How to tighten weight belt enough?

[BigTuna]

When I did my OW dives, my weight belt always tried to slide down and off. I could never seem to tighten it enough at the surface or under water to compensate for the compression of my (thick) wet suit. Later I had the same experience in my dry suit. (Both suits had substantial thickness due to diving in cold water.) These experiences led me to buy a BCD with ditch pockets, so I would no longer need a weight belt, and then to use of a weight harness.

But if I had that problem, don't others have it also? Is there some trick I've missed about tightening the belt to compensate for exposure suit compression? How do you solve the problem? [Suggesting that I grow a girl's hips would not be helpful!:05:]

 

[Green_Manelishi]

When I did my OW dives, my weight belt always tried to slide down and off. I could never seem to tighten it enough at the surface or under water to compensate for the compression of my (thick) wet suit. Later I had the same experience in my dry suit. (Both suits had substantial thickness due to diving in cold water.) These experiences led me to buy a BCD with ditch pockets, so I would no longer need a weight belt, and then to use of a weight harness.

But if I had that problem, don't others have it also? Is there some trick I've missed about tightening the belt to compensate for exposure suit compression? How do you solve the problem? [Suggesting that I grow a girl's hips would not be helpful!:05:]

I use a DUI W&T harness. However, when the suit compresses it slides around, but not off. So I made it "sticky" like so ....

but I still have to tighten it up well.

 

[RICHinNC]

Well BT....it sounds like you may be like me.....have lost the hips and am now a little more ""cuddly" than we would like. No way I could do a weight belt. A harness is an option, but I dont like the entanglement possibility. Personally I have no problems with a weight integrated....but some do.

 

[BigTuna]

I use a DUI W&T harness. However, when the suit compresses it slides around, but not off. So I made it "sticky" like so ....

but I still have to tighten it up well.

Neat idea. My harness is DUI, too. How did you attach the tube pieces? Glue?

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Neat idea. My harness is DUI, too. How did you attach the tube pieces? Glue?

Nothing so permanent. I originally duct taped them into place in order to prove that it would work. When that test was successful I glued velcro to the back of the pocket and the inner tube. So, I can remove/replace the inner tube if I need to do so.

 

[drbill]

Funny topic to surface now. I was doing the monthly Wrinkles' Dive at La Jolla Shores this weekend. My weight belt and wetsuit were the same as I've dived for the last year or two. However, the weight belt slipped down over my *** as we were exited the water. Dive buddy Andrea had to hold it up from behind until we could recinch it.

The type of weights you use can be a factor. I added a 2# weight some time back to compensate for my pony. It does mean I have to cinch the belt completely to the edge of that weight. By using different weights (1 x 4# instead of 2 x 2#) I can reduce the amount of belt space the weights take up and leave plenty of margin to cinch it tight after the suit compresses at depth. I use 2 x 10# as my primary weights on the belt. They take up less room than 4 x 5# would.

Of course I'd love to think I lost the weight myself and have slimmed down a bit. If so, I hope no one finds it and returns it to me!

 

[TSandM]

Has anybody ever tried one of these?

 

[Blackwood]

Has anybody ever tried one of these?

Tried it : hated it.

I had a lot of problems getting the spring-loaded buckle anywhere near tight enough.

I'm back to a standard stainless steel buckle.

To answer the thread: I just make it extremely tight. Uncomforatably tight, even, on the surface. Depending on how deep I go, I'll tighten it further while under.

(I also wear it under my crotch strap so if it does happen to become too loose I won't lose it.)

 

[wreckchick]

Make sure to bend over with the weight on your back before you tighten it. If you try and put a weightbelt on while standing, the weights themselves pull the belt down and it's very hard to cinch it tight.

Rachel

 

[Sideband]

Pull the sucker tight before the dive and then if it loosens up at depth just tighten it a bit more.
Joe