Inadvertent weight release

[Iralub]

Not sure if this counts as a near miss as I don't think there was any real danger, but will leave it to moderators to move as they see fit.

This was on the first dive of a liveaboard and I had most of my own gear, including a new bcd - zeagle zena. The bcd features a ripcord, one hand weight release. Pulling the red handle will release weights from both pockets. The weight release handle is secured and I don't think a diver would pull it by accident.

I put two weights in the weight pockets and two in trim pockets, which are not ditchable. This should have been enough for a slow descent and neutral buoyancy on ss with 50 bar. I checked my gear before going in. I did have to get out of the bc to get into the tender as i wasn't confident of doing it with the 12l tank, which is way too big on me and put the gear on again in the tender. Once in the water, I had some trouble descending. Suspect this was due to it being the first dive, my gear all being dry, etc.

The dm swam up to me and offered me two weights and proceeded to fiddle with my weight pockets to put them in. I descended slowly, very slowly considering the amount of weight, but then had some pretty bad buoyancy issues during the dive. I was too bouyant once we got to shallow water and then just could not hold the safety stop. The dm gave me one more weight to hold, but even so I kept floating up. At this stage I was supposed to be carrying 5.6kg of lead, which is almost twice what I need, so this was very weird.

It was such a struggle that I terminated the ss after a couple of minutes and ascended early (it was a shallow dive, first dive of the day and I was on nitrox with heaps of ndl time on conservative algorithm, so I figured the risk was minimal).

Once back on the boat, I found that my ripcord had been pulled (although incompletely), so I lost all the weights from my pockets, except the two I had in trim pockets. Buoyancy problem explained! The lost weights were found at the point where we started the dive.

I suspect that what happened was that dm pulled the ripcord, thinking that this is the way to remove the weight pocket to put in extra weights. I think some bcs have that system. I asked him and he says he didn't, but I can't figure how it could have happened otherwise. I wasn't angry with him at all, I should have told him about the unusual weight release system beforehand.

I explained to the dm how the weight release worked and rethreded the pockets (only took about 3 minutes). No problems with the system for the rest of the trip.

Learning from this: tell the dm as well as the buddy how the weight system works and to not pull the big red thing except to drop weights!

 

[fisheater]

Excellent points.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalko

 

[boulderjohn]

With Zeagle BCDs, you can get yellow weight pouches that will hold multiple weights and slide into the pockets. They have several advantages, especially if you are going to be handing your weights up to a DM before climbing aboard a boat at the end of the dive. From your description, it does not sound as if you have them. My first BCD was a Zeagle, and the first time I used it, the DM refused to allow me to put small individual weights into my pockets for fear that they would fall out through the gaps in the rip cord. He was much happier with the weights put together into one pouch.

 

[diversteve]

What part of the bright red handle velcroed in place would have led the DM to believe that was the proper way to add weight?

That's a little scary...lol

 

[scubafanatic]

With Zeagle BCDs, you can get yellow weight pouches that will hold multiple weights and slide into the pockets. They have several advantages, especially if you are going to be handing your weights up to a DM before climbing aboard a boat at the end of the dive. From your description, it does not sound as if you have them. My first BCD was a Zeagle, and the first time I used it, the DM refused to allow me to put small individual weights into my pockets for fear that they would fall out through the gaps in the rip cord. He was much happier with the weights put together into one pouch.

That's right, the Zeagle weight release system is SUPPOSED to have those Yellow mesh weight pouches.

 

[Iralub]

The weights didn't fall through gaps in ripcord, they fell because ripcord was pulled. The same thing will have happened with the zeagle pouches (I hope, otherwise the system doesn't work). My weights were in fact in a pouch (not the zeagle one) to facilitate removal, but with less than 2kg of removable weight, I never actually bothered removing them to hand up.

I don't think this was an equipment issue, it was a communication issue. I did not communicate to the dm how the system worked.

 

[boulderjohn]

What part of the bright red handle velcroed in place would have led the DM to believe that was the proper way to add weight?

That's a little scary...lol

In almost all integrated weight systems, the the process for putting weight in the pocket begins with removing the weight pouch in exactly the same way you would do it if you were dropping your weights in an emergency. The Zeagle system is the only one I know for which the process of putting weight into the system does not include pulling out the weight release system first.

 

[scubafanatic]

While I still have my very 1st BCD (Zeagle Ranger about 15 yrs old) I long ago retired it to my 'spares' kit as I came to realize:
1) didn't want a weight system that released ALL weights at the same time !
2) didn't want any weight system that relied on Velcro for any/all part of it's function !

 

[dmoore19]

I have a Stiletto and like it a lot. I use the yellow pouches to keep the weights in the pockets

1. Unless it is different than the Ranger, there is no velcro needed to hold the weights in place only to hold the red handle in place. The yellow pouches are not standard and did not come with the BCD, they aren't necessary unless using soft weights.
2. For me the release system is a plus. If I want to lose half of the weight I just pull it out of one pocket. if I am at the point of releasing all my weight, all of it is gone with one easy pull of the ripcord. DSFDF

I hate weight belts! I have dropped a weightbelt unintended, I have never dropped my weights unintended because of the Zeagle system.

 

[Iralub]

I have a Stiletto and like it a lot. I use the yellow pouches to keep the weights in the pockets

1. Unless it is different than the Ranger, there is no velcro needed to hold the weights in place only to hold the red handle in place. The yellow pouches are not standard and did not come with the BCD, they aren't necessary unless using soft weights.
2. For me the release system is a plus. If I want to lose half of the weight I just pull it out of one pocket. if I am at the point of releasing all my weight, all of it is gone with one easy pull of the ripcord. DSFDF

I hate weight belts! I have dropped a weightbelt unintended, I have never dropped my weights unintended because of the Zeagle system.

I like the weight release system and weight pocket positioning on my bc and also hate weightbelts. Apart from moving around and threatening to slip off, they tend to drag my hips down, make my lower back hurt and make me more feet heavy than normal (which is a fair bit considering the standard tank comes almost down to my knees - they didn't design them for short people!).

I was using the standard 0.8kg weights, not soft weights