Lessons Lost integrated weight pouch at depth

[Chavodel8en]

Depends on what percentage of your weight is on the belt, I carry less than half on my belt, and since I wear it under my rig and use a crotch strap, it won't just fall off and dissappear.

I've collected over 200# of lead off the bottom, I've only bought ten or fifteen pounds, a little at a time, when I needed a few pounds more and wasn't close to my pile. This doesn't count the pockets and belts I've found and returned.

Personally, I feel more secure with a weight belt than with the pockets. I also put my crotch strap over it, although that's mainly due to convenience.

*****

As to folks who say just dive with no ditchable weight -- I dont know about the OP, but for me, as a California diver in a wetsuit, I prefer to have about 8-10 lbs ditchable to offset the suit compression.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

Don't rely on Aqualung "Sure Lock" weight pouches.

In the short time I have been diving, I have had a number of buddies with Aqua Lung Sure Lock integrated weights, lose the weight pockets. Actually quite a few. Scubapro weight pockets seem to have a better system to stay in. I have a Hydros Pro and have never had a problem in 245 dives.

 

[Belzelbub]

The recall in 2014 was for the handles detaching, so you wouldn't be able to ditch. The opposite of what happened here. Though the number of lost pouches is high enough I wonder if they should recall them. I bought mine in new in 2018.

I don't see that happening anytime soon. At least not until someone gets seriously hurt. As it is now, they just have a relatively steady stream of income as divers need to replace the pockets.

 

[Eric802]

Does anyone just use an old-fashioned weight belt anymore? I took my refresher course recently and used a BCD with weight pockets for the first time. I guess it's nice to not have to wear a belt, but making the BCD several pounds heavier just makes that harder to lug around.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Another option for ditchable pouches that don't self-ditch is Dive-rite. I've used them for years with zero accidental ditches. I did put the pocket in wrong once, causing it to just flop around instead of being in the "slot". The clicky holder thing was strong enough to keep the weight attached to me.

I do make it a point to replace mine every 5 years. The clips are plastic, and get inserted/removed a lot. This way I don't have to worry about them letting go because they're super worn out.

They can be mounted horizontally or vertically. I mounted them horizontally on the waist strap of my bcd.

The main drawback is that they're quite expensive. About $100 if memory serves. IMO it's a "you get what you pay for" situation.

16 lb QB Weight Pocket - Dive Rite

16 lbs mounted vertical or horizontal with quick release handles.

www.diverite.com

Deep 6 sells the equivalent 16 lbs (8 in each) for less ($75). I own these but only recently started using them more for oyster diving to stay super negative on the bottom. They do not have a "quick release" per se, but they're pretty easy. I've taken them out an put them back in with heavy undergarments and dry gloves no problem. They're well made.

7.25kg/16lb Removable Weight Pockets

Deep 6 Gear 7.25kg/16lb Weight Pockets Removable weight pouches Quick release connectors Comes with mounting hardware

www.deep6gear.com

 

[Belzelbub]

Does anyone just use an old-fashioned weight belt anymore? I took my refresher course recently and used a BCD with weight pockets for the first time. I guess it's nice to not have to wear a belt, but making the BCD several pounds heavier just makes that harder to lug around.

Some do, but I would bet most use weight integrated BCs. As with everything, there are pros and cons. Though I still have a couple weight belts, I generally only use them for freediving.

I much prefer the integrated over the weight belt.

 

[inquis]

Does anyone just use an old-fashioned weight belt anymore?

<Raises hand> With a drysuit and single AL80, I do. Mainly because I need more lead then fits in the small pockets on my waistbelt (max 5 lb each).

Other configurations I don't. (Drysuit+double LP85/AL80 or 3mm wetsuit+AL80)

 

[Chavodel8en]

Does anyone just use an old-fashioned weight belt anymore? I took my refresher course recently and used a BCD with weight pockets for the first time. I guess it's nice to not have to wear a belt, but making the BCD several pounds heavier just makes that harder to lug around.

Raises hand. I agree with your reason-pro belt (integrated weights makes BC too heavy). And i feel weight belt is more secure than pockets - esp if under crotch strap. [Note that there is at least one other diver on this thread, who I quote above, who feels this way]

Con is having two waist straps with buckles pretty close together. On an observation from a buddy, I decided to use yellow webbing for my weight belt, to differentiate it from the BC waist strap. That buddy thought that the weight belt was "hidden", tucked beneath my rig, so hard to get to. I think he was recommending I not use a belt altogether, but I am comfortable with it being available and seen in yellow.

I also have the buckles oriented opposite, and I position the buckles offset from one another.

Other than that, I dont see what's so inconvenient in wearing a weight belt, especially if its only got 10 lbs on it, which is what I'd want in ditchable weight.

 

[johndiver999]

Raises hand. I agree with your reason-pro belt (integrated weights makes BC too heavy). And i feel weight belt is more secure than pockets - esp if under crotch strap.

Con is having two waist straps with buckles pretty close together. On an observation from a buddy, I decided to use yellow webbing for my weight belt, to differentiate it. I also have the buckles oriented opposite, and I position the buckles offset from one another.

Other than that, I dont see what's so inconvenient in wearing a weight belt, especially if its only got 10 lbs on it, which is what I'd want in ditchable weight.

I too prefer a weight belt over ditchable pockets (or non-ditchable weight) on the BC. However, we need to consider the demographics in relation to the popularity of a weight integrated BC. One that could be important is that divers are now old and fat - at least in the US. People with no waist/hips and no butt are going to have a hard time keeping a normal weight belt from sliding down and /or spinning.

If you are shaped like a sphere, a nylon belt is not going to work well if you move in three dimensions and change from a heads up to a heads down position..

I find the elastic rubber freedive belt solves most all the negatives of the weight belt - it adjusts for suit compression at depth, it does not slide around or move like a typical belt and can be worn in a few different locations to help reduce back strain. If these types of belts were more commonly used, I think the overwhelming popularity of weight integrated BC's would be less.

I also think there is a significant advantage of having some lead on a belt if you have to remove and replace the scuba unit at depth - say for an entanglement. But again, I bet most recreational divers would depend on a buddy to address an entanglement and not so many would feel comfortable removing the scuba unit at depth in order to resolve a problem like that on their own. So this sort of consideration is considered irrelevant.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

That was a close call. Same thing happened to me on my first pool dive. I'm not sure if my instructor secured the weights correctly.