Screwing weights to a weight belt

[Akimbo]

Just to round out the references, commercial and military surface-supplied diving has used screw-on weights at least since the early 1900s. I believe the 2-bolt style in the image below was first used on leather weight belts on the US Navy Mark V deep sea dress. The image below is an improved version of the belt developed for the Jack Browne rig that uses more water resistant materials.

Miller Diving Commercial Weight Belt

 

[Poor Knight]

I have witnessed a few ex-navy divers using a hammer to lightly modify the small 1kg weights - basically pinching them onto the weight belt. It certainly stops them shifting towards the buckle and holds larger weights in place and in balance. To be fair, at the time they used mostly Buddy horsecollars and hard backpacks - so you get an idea when that was.

 

[Wibble]

Maybe the shop was fed up of divers changing the weights around -- or stealing weights -- so screwed them in.