Weight Belt around hips or waist?

[LeadTurn_SD]

The shop here uses weightbelts for OW class. The instructor/owner uses a weightbelt, but does of course sell weight integrated BC's. So it does vary from shop-to-shop, and by region I'd guess.


For me: Weight belt around the waist, below the navel and above the hips I cinch mine down tight so that when the wetsuit compresses I don't need to retighten underwater. This has worked well for me for over 30 years.

Best wishes.

 

[rligon]

Waist so that it can ride on the top of the hips. If this proves to be a problem, you might want to look at one of the suspender systems that has ditchable weights on the belt. I tend to be a 'little wide' at the waist, so I have to tighten down pretty good on the surface to keep the belt from sliding off at depth. Best of luck!

 

[Granny Scuba]

To the OP, are you sure it says around the hips not above the hips? .... Jeff

Well, I am not sure. I have reread it and I probably did interpert it wrong. It says to make sure that the weights sit on your hips. But if you are shaped like me (small waist- HUGE HIPS) I am not sure that is possible. The small of my waist is considerably higher than the widest parts of my hips. So if the belt is around my waist, the weights will not really touch my hips.

For the weights to "truly" sit on your hips I would have to wear it hip hugger style, kinda like a gun slinger. I guess if you had the noassatall syndrome......

To the second point: Yes we do wear both weight belts and integrated BCDS in this class. However while the SDI training book does mention belts, it does NOT mention the wt belt removal skill.

 

[Nemrod]

I push mine down low on my hips. I wear it outside my harness. If I were diving dry then of course I would put it under. My BP waist strap is just that, it goes across my waist. In this manner the two items do not try to occupy the same space and I find it more comfortable and functional.

N

 

[krulle]

I like it as high as possible:

+ better weight distribution => more horizontal position in het water
+ less painfull to walk long distances to the water
- less accessible to release

 

[spectrum]

1. secure
2. comfortable
3. trimmed

Jeff

Granny Scuba,

The objective is to make sure the belt is secure on your body. By hanging the belt perched somewhere above the largest part of your lower abdomen it will not fall off if you find yourself in a heads up orientation. On the hips, above the hips, above the waist, whatever works. Most dive texts books are not written by technical writers so focus on the concept.

Be aware that a wetsuit will compress as you descend. This will have the effect of loosening your belt. Should you go heads up at depth it is possible to have the belt slide right down off of you. This leaves you positively buoyant and if someone does not react fast you are going for an uncontrolled ascent. We hear of this most often with very lean males.

To avoid this problem:
1. Wear your belt high enough that it is perched on something.
2. Tighten it more than you would think comfortable, it will be fine once you go horizontal in the water.
3. While horizontal on the surface check the belt again and tighten so it's snug but still comfortable.
4. When diving deep carefully check the belt for looseness. Adjust the belt or your behavior accordingly.

If you lack a defined body place for the belt to perch get a harness that goes over the shoulders like a DUI Weight & Trim and be done with it.

How it all fits with your BC also needs to be considered. this will get into your torso length and BC size and style.

WFIW I advocate wearing all of your weight on a belt or harness. Except what may need to go higher up in your BC to establish trim. Trim is a level swimming posture while diving. Your body is a see saw. Once you find the right amount of weight you will want to play with where to wear it.

Pete

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Our LDS uses weight integrated BC's. I'm betting most Ops do, and for sure most PADI shops. I'm not sure many LDS's in/around Denver even have standard weight belts! There are some notable exceptions, and I know that ALL shops have belts available, but you maybe be over estimating the number of shops that use non-weight integrated systems during OW certification.

I think the opposite could be true here in Hawaii; I see much less WI than weight belts for training dives. I have worked for one lds on Oahu, 2 charter boats and 3 resort operators on Maui; one of the boats uses WI (6 pac), but the same owners also own one of the resort companies I worked for and there are no weight integrated BC's at their two resort locations. Almost all the certification courses with those owners are conducted with the resort operation, so hardley ever cert dives with WI. The others operations I've worked for (and the one I currently work for) either have no WI gear or only the 2XL's have weight integration.

The shop I rent student gear out of in Kihei only has weight integration on the junior's and probably the 2XL's; definately not WI on S, M and L BC's.

 

[Gombessa]

Wow, I did not know there were "standards" as to where you should wear a weight belt!

I shift mine depending on where I need the weight. In my doubles, I'm head-down, so I wear my weight belt as low across my hips as possible, to the point where they look like they're going to slide off my butt. If I'm diving warm water with a jacket BC and aluminum tanks, I typically need any weight as high as possible because the tanks cause me to go feet-down.

 

[ptyx]

For some people (including me), belt at waist level can cause lower back pain at the end of a dive.

Wear it wherever it is comfortable - and where it sticks. If you prefer to wear it on the hips, suspenders systems/crotch strap are good ideas. So are integrated weight systems when they're well designed.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Our LDS uses weight integrated BC's. I'm betting most Ops do, and for sure most PADI shops. I'm not sure many LDS's in/around Denver even have standard weight belts! There are some notable exceptions, and I know that ALL shops have belts available, but you maybe be over estimating the number of shops that use non-weight integrated systems during OW certification.

NAUI requires students to remove and replace a standard weight belt. I believe SSI does, too, although I can't swear to it without double checking the regulations. PADI may not require a weight belt, but I've been to many dive operations and all of them use belts, not integrated weight systems because that combination is cheaper than purchasing integrated BCDs.

Not that a student could not bring their own integrated BCD, but depending on the agency, they might still have to learn the skill with a belt.

Personally, I could not wait to get rid of my weight belt and get into an integrated BCD. After a few years with the integrated weights, I wound up going back to a weight belt because I discovered I could trim myself out better with a belt. Now I really prefer the belt and don't care for integrated weights.

But I'll stick by my original view that many if not most agencies still require mastering weight belt removal and replacement and even considering those agencies that do not require belts, the majority of scuba instruction still involves a wieght belt.

Jeff