How to wear weight belt in DIR setup ?

[DA Aquamaster]

I have had to remove a BC or BP/wing due to entanglement only once in 25 years of diving. Unless you are solo or have an inattentive budy, the issue will never come up. Even on your own 95% of entanglements can be avoided by stopping when you start to feel something restraining you and 95% of the more serious entanglements that occur can be fairly easily cut out of as long as you just freeze and don't start thrashing around. You also do not need to remove all of it, just cut the pieces that are restraining you and deal with the rest back on the boat.

For the one and only time I had to remove my BP/wing in the real world due to entanglement, I was in a 7mm wet suit and had no real issues despite being buoyant - just maintain a hold on the BP/wing so you stay with the weight.

 

[vjanelle]

The only time I've had to take off my bp/w was for courses and that was at the surface, I could see that being an issue, but you'd need to make sure that the weight on your belt is enough to keep you down or neutral minus your other gear.. With a weighted plate and STA, and two 5lb trim pockets, I need to put 10lbs across the acb in my dry suit.. I don't think a 10lb weight belt would be enough to keep me down.

That's just a guess though.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Weight belt under the harness, buckle to the left of the crotch strap. Can not be confused with actual buckle of harness. If you do not wear your harness too tightly, the belt can be removed easily. And you will never loose it.

 

[rstofer]

For larger amounts of weight, the DUI Weight and Trim works, although you and your buddy will need to practice, since it it takes an unexpectedly large amount of force to pull the release when the pockets contain a lot of weight.

Terry

I bought such a harness (actually, 3 of them) and I had no particular problem pulling the dump handles straight out; just like the video. My wife found a better way: push the handles down and out. It helps the velcro break free.

So, it's easy for the diver to dump their weights. We haven't tried dumping each other's weights. Down and out might be a little awkward for the rescuer. Still, adrenaline does strange things...

Richard

 

[Rick Inman]

I bought such a harness (actually, 3 of them) and I had no particular problem pulling the dump handles straight out; just like the video.

And that is the problem with the weight & trims: The handles, which are an entanglement hazard, in the way sticking out where you don't want them, and a failure point.

Actually, I used to own one, and I tucked the handles in - which was a poor answer to a failure point I didn't need.

The ability to dump weight, IMO, is highly over-rated. Unless I have a complete BC ripped wide open and no redundant source of buoyancy, the only time I want you to dump my weight is if I'm dead and it's a body recovery. Otherwise, shooting to the surface is just plain dangerous. If you jump off the boat with your gas off, your BC empty and the inability to reach you valve, you've got bigger problems than what the handles on a weight & trim will fix.

 

[jpsexton]

I like the Halcyon ACB or Golem Gear Integrated Weight system. Makes weighting with a BP/W a non-issue!

 

[lof]

You can combine number of weight systems, the pockets on the belt with tank pockets, or the Renegade system.
Golem Gear, Inc. - Weight Systems

 

[OceansBlue]

This is from the Halcyon website...
Proper Weighting Strategies | Halcyon Dive Systems

Using a Weight Belt with your Halcyon System
- Weight belts are easily used with all Halcyon dive systems
- Divers using large weight belts will experience a large shift in buoyancy when removed
- When used the weight belt should be placed over the top of the crotch strap to remain detachable

 

[05TurboS2K]

I'd like to bump this topic.

I find there to be a lack of great options on this topic. The Golem gear perhaps being the best and followed by Halcyons stuff. I don't like the ditchable plastic buckles to be honest, I look at them as a danger first and foremost.

One thing I'm constantly working to better on my rig is my weight distribution. I've experimented many times with typical and rather odd setups to accomplish balanced and proper weighting. One thing I see overlooked constantly is the way that weight distribution effects your roll in the water. People are constantly concerned with pitch (easily solved) but I rarely see anyone talk about the fact that a tank is on your back which is heavy and without a weight belt infr ont of your body the tank often will roll a diver to his/her back if they stay totally relaxed long enough. I found this to be a issue with tank weights, of course keeping them closer to the plate helps greatly but it's still a small issue. I still haven't found a better setup than a standard weight belt accounting for at minimum 33% of total weight or better yet 50%+ of total weight.

On the topic of ditching weight, I certainly never understood ditching 100% of your weight in diving, I could see ditching 33% however in some VERY rare instances. Figure if you have a wing and some other weight distributed with your belt accounting for 33% then ditching that is at least a hell of a lot better than loosing it all and rocketing up. Just something to consider while we discuss this topic.

I experimented with a metal tank band off an old school plastic plate setup, without an STA my rig secures the tank far better than ANY other single setup I've ever encountered thus far. It also provides a place to drill a hole for weights and or slide on weights which will be rigid and trustworthy unlike webbing which COULD perhaps tear but more importantly just doesn't hold shape. I use a hollis plate and I've been experimenting with this setup. I can show pics if anyone is curious about it. I'd like to hear people have likes/dislikes about it. Perhaps I'm not the only person to try this setup. This platform provides some additional mounting options but still I find myself with a roll issue if I put more then 50% of my weight on the tank side of the plate no matter where it mounts.

Thoughts/Concerns/Ideas/Etc?

I'd like to get some people stirred and thinking on this topic.

 

[TSandM]

I think roll is a significant issue with steel tanks IF the harness isn't adjusted properly, and the tank can move on the diver's back. If the harness and crotch strap are properly sized, the tank will stay put in the middle, and then the diver is golden, so long as he doesn't roll onto his side. In addition, the use of a stiff, paddle fin creates a horizontal stabilizer effect behind the diver, and roll eventually becomes something one doesn't even think about. Pitch, on the other hand, HAS to be corrected first with adjustment of static balance (moving weights) and then with posture. Beyond a certain point, you cannot correct pitch with your body. On the other hand, I have dived setups that were way too loose and not had roll problems, because as one learns to stay on top of a bicycle, one also learns to stay beneath one's tanks

I do think distributed weight is ideal, with some but not all of it easy to ditch. I use a rubber Mako weightbelt with shaped weights on it, set on my hips on either side, and I love it.