Odd weightbelt vs integrated question

[Twiddles]

Recently been thinking of using my BC weight pockets as just pockets and instead go back to using a weight belt. While thinking about it remembering some of my classes and odd thought occured to me. My original OW class covered weight belts as well as removing my gear and replacing my gear at depth. Never let go of the weights though.

Question in regards to safety, entanglement, or just some unknown reason, if your required to remove your weight integrated BC at depth how do you stay submerged? I am assuming conditions where I dive 7mm full wetsuit, assuming I need my hands for something other than holding on to my weight pouches. How do you keep from corking from 80' if you must leave your BC (hopelessly entangled, or your accident of choice)? With a weight belt you have most of your weight on you staying down while removing your bc or whatever is significantly easier.

 

[TSandM]

This is one of the objections that some people have to integrated weight BCs.

 

[Twiddles]

dam Im on the ball, only took me a year to realize it could be an issue. :11doh:

 

[DA Dave]

Twiddles,
Here is a thought for you to ponder. I too dive at times with a 7mm farmer john and 7mm top coat. With a set of twin steel 72cf tanks and no weights on, I can invert, head down, kick and submerge to any depth without the weights. To return to the surface, I cruse, meaning I am kicking and controlling my assent back to the surface. Once you are submerged and as you go deeper the suit compresses and your buoyancy decreases, right? It's okay to go out and practice some of your skills and ones that you invent. You will be surprised at what you will learn and it might just be fun. Enjoy!

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Simple answer, really. If you dive integrated, carry a weight belt with you. If you need to take off your gear, transfer all the weight to the belt. When you put the gear back on, leave the weight in th belt. When you geton the boat, leave the weight in the belt. When you live ther estof your life, leave the weight in the belt.


I've got a buddy that dives integrated. Diving off a small boat with no ladder, I'd slip out of my gear, hop in, he'd pass it up. Then he'd slip out of his and pass it up. His gear, with tank, weighed something like 60 pounds. I had 15#'s on a belt and about 40#s of gear. 20# difference. I hated him that weekend. We did several short dives on that miserable excuse for a boat and his gear was friggin' heavy!

 

[tc]

Pretty much need to hang on to it to stay down if you were to abandon your rig.

DUI has a really nice belt with shoulder harness built in that has a big pocket on each side. You pull a big loop to unlace it and drop each side. For me it's a lot more comfortable than a belt. About $90 though.

 

[almitywife]

notice how most dive shops stock/sell weight integrated bc's but belt removal is still taught in OW

every now and then i wonder if/when the teaching standards will address intergrated bc's but so far nothing

cheers

 

[redrover]

...if your required to remove your weight integrated BC at depth how do you stay submerged?

I maintain contact as if my life depended on it. Preferably by hooked thru arm and very firm grip, and not letting one hand go until the other has it fully under control.
If I had to abandon my BC, I would keep my weights. (Hey! There is another justification for my expensive wetsuits of choice. It’s not just because stretchy is more comfortable, I can stuff stuff things in the neck.)
Uh, don and doff was addressed in my class and a no brainer at pool dive two and ocean 1 but maybe just my gear and circumstances.

 

[pwl]

i don't think there's any law that says you must have weight belt *or* integrated.

i dive with both: 6lb on the bc and 6-9lb on the belt: i believe it provides a degree of flexibility, redundancy & comfort. YMMV - i've been smacked for this opinion before

i also dive with a buddy - hopeless entanglement of BC is more easily solved with another person to cut you out. leaving a BC behing means leaving air behind, which is something i'd usually rather not do.

 

[redrover]

Personally I’d reconsider diving at all if I thought I would allow my self to make a problem into such a pickle I’d rather leave my air behind.:blinking: