To weight integrate, or not to weight integrate... that is the question

[large_diver]

Ralph.....stirring the pot again ;-)

I won't say that I "love" my weight integrated BC, but it works for me for now.

My main gripe with a weight belt is that a 35 pound weight belt (the amount of weight I use) can be rather unwieldy....

 

[large_diver]

BTW Ralph, I've seen pictures of Marseillaise belts but have never seen one in action -- it seems like a good idea. Where did you get yours?

 

[Vettster]

ScubaPro also has a mechanical system for attaching the weight pods. (On the Classic Plus BCD)
It works great. No more Velcro.

Safe Diving!

Vettster

 

[simonk999]

I've seen the scubapro system in person (only seen pictures of the Mares system). The Scubapro system seems potentially retrofittable onto a bc, as the concept is pretty straightforward and doesn't use proprietary hardware -- it's a clip system -- the weight pocket is stuffed into the bc and the weight pocket strap is folded around (as a velcro system is) and clipped into the bc. Would have to do a bit of sewing onto your bc through, for a homegrown system, to attach the one end of the clip to the bc.

 

[jobowker]

My dive buddy wears 38 pounds of lead in a Zeagle Tech BC. She also has an AL super 80 (the shorter, fatter, heavier one) so all together her stuff weighs in around 90 pounds! She can barely walk with it, and requires a lot of help to get the BC on and get in the water. When we dive off my boat, she has to sit on teh swim platform and have two people put her BC on her and stick the weights in the pockets, and then she rolls off the side. I have a 30 pound weight belt, and I put the weight belt on first, and then I can get my BC (a cheapie SeaQuest Spectrum) on without any major difficulties. When getting out of teh boat, I can take off my weight belt and put it on the swim platform, and then clip my BC to a line, take it off, and then climb onto the boat.
If I were to buy everythign all over again, I'd probably get a Zeagle Ranger (no need for the Tech) but still keep a lot of the weight on the belt. By the way - as a test, I went in teh water with just my weight belt, and I still float ok, so there's no worry about dropping to the bottom. YMMV.

 

[rcohn]

I use a Rob Allen belt from South Africa. It is the only reasonably priced version. Last time I looked it was around $18 for the belt and $8 for just the rubber belt without the buckle. European belts are $45 to $50. You need to check periodically to make sure the rubber isn't cracking. It lasts longer if you do not leave the weights on it. At $8 I plan to replace the rubber every one or two years.

I'll try to find the web address for the importer. I believe they now have a store called "Florida Freedivers" with a web page.

Ralph

 

[rcohn]

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who was involved in a real rescue. I believe the victim was male and in a weight integrated BC in the cold water. Two very experienced women were trying to save him. They did not have the strength to lift upwards to release the weight pouches. When they tried they were just pushed deeper into the water. Very dangerous, this was a real emmergency. The only way they could have released the pouches would be to roll the diver into a face down position, which of course they couldn't do with a stricken diver. When the boat reached them the weights were easily released by a man pulling upward from the solid support of the boat.

Second thing, I wrote before:

When the New England Aquarium Dive Club newsletter for August ( http://www.neadc.org/newsletter.html ) is finally posted online there is a story from a novice diver who tried this and survived. After reading this guy's story, I'm embarrassed to admit I'm in the same club, so many dumb mistakes and so much unjustified overconfidence. It doesn't sound like he even had the sense to try to hold onto the BC.

The August newsletter is now online. Take a look at I Guess It Wasn't My Time To Die if interested.

Ralph

 

[simonk999]

I agree that weight integration could potentially be a problem if large amounts of weight are involved, though I would think that release could be made without turning the diver face-down, i.e. if diver was floating "normally" (i.e. head-up, feet down), the weight pockets would've been relatively level. And if it really comes to it, removal of the bc itself in that situation is an option too, esp in cold water, since there'd be the buoyancy of the wet/drysuit to keep the diver afloat.

Anyhow, even though I have an IWS, it carries only trim weighting if I'm diving cold water (i.e. carrying a lot of weight); rest is on a belt/harness.

 

[jobowker]

Don't most weight integrated BC's tout a quick release mechanism requiring minimal effort? I like the idea of weight integration, but the reason I still prefer my wieght belt is because it's really hard to don 100lbs worth of gear with standing on a heaving boat. If I were strictly a shore diver, or diving with minimal weight (less than 20 pounds) then I would see no reason not to go weight integrated. The only ones I seen up close (ones belonging to family members) were both Zeagles - one Tech and one Ranger - and on both of these, a simple pull of the ripcord opens up the bottom of the pocket and bye bye weights.

 

[simonk999]

Most IWS systems I've seen (and mine too) are simple pockets into which you stuff your weights (enclosed in a bag). The weights are attached by nylon webbing to the release handle that is usually then velcro-ed to the outside of the pocket. Thus, release consists of pulling the handle to undo the velcro and pull out the weights.

The ripcord system is probably safer, i.e. easier release, with the downside that if you pull it, it's more difficult to temporarily hold onto your weights once they're out, or put them back in; once pulled, they're gone. I used this system with the DUI weight harness.