Reason for RH release waist buckle?

[0ctoman]

first off, in the origins of DIR, weight belts are not part of the equation, however many people I know including myself, have the weight belt left hand release so avoid confusion underwater
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Is it safe to assume that you are wearing the weight belt over the harness? Otherwise how is it possible to make it quick release where it can get caught on the rig when wearing the belt under the harness. Plase advise

 

[mc42]

No, weight belt first, then harness over it. And you're correct, you will likely have to undo your harness buckle to remove your weight belt or it will fold over your crotch strap on its way off.

The philosophy is that you should have a balanced rig that you can swim to the surface without needing additional buoyancy and to not risk losing your weight belt which has more serious consequences.

If you need to ditch, then it will be a conscious decision to do it, likely at the surface.

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

Have you noticed the waist belt of the harness occupies a space on the torso higher than the weight belt

 

[Altamira]

Can I risk public ridicule and suggest that people are over thinking this. As a recruit many years ago and being taught how to correctly wear a uniform I was told that “male was always right” so the male end of a belt is fed from the right. A check of online style guides also says this. Maybe RHR came about because that is how most divers, who were men, put their belts on.

It may just be that simple. Perhaps that is also why right hand release buckles are used on airplanes' and earlier year car seat belts. Men also release their pants buckle with the right hand on standard buckles.

 

[jborg]

Have you noticed the waist belt of the harness occupies a space on the torso higher than the weight belt

This is one of my annoyances with my current setup — the weight belt and waist strap end up in *exactly* the same place. I guess this is due to an unlucky confluence of my body size & shape, backplate size, etc. For this reason I’ve tried weight pockets on the waist strap instead, but this becomes bulky when I also want a pocket for SMB etc, and depending on which tank I dive I don’t always need the weights. Then they’re just empty flopping things. Ah well.

 

[mc42]

This is one of my annoyances with my current setup — the weight belt and waist strap end up in *exactly* the same place. I guess this is due to an unlucky confluence of my body size & shape, backplate size, etc. For this reason I’ve tried weight pockets on the waist strap instead, but this becomes bulky when I also want a pocket for SMB etc, and depending on which tank I dive I don’t always need the weights. Then they’re just empty flopping things. Ah well.

They are at approximately the same spot on me as well, though the weight belt tends to ride downwards a bit more. I have thought of trying a smaller backplate but can generally avoid wearing a weight belt except when teaching in a wetsuit in a pool.

I use a hybrid setup on my single tank rig: Halcyon weight pocket with built-in hip D-ring on left, free weights and canister light on right webbing using two buckles for retention. I've also experimented with adding a weight pocket onto the belt next to the canister light with a single buckle for retention.

Luckily I just need a 5lb V-weight on my steel doubles.

 

[tbone1004]

Is it safe to assume that you are wearing the weight belt over the harness? Otherwise how is it possible to make it quick release where it can get caught on the rig when wearing the belt under the harness. Plase advise

it depends, we teach students to put the belts on after the rig is donned and over the crotch strap. It's a bit clunky on a boat, but it allows for rapid release if necessary which helps as a CYOA policy. When I have to wear one personally it goes on under the crotch strap since I can't see a scenario where I would ditch it underwater.

 

[lairdb]

it depends, we teach students to put the belts on after the rig is donned and over the crotch strap. It's a bit clunky on a boat, but it allows for rapid release if necessary which helps as a CYOA policy. When I have to wear one personally it goes on under the crotch strap since I can't see a scenario where I would ditch it underwater.

I recall this coming up recently in a similar thread: have all the major agencies eliminated buoyant emergency ascent? My thought is yes, but I can't prove it. (For myself, I'm with @tbone1004 and @mc42 -- I don't foresee a need to ditch at depth and I accept the slightly added complexity to fishing it out if needed.)

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

Perhaps these slightly added complexities are designed in so we have time to realise we have to change our minds and do something that doesn't require dumping weights
Something like, and here it is again, diving a balanced rig!.

Yeah those pita confluences, but what's worse than weights on your plate harness belt.

I have made tubular velcroed pockets for dsmb and reel, spare reel mask etc that sit vertically between plate and wing, sounds like a lot but it's not, or a sack below the plate for gear, and bolt lead ingots to the plate with encapsulated nuts you know the round flat things.

 

[sierrakilo]

The right hand release is 90% canister light related I'd imagine. Today, with better and better lights, that's perhaps less of a concern for most.

Personally, I teach that harnesses should have right hand release on left side of the crotchstrap. That way, if a diver is upright and ditch both weight belt and opens the harness, the weight belt will come off, as the harness will open cleanly (unless there's unreasonable amount of excess webbing.)

Conventional rescue efforts become much easier too, when the buckle cannot get caught in the crotchstrap.