Using a weight belt with a BP/W

[ehudco]

Hi, I'm diving for few years single tank with the dgx bp/w with the SS plate in warm water. I have two pockets for 4lbs each I sometimes use depending on wetsuit, and I love it.

I need to dive heavier now (2 x 8lbs) for some dives, so thought of using a standard weight belt. However two issues came - (i) it interferes with my webbing waist belt (I place the weight belt after i close the waist belt with the crotch strap (ii) the plate sits on the weights which is not comfortable.

I guess there's a simple solution i didnt think about, any tips?

 

[Searcaigh]

Move your weights forward and put it on before putting your BPW on. This is what I do when I have to use one when I dive dry and I also use "soft" weights. I know that if you need to dump weights then the crotch will need to be released, but honestly, have you ever had to do this?

Alternatively put larger weight pockets on your BPW, or put some weight on a camband on your tank, especially if using an AL80.

 

[CT Sean]

Your harness might be a bit loose, allowing the plate to sit too low. You might also want to try moving the weights so they're sitting more on your sides than back.

 

[johndiver999]

Get a rubber belt that you can wear low on your hips. Keep weights any where but other than under backplate. You should be fine

 

[ehudco]

Get a rubber belt that you can wear low on your hips. Keep weights any where but other than under backplate. You should be fine

Thank you, what are the features of rubber vs. webbing belt that enable this?

 

[rx7diver]

For recreational diving in a wet suit, I wear my weight belt *over* my harness and crotch strap--so that if I or my rescuer needs to ditch my weight belt during an emergency, then there is less of an issue. Hard Pb weights are on the side of my hips or forward my hips (think 10:00 and 2:00, appendix positions), and *never* near the small of my back (where they can be trapped between my back and cylinders or back plate, which can interfere with quickly ditching a weight belt). I place weights side-by-side, rather than "stacking" them. Weights are distributed evenly to help prevent the weight belt from twisting or rotating around my torso (which would make quickly finding and releasing the weight belt buckle more problematic).

I wear an old-school rubber weight belt that has a wire buckle.

I don't use weight pockets on my harness. And I don't use trim weights.

ETA: You mention that you need to wear 8 + 8 lbs. I would wear two 4-lb weights, side-by-side, on each side (so, four 4-lb weights), rather than two 8-lb weights (for example).

rx7diver

 

[johndiver999]

Thank you, what are the features of rubber vs. webbing belt that enable this?

An elastic belt automatically compensates for wetsuit compression at depth. This means the belt does not need to be adjusted at depth or worn super tight at the surface. It can be worn low on the hips because it "sticks to you". In this (gun slinger) position, you have zero impacts on your ability to breathe comfortably. They are more comfortable and depending on the buckle, can be very secure and easy to drop.

The more expensive models are made of silicone rubber which is very stretchy and they last many years of hard use.

 

[boulderjohn]

I know that if you need to dump weights then the crotch will need to be released, but honestly, have you ever had to do this?

On the occasions that I have had to use a weight belt with my BP/W, I have quite intentionally put the belt inside the crotch strap. As Searcaigh says, the need to ditch weights is rare. More common is the situation where the weight belt comes loose, in which case the crotch strap can catch it and give you time to reattach. Finally, in the extremely rare case of a need to dich those weights, that need is almost never immediate. You should have time to open the buckle, pull the belt free, and drop it.

 

[TravisD]

I hate weight belts - probably because my gut has taken away my hips and ass, so keeping a belt up is challenging. One of the first pieces of gear I ever bought was a DUI weight and trim harness.

 

[crofrog]

Weights forward on the hips. Put the weight belt on first and then the crotch strap and waist belt.

I wear a weight belt normally when I’m using my thick undergarments.