Using a weight belt with a BP/W

[Pressurehead]

Weightbelts are handy for kayak diving. My proceedure after the kayak is after anchoring over the dive spot is I put fins on, then get into the water and roll the weightbelt on, then pull the scuba rig off the back and put it on in the water. Go diving. Then coming back everything is done in reverse order

I do the same when diving from my kayak, almost the same from my boat except my BC and cylinder is secured to a line in the water ready to put on, on exit the weight belt is the first thing removed either clipped off to a line or passed up, BC clipped off next, the rest is self explaitary. The only weight on my BC is 2 trim weights, so the whole rig is not too heavy to haul onboard either craft. Easy for this old diver.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Maybe I’m not understanding or I don’t have the experience, but it seems dangerous to me to don a weight belt floating in deep water before you don some type of BC. Educate me, please.

The weightbelt alone is not enough to sink me.
I also use a 5 lb steel backplate and a steel tank. My OVERALL weighting is such that I can actually float on the surface fully rigged with a full tank. I have to tip forward headfirst and swim down to descend. I use a 7mm wetsuit with hood gloves booties.
My weighting is adjusted so that at the end of the dive with 300-500 psi left I can sit at 15’ perfectly neutral with no air in my wing and hold a stop with breath control alone. This 15’ end of dive neutrality is actually what determines all my overall weighting. All the other features like being able to float on the surface etc. are incidental and secondary.
One thing I am not is an elevator diver. I came from a free diving/ skindiving background so that type of mechanical gear dependent diving is very foreign to me.

 

[Waterwulf]

I have been using a weight belt for fifty + years but the last few years, it's been causing me trouble. My belly is getting rounder and pushing it down. I tried the rubber kind but it's got problems too. Then I decided to try weight belt suspenders but didn't like the idea of not being able to drop it if needed so I looked into the weight harness type setup with the quick release weight pouches.

At this point, I need to say that I am a vintage diver and use some vintage type gear. (Not old, just vintage type) I use a Horse collar type BC and love it. However, the problem is to many straps and harnesses. The weight belt harness, the BC harness and the tank harness. Then I had an idea. Why not put the weight belt and the BC on the same harness? The lead is in quick release pouches so it can be dumped as needed.

I looked at buying a ready made harness but decided to build my own so I can add clips and links as needed. I have some Q/R dump pouches on the way. The BC will be attached with bolt clips. (Maybe) Overall, it looks easy enough to fabricate.

I think if you use a weight belt, you'd be doing yourself a favor to look into one of the harnesses. With the Q/R pouches, it would be just as safe as a Q/R weight belt.

Note: In fifty plus years of diving, I have never had to dump my weights. On the other hand, i did almost dump them because my dumb a$$ partner was drowning and refused to dump his because he had to much money in them! No, I never dove with him again.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have been using a weight belt for fifty + years but the last few years, it's been causing me trouble. My belly is getting rounder and pushing it down. I tried the rubber kind but it's got problems too. Then I decided to try weight belt suspenders but didn't like the idea of not being able to drop it if needed so I looked into the weight harness type setup with the quick release weight pouches.

At this point, I need to say that I am a vintage diver and use some vintage type gear. (Not old, just vintage type) I use a Horse collar type BC and love it. However, the problem is to many straps and harnesses. The weight belt harness, the BC harness and the tank harness. Then I had an idea. Why not put the weight belt and the BC on the same harness? The lead is in quick release pouches so it can be dumped as needed.

I looked at buying a ready made harness but decided to build my own so I can add clips and links as needed. I have some Q/R dump pouches on the way. The BC will be attached with bolt clips. (Maybe) Overall, it looks easy enough to fabricate.

I think if you use a weight belt, you'd be doing yourself a favor to look into one of the harnesses. With the Q/R pouches, it would be just as safe as a Q/R weight belt.

Note: In fifty plus years of diving, I have never had to dump my weights. On the other hand, i did almost dump them because my dumb a$$ partner was drowning and refused to dump his because he had to much money in them! No, I never dove with him again.

A lot of dive clubs and charter boats have a policy that they will pay for a new weight system/weight belt if you get in trouble and need to dump it.

 

[boulderjohn]

A lot of dive clubs and charter boats have a policy that they will pay for a new weight system/weight belt if you get in trouble and need to dump it.

Yep, they say that. I've heard it said.

Now, go to any of the many threads SB has had on the topic "when would you need to ditch your weights," and you will see why it is a meaningless gesture.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Yep, they say that. I've heard it said.

Now, go to any of the many threads SB has had on the topic "when would you need to ditch your weights," and you will see why it is a meaningless gesture.

I’ve never seen weights dumped for scuba diving, but I have seen belts dumped for freediving.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I have both a Mako silicone weight belt and a DUI weight harness. I have used both under my BP/W without any issues or discomfort.

 

[happy-diver]

I’ve never seen weights dumped for scuba diving, but I have seen belts dumped for freediving.

See that bit in there chief, one of my drop in and grab some abs spots it was also my dive shop
for weight belts, around ten over the years I think they would jump in the washing machine get
swept out and straight back in again quickly and not necessarily know how to handle it too well

It got to a stage one every dive, where I thought I might leave mine in the car save walking it in

 

[Chavodel8en]

I dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but you may have issues differentiating your weight belt release from your BP waist release. Not a big deal, unless its an emergency.

If you use the basic buckle release, you may want to have the releases in opposite directions. I have my weight belt in a right handed release.

I also use yellow webbing for my weight belt, to differentiate it from the BP webbing/release.

I also "stagger" the buckles, so there are not on top of each other. They are not in the middle of my stomach, each one is a bit to the side.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but you may have issues differentiating your weight belt release from your BP waist release. Not a big deal, unless its an emergency.

If you use the basic buckle release, you may want to have the releases in opposite directions. I have my weight belt in a right handed release.

I also use yellow webbing for my weight belt, to differentiate it from the BP webbing/release.

I also "stagger" the buckles, so there are not on top of each other. They are not in the middle of my stomach, each one is a bit to the side.

I do the same thing.
My waist band release for the rig is right hand release but it’s over on the right side so the crotch strap will be to the left of it.
And the weightbelt is also right hand release but the buckle is over to the left of center, plus is lower so it’s hard to confuse the two.