. Wearing a drysuit you need weight on your body in order to stay neutralish.

Could you rig your weights with a D-ring of some kind that could then be clipped off so you don't drop them? We rigged my partners weight belt with a D-ring so she can clip it off and drop it without fear of loosing it.

1. remove gear in water and secure to line (my gear will not float without me in it)

I had the same problem with a 30lb wing and upgraded to a 40lb wing and now never have my kit sink.

 

[krawlings]

try these they work greatwor simaler to a lot of the jacket BCD.S w ditch-able weight pouch


SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - 16LB QB Weight Pocket

 

[Hatul]

Just take the whole Scuba rig off with the weights and let the crew haul it into the Zodiac.

 

[g1138]

What weight pocket do you have? This is a very vague description to go on, but I'm guessing you either have trim pockets mounted upside down or an equivalent w/o a inner pocket.

If you make a future purchase I might suggest getting weight pockets w/
1) an inner pouch that clips into the outer pocket (most of the inner pockets will have a handle)
2) a IW system that has a Tri-glide sewn into the pocket itself so you don't have to jurry rig you own securing device.

Halcyon, Diveright, and various others make IW systems that meet this criteria.

If not that then take off your gear, climb into the boat, and haul your gear in.
If there's wave action or current, hold your reg hose pinned onto the side of the boat while you crawl in.

 

[Bonairetrip]

The challenge is that some weights are easier to remove and hand off than others. I also feel you should be able to float your rig (without you in it). So these are you choices:

a) Use a standard weight belt (your current approach for zodiac)
b) Ditch your entire kit and pass it over (in many cases)
c) Use weight pockets added to your kit (your current approach for non-zodiac)
d) Use something like a weight harness
e) Modify your pockets so the entire (and full) pocket can slide off.

Options A & B
We know options (a) and (b) work just fine. If using option (b), please remember to inflate the wing to make your kit buoyant before you take it off in the water. Watching your entire kit sink would not be cool!

Options C & D
You have lots of choices within options (c) and (d) and the trick is to find a pocket system that works well for what you want to do. You want to look for one of two styles.

The first are top loaders where you can easily reach in and remove the weights without ditching the pockets. For example, on the DUI harness, you can simply pull open the velcro and lift the weights up and out. (The DUI has two velcro pockets per side. The whole side comes off if you pull the cord. So I use hard weights and if I use multiple weights per pocket, I string them together and attach a bit of a leash). On some Zeagles, you have a zipper top to load weights and have a yellow mesh bag that goes in throw the top. You can simply unzip the top and can pick up the yellow bag.

Note: Do not try and pull the rip cord to dump and entire side and try to catch the falling weights. You will not be happy with your success rate...

The second are the type where you typically load sliding pockets in horizontally. An example of this is what Krawlings posted. I also have a set of suspenders that work the same way. The trick here is to just pull the entire pocket out like you were going to dump the weights and then you simply hand up the pockets. This would be by far your easiest alternative.

Option E
It might be possible to figure out a way to attach a weight pocket that would both not move on the waist band but could be slid off the waist band when needed. For example, there might be some way to melt a hole in the weigh belt and use marine gate clip instead of your d ring to prevent the slide. Perhaps you could use something you could slide off (like a QR weight belt buckle) in lieu of the d-ring.

Last thing: no matter what option you select, please make sure you fully understand how your weight ditching systems works, verify that it works as intended within you set-up and practice dumping your weights a few times (shallow water -- both UW and at the surface, at the end of a shore dive is when I would do it).

 

[Johanan]

Hi, friends!

Thank you for the attention you gave to my question and for very informative answers! They even exceed the limits of my question. I got new ideas regarding my kit. The pockets with removable inner pockets seem a good solution. I should explore the weight harness, too. Also some new insights regarding the procedures. Surely, extra tipping could mitigate the mood of the crew regarding my heavy rig.

Every time I am impressed by the divers' solidarity in action as you devote a small part of your lifespan to a stranger to share your experience and advise me. For me it makes the human race a better company in this world. Hope to see you somewhere, sometime and have a good dive together!

Regards

J.

 

[Oldbear]

try these they work greatwor simaler to a lot of the jacket BCD.S w ditch-able weight pouch


SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - 16LB QB Weight Pocket

I dive with a BP/W and I am still very positively bouyant. I normally use about 10-12kg (22-26 lbs.). I use Dive Rite's 32 lbs Weight Pockets. I love them for I can adjust their position on my harness much better than my BCD; this makes it very easy for me to trim my posture in the water. When I surface, I just hand my weight to the boat attendant/dive buddy. I even have started to split my wieghts between a belt and my weight pockets. But since my butt has migrated to my belly, and my hips have departed years ago, :chuckle: I cannot put to much weight on the belt and dive effeciently. But it is nice to have both if I have to remove my gear UW; I hate floating away in the middle of a gear exchange.

I carry a spare set of weight pockets just in case...


Good luck...

~Oldbear~

 

[katherineaw]

I dive a bp/w with pockets and, of course, a dry suit. I found weight belts to be non-ditch able in practical terms with a harness system, plus just generally a PITA.

In Melbourne we have great ladders that are diver friendly and so I just climb/walk out for the most part, but on smaller boats with only one or maybe two rungs, I often just remove the pockets and hand them up. I've never lost them yet. If you can't remove your weight pockets, then that is something you should probably practice. If it's gear related, I'd check how you've installed your pockets (mine are vertical, so the weight inserts downwards when I stand up) or buy pockets you can remove easily - there appear to be a number of styles.

Alternatively, just risk losing the pockets... $100 for new pockets vs $1000+ for new bp/w & regulator etc. it's a no brainer. Also if you're with a buddy, have them help by holding your gear when you remove the lot. Or consider Just tying it off to a rope from the boat... Then just pull it up when you're safely back on board and unencumbered as I think someone else mentioned.

Having witnessed stress reactions at the surface where people can't remove weight and it's rough and they're struggling to get out of the water, being able to remove weight is pretty vital for me.

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