Integrated Weight Systems - Is the belt redundant?

[sbloomer]

Hi all. I have now ordered my Pro QD+ large and am looking forward to dive it. The question is, what becomes of the trusty weight-belt? I've never dived integrated weights before, but I see a lot of people at least keep some weight on their belts, while others put it all in the BC...

Personally I don't see the point of the hassle of a weight belt if the BC can handle all of it. The ProQD+ (L) can handle 42lbs of weight which is WAY more than I need with a 7mm wetsuit....

What do people here do?

S.

 

[fgray1]

Sell it on ebay.
You don't need it anymore. If you need more than 42 lbs to stay down then something is terribly wrong. Don't forget there are 2 trim pockets in the back of that BCD as well. Just be careful not to place to much weight in them. It's not releasable.
You will like the intergrated system better. Good luck

 

[SubMariner]

Whether or not you keep the weight belt is entirely up to you.

There are several scenarios with weight intergrated BCs:

1) BC only. This assumes there is good weight distribution in the BC & trim pockets that balances nicely & is not too heavy to lift comfortably.
2) Split the weight between the belt & the BC. Helps if using a steel tank and the weight pulls you backwards even if you properly distribute it in the BC itself.
3) Ignore BC weighting and use a belt only. If the required amount of weight fluctuates a lot or if the weighted BC is too difficult to handle/lift when gearing up.

In the end it's personal preference:set up your weighting system for optimal trim & comfort for YOU, not anyone else.

 

[deepdiverbc]

If you use less than 30 lbs total weight then the weight belt probably isn't necessary but if you use more than that your ditchable portion might be higher than you might like.

Personaly I have choosen 10 lbs per side for my ditchable weight in my neoprene drysuit with 14 pounds fixed. If I loose a pocket I could still swim down to get it and I would still be able to swim my rig up under all circumstances by ditching 20lbs.

 

[Wristshot]

Here is what I do: When I dive in Monterey (about 50 degrees F) I use a 2 piece 7 mm wetsuit, so I use about 30 lbs. I have 10 lbs on a separate weight belt, and the remainder in the BC. I have 5 lbs on each side in the rear in non-dumpable pouches. I also have about 5 lbs in each of the integrated pouches that are dumpable. I have a ScubaPro Glide Plus.

This set up gives me the following advantages (in my mind).
1) I can dump 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 lbs in stages.
2) I can adjust the trim by where I place the weights.
3) Most any other diver could figure out how to release my weight belt in an emergency; I don't have to rely on them figuring out my BC quick release pouches in a panic situation.
4) If I accidentally release one of the integrated pouches I ride a much slower elevator to the surface.
5) The integrated pouches fit easily into the BC, even when I am wearing it.

When I first started using the Integrated weight BC it was a little tough to fit all the weight into the pouches, and it was awkward to insert the pouches into the BC, plus it made a real big lump in the BC. Now it is a lot more streamlined.

When I dive warm, I use a thinner wetsuit, and a lot less weight, so no weight belt. It all works out very well for me.

***************************
My buddy is even more bouyant than I am, and he uses about 40 lbs when he dives cold in his 7mm Two-piece Henderson Gold Core. He had problems with getting all the weight into the BC pouches, (first with an Oceanic Chute II and later with a Zeagle Ranger) and he had a LOT of trouble getting the pouches into the BC. There was no way that he could put the pouches in while he was wearing the BC. He has no hips, so a weight belt was not a good option for him. He bought a DUI weight trim harness and he loves it. He keeps some dumpable weight in the DUI and the remainder spread around his BC, some dumpable, some non-dumpable. Now he can carry the Ranger weight pouches and install them into the BC at the rear of the boat, and basically everything works better for him with this set up.

When we were in Florida, he used a 1 mm Henderson and he used a lot less weight, so no DUI, just weights in the BC.

======================
Keep the old weight belt arond, you never know when you might be able to "save" someone by having something they need.

Just my two cents, and my buddy's,


Wristshot

 

[nyresq]

ever try to lift a bc with 40 lbs of lead? or try to pull out a weight pouch that weighs 20 lbs while in the water? oooops droped it... keep some on the belt, it makes life much easier, and also safer if you accidently ditch one.... you won't have quite the express trip up...:wacko:

 

[paulwlee]

Yes, play with all the different ways people have talked about here before ditching(selling) the weight belt. You may find that you don't care for a belt at all, but on the other hand you may prefer keeping it, only with less weight. The weight belt is pretty much unnoticable once you get down to or below the teens of lead.

I found that while total integration is nice underwater, it puts a lot more load on my shoulders while on land, and is much more difficult to lug around. I settled on donning first, putting pouches in, dive, remove pouches, doff, but it can be a PITA.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

sbloomer once bubbled...
Personally I don't see the point of the hassle of a weight belt if the BC can handle all of it. The ProQD+ (L) can handle 42lbs of weight which is WAY more than I need with a 7mm wetsuit....

What do people here do?

S.

The integrated B/C is definitely the way of the future.

Eventually the weight belt will be relegated strictly to tech divers alone. And even then, a typical tech diver's weight belt only weighs about 10 lbs.

One day, NAUI PADI SSI YMCA etc will all delete the word "weight belt" from their standards manuals.

 

[cornfed]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


The integrated B/C is definitely the way of the future.

Eventually the weight belt will be relegated strictly to tech divers alone. And even then, a typical tech diver's weight belt only weighs about 10 lbs.

But I thought everyone would be better off as a tech diver? If this is true I don't see how integrated B/C are the way of the future.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Tech diving, at least the way some people practice it is the extreme end of the sport and some tech divers can be overbearing and down right arrogant. Some are a lot closer to being zealots than being what you would call open minded about equipment configuration. There is their way and the wrong way and absolutely no middle grou...errr...water.

But on the other hand these are the same sort of extreme folks who got nitrox accepted for use by everybody today and the tech community continues to develop equipment and techniques that can be applied to a wide range of recreational diving situations.

At the same time some of the hogartian, minimalist overtones are not always acceptable or even ideal for some rec situations (yep...gonna get an argument on that one) and are probably never going to be mainstream.

For example I have always liked a wing and I dove with a wing and a shot filled plastic backpack in the early 80's before the tech folks really got rolling with the backplate and wing idea. However I have never been a fan of 1 1/2" nylon straps and feel that my stainless steel backplate equipped Genesis Recon is far superior to what I started with and to a "modern" backplate and wing for the type of diving I do. In my opinion it combines the practical advantages and performance of a wing, the comfort of a BC, the advantages of weight integration and the stability and adapability of a backplate all in one package.

I don't miss the nylon straps biting into my shoulders under the weight of a heavy set of doubles and I don't miss a weight belt resting on the small of my back during the dive. There is a lot to be said for simplicity and the minimalist approach, but there is also a lot to be said for an ergonmically designed set of shoulder straps especially when you are no longer a lean mean 23 yr old Marine.

I think that the future of diving will see a continued blend of tech and rec diving equipment. Some of it, as it is currently, will unfortunately be purely style and fluff, but much of it will be a valuable contribution and improvement to the average diver's equipment.