To bring your weight or not, that is the question?

[Sortsol]

Do most people bring their weights with them when they use a charter or do you bring your own? I have a weight integrated BC (Knight Hawk) and I sometimes dive with 14 lbs. If you use the charters, do you just use their belt or do you put it in your BC somehow?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Boat weights are normally loose and you take what you need and put it in your integrated pockets. Not all boats have weights and sometimes those that do don't have the exact amount needed in the size you want.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

It depends where you are. In the Northeast, where your first respondant dives and works, it's customary for the diver to bring everything he/she needs with them. The boat is generally your taxi to and from the dive site, and only that. (There are exceptions everywhere, of course, but that's why I use the word 'customary'). In Oahu, where you (and I) are, the dive shop running the charter will bring weights for you, providing you give them a heads-up in advance. They'll usually bring spare weight, so if you're short a pound or five, it's not the end of the world. When you travel abroad to dive, bringing weight's obviously a difficult matter, what with airline restrictions and all...the dive resort that's probably your destination will have all the weights you need.

 

[farsidefan1]

Just to be sure you understand, NEVER take you weights with you on a trip where you will be on a boat with a divemaster etc. They will provide your air and weights. Always. Now if you and some buddys are going somewhere you should take weights and air. but if you are going with a dive opereation, they will provide what you need. You just pluck through their supply of weights adn fill your "pockets" with what you need. Cripes, the airlines would have an orgasm just to see you if you thought you had to take weights with you in you bags.

 

[Sortsol]

No, I was not thinking of flying...I'd rather rent weight before I'd do that.

 

[RJP]

Just to be sure you understand, NEVER take you weights with you on a trip where you will be on a boat with a divemaster etc. They will provide your air and weights.

Bad advice.

As the expression goes "Never say never."

Been on plenty of boats "with a divemaster etc" that had neither weights nor air. Show up without these things and you'll end up with a 4-6hr bubble-watching session.

The only NEVER I think you can count on is NEVER assume the boat will provide anything that you haven't specifically confirmed.

 

[merxlin]

Just to be sure you understand, NEVER take you weights with you on a trip where you will be on a boat with a divemaster etc. They will provide your air and weights. Always. Now if you and some buddys are going somewhere you should take weights and air. but if you are going with a dive opereation, they will provide what you need. You just pluck through their supply of weights adn fill your "pockets" with what you need. Cripes, the airlines would have an orgasm just to see you if you thought you had to take weights with you in you bags.

Sorry Farside, but that's bad advice. In So Cal most of the boats do not provide weights. Best idea- check with the charter before you go.

 

[captndale]

The general rule is that if most divers travel to the destination by air, the boat provides tanks and weights. If the boat caters to mostly local divers, it is assumed that the divers will bring everything that they need to dive. The best advice I can give is to ask the dive operation in advance.

 

[bs63366]

Every boat that I have been on has not had much weight on the boat. Maybe a couple here and there in case someone cannot get down, but not enough to let someone grab all the weight that you need from them. On the other hand there have been times that they have weights on the pier that you can grabbefore hand if you need them.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Locally, I never rely on the boat to provide tanks or weights...even when they say they will. I simply prefer to bring my own tank and lead. If I were traveling, I'd simply confirm they had what I needed or try finding a rental.