Kid's BC and Weight Belt

[Marek K]

As I wrote in another post, our 12-year-old daughter started her JOWD course yesterday evening.

As I also wrote, the instuctor checked out all her equipment. We got her a Triple-L Juvi BC, if only just to make sure she always had a BC her size... besides, for just over $50, how could we go wrong?

The kid is small for her age, but the BC does fit her just fine around. The possible problem that I see, and that concerned the instructor too, is that it doesn't look like there's enough room to put on a weight belt and be absolutely sure it's clear of the BC (non-weight-intergrated). To be completely clear, the belt would have to be somewhere down around her butt; if it's above her hips at all (did I mention skinny kid?), the belt is hidden up underneath the BC.

OK, two options... First, use a weight belt as normal, and just make sure it's not tangled up in anything and that she can get at the release.

Other option might be to just use the trim weight pockets on the BC. The pockets are where she can reach them, and each is secured by a 1" side-release buckle (see attached image from the Triple-L web site). Once the buckle is released, each pocket has a flap on the top and bottom, so the weight would (should) slide right down and out.

Oh... tropical diving only for now, so only a 3mm or 3/2 wetsuit.

Opinions?

--Marek

 

[spectrum]

So she won't have to worry about hiking the belt up onto whatever hips she has at her age and getting up where the BC is perhaps a set of suspender straps would work. Flip 2 standard releases that up front on the chest and the one on the the waist strap drop the belt and the srtap slides right up over the shoulders and down between her and the back of the BC. That will eliminate concern for unintended weight ditching.

Being small it would need to be stitched custom to get the back X in the right spot. Our LDS makes these up right on-site. My wife likes hers.

Pete

As I wrote in another post, our 12-year-old daughter started her JOWD course yesterday evening.

As I also wrote, the instuctor checked out all her equipment. We got her a Triple-L Juvi BC, if only just to make sure she always had a BC her size... besides, for just over $50, how could we go wrong?

The kid is small for her age, but the BC does fit her just fine around. The possible problem that I see, and that concerned the instructor too, is that it doesn't look like there's enough room to put on a weight belt and be absolutely sure it's clear of the BC (non-weight-intergrated). To be completely clear, the belt would have to be somewhere down around her butt; if it's above her hips at all (did I mention skinny kid?), the belt is hidden up underneath the BC.

OK, two options... First, use a weight belt as normal, and just make sure it's not tangled up in anything and that she can get at the release.

Other option might be to just use the trim weight pockets on the BC. The pockets are where she can reach them, and each is secured by a 1" side-release buckle (see attached image from the Triple-L web site). Once the buckle is released, each pocket has a flap on the top and bottom, so the weight would (should) slide right down and out.

Oh... tropical diving only for now, so only a 3mm or 3/2 wetsuit.

Opinions?

--Marek

 

[scubamate]

So she won't have to worry about hiking the belt up onto whatever hips she has at her age and getting up where the BC is perhaps a set of suspender straps would work. Flip 2 standard releases that up front on the chest and the one on the the waist strap drop the belt and the srtap slides right up over the shoulders and down between her and the back of the BC. That will eliminate concern for unintended weight ditching.

Being small it would need to be stitched custom to get the back X in the right spot. Our LDS makes these up right on-site. My wife likes hers.

Pete

That's a great idea! Can you post a couple of pictures? I have my kids in Zeagles' Junior Rangers and don't have this problem as they're weight integrated but I've had the problem come up in class with others.

 

[Tom Winters]

I absolyely loathe integrated weight pockets and view them as inventions of the devil him/herself solely to torture divemasters and instructors. When I did dive charters in Hawaii , I provided gear, but every now and then, someone would want to use their own hear. Not usually a problem.
In the water, I had my clients take off their rigs and pass them up to the boat. No problems, until every now and them, someone would have one of those tools of the devil. So instead of the normal resistance of a tank and bc, you'd be lifting up the tank, bc, PLUS the combined weight of all the forces of darkness. I never wrenched my back, but I knew a couple of people who did hurt their backs lifting.
My wife who is an instructor also loved her weight integrated bc - no accounting for taste I huess. When her kid who is now almost 12 began diving, I took out her weight pockets and insisted she use a weight belt. In an emergency, finding that single buckle will become automatic instead of messing with velcro tabs and pockets.
Now with your kid having small stature, you might want to get some soft weights in a belt to avoid any bruising on her hips, but ditching the weight belt has to become an automatic skill.
Kids are good at learning the drills, and dropping a weight belt with soft weights doesn't mark up a pool.

 

[spectrum]

That's a great idea! Can you post a couple of pictures? I have my kids in Zeagles' Junior Rangers and don't have this problem as they're weight integrated but I've had the problem come up in class with others.

Some of the online guys have them, I'll check my links at home tonight, I can picture the page.

Pete

 

[spectrum]

That's a great idea! Can you post a couple of pictures?

Check here for more:
http://www.diversdiscount.com/
Goto weight & Belts, screen 2 about 1/2 way down

Here's the picture: http://www.diversdiscount.com/images/weights/044051_big.jpg

Since they use sliders at all of the ends you should be able to dial it into anyone.

Pete