Saving money on a weight harness

[johndiver999]

Exactly. What's holding them in? It looks like a zipper. You can undo a zipper and pull out weight just as fast as some of those pinch here, pull there or squeeze buckle+velcro weight pockets. Plus you have control over how much you drop.

Rely upon a cheap plastic zipper in a life or death situation?

Ever seen a zipper get jammed with silt and sand? Ever seen a zipper get crushed or damaged - say by a scuba tank that fell over? Do you expect a diver to check the functionality of a zipper before and after every dive?

Fastex buckles can crack and fail, but they are much more robust than a zipper.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Rely upon a cheap plastic zipper in a life or death situation?

Ever seen a zipper get jammed with silt and sand? Ever seen a zipper get crushed or damaged - say by a scuba tank that fell over? Do you expect a diver to check the functionality of a zipper before and after every dive?

Fastex buckles can crack and fail, but they are much more robust than a zipper.

A problem with the zipper should be evident when you load the pockets before the dive. I don't believe the OP will leave the harness loaded between dives.

A good point, nonetheless.

DW

 

[dm9876]

There is also the argument that switchable weight really comes into play at the surface.

Reinforcing buoyancy on on near the surface in dodgy open water conditions, I think this is one of the most important aspects to consider (and why cave diver perspectives might not apply to everyone). It's certainly the only time that uncontrolled ditching of all weight makes any kind of sense to me. Otherwise you're just swapping one problem for another if you drop it all from depth, depending on other factors like full or empty tanks and how much ditchible weight you have to begin with etc.

 

[CodeS]

I think it's funny when strangers ban people from diving on their boat based on one piece of information. I'm just glad there is plenty of shore diving here.

There are plenty of circumstances where one is over-weighted with their gear with no extra weight. I know anyone in my AN/DP course were over-weighted with twin 12.2 with manifold in a wetsuit.

It's called redundant air and redundant buoyancy. Being said not everyone dives the same and what works for me could well be dangerous for you.

This is a simple issue where adults can make a decision for themselves based on a myriad of factors.

 

[happy-diver]

Found a duffy soft plate not much good without weight

No pad on the front, looked a bit spartan so I made one

Raided some roofs, no not really at about 1.2kg sheets

So I made a weight plate, non dumpable, now it's good

So when I'm swimming around the boat at 1metre or 3

Checking out all the fish, and the illuminated jelly things

Waiting for those surface bobbers to climb the ladder up

With no air in my bc and no dumpable weight, I'm Happy!