Weight belt falling off

[scubaskipper]

The only other thing that might be added to all the good suggestions already given, if the belt is too long. The excess can catch while your moving and pop the buckle open. This happens allot when doing a giant stride and hitting the water without left hand over the buckle. It can also happen if gear shifts during the dive. Try for 6" or so past buckle. Many times rentals will only have one size belt.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

Buy a weight harness. They are available from several companies: Seasoft, DUI, etc.

 

[Phrenzy]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions! I am sorry I wasn't more clear in my initial post, but my primary issue has been with plastic buckles (not fully latching or opening at unwanted times).

For those people that use the DUI system.....does it interfere with a bp/w and crotch strap setup ....or other bc's? and can it be used for tropical diving with only about 10lbs. (I am trying to avoid multiple belts/systems).

I have a bp/w with a crotch strap. There is very little to no interference.

For the record, both my DUI weight harness and my OMS BC have plastic buckles. I only have 50 or so dives on them, and I don't have any issues with them. I believe they are trouble free because the buckles support very little weight.

If you have #30 of weight on a belt and you lean over, that buckle is supporting #30. If you do the same with a weight harness, the buckle isn't supporting the weight. The straps on your shoulders are. It easy for me to don my gear because I put on my dry suit, then my weight harness, and then my BC. I don't have to lug around a BC with all my weight and my steel tank, they are split into to separate units.

I haven't done any warm water diving with it. I would imagine it would do just fine. It has nice big pockets so you could put any type of weight in them.

Just go to your LDS and ask to give one a try. I think you'll like it.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions! I am sorry I wasn't more clear in my initial post, but my primary issue has been with plastic buckles (not fully latching or opening at unwanted times).

For those people that use the DUI system.....does it interfere with a bp/w and crotch strap setup ....or other bc's? and can it be used for tropical diving with only about 10lbs. (I am trying to avoid multiple belts/systems).

No. The system is a normal weightbelt. You just wear it like you normally do and close the crotch strap last so that if the belt does slip off you don't lose it, that's all. They don't interfere with one another at all.

The whole discussion you hear about this is if the belt should go under the other strap, where it's less likely to get lost but more likely to be a PITA if you have to dump it, or over the strap with the risks reversed.

@CRC65: I'm not sure what Diver0001 is talking about. The DUI Weight & Trim harness is not a normal weight belt, and the crotch strap won't "catch" the weight harness if it falls off. As others have pointed out, the DUI Weight & Trim harness can be used very easily with a BP/W system. You simply don the weight harness first before climbing into your BP/W system. I would recommend adjusting the DUI harness so that the yellow plastic pull handles ride below your waist strap. There's no interference at all between the two systems.

Yes, the DUI Weight & Trim harness can be used with BP/W setup in warm water with 10 lbs. or less. You may want to consider just using a weight belt, though, since it would be less to carry/pack to your warm water destination. Having 8 - 10 lbs. on a weight belt really isn't a big deal at all.

I recommend getting the weight harness. Once you buy it, you should practice ditching the weight with your buddy. You have to pull the handle a surprising distance in order for the plastic tubing to release. This way you'll also get some practice re-threading the plastic tubing through the loops on the harness. So much fun.

Have fun and dive safe.

 

[leapfrog]

Also, be advised that rental gear is s**t.

Perhaps you should go diving with more reputable operations? There is no reason at all why rental gear should necessarily be the end result of a bowel movement.

I had a stainless steel buckle fall off x metres down, literally just fall into the depths, cos it was old and had been used several gazillion times by several million careless owners/renters.

What happened to you when the belt fell off and are you sure that was the reason? If your stats are correct you may have found the world's only million dollar a year LDS!

Doesn't matter what piece of kit it is, rental gear carries risks all of it's own - apart from wetsuits and tank, I've had every other bit of kit fail at least once underwater.

I insist. There are dive ops that take their rental gear very seriously, only use top quality products and brands and have several staff members who have been specifically trained and have a great deal of experience in servicing equipment.

It may be expensive, but start collecting your own kit - it makes diving a lot easier and more comfortable.

Can't argue with that. However this thread is about weight belts. There is no reason why most divers should have to have ther own. To not have perfectly good weight belts for the customers at an LDS is absurd.

Not to mention safer......When you're desperately dumping air at 30m cos you no longer have any lead round your waist, and just prior to your trajectory into orbit, 10$ may seem rather little money.

Gospel of John, Chapter 11, Verse 35.

 

[Diver0001]

@CRC65: I'm not sure what Diver0001 is talking about. The DUI Weight & Trim harness is not a normal weight belt, and ...snip....

Oops, my bad. I misunderstood the question.

R..

 

[InTheDrink]

Leapfrog,

I've had different bits of kit fail with different ops. Certain ones have been worse and a couple have clocked up the majority of failures. Yes I complained and no I wouldn't dive with them again. Of course most ops take their kit serious, but clearly price and cost are major factors too and the people that run ops aren't always the people that own them.

FYI, the belt stayed around my waist, or rather around my back, straps flapping in the wind . No biggie, but if I had inverted or twisted for some reason it probably would have been a biggie fairly quickly. I still say beware of rental kit.

N.B. These weren't LDSs. They were resorts. Expensive ones at that. Perhaps Op is the wrong word in this context.

 

[leapfrog]

Leapfrog,

I've had different bits of kit fail with different ops. Certain ones have been worse and a couple have clocked up the majority of failures. Yes I complained and no I wouldn't dive with them again. Of course most ops take their kit serious, but clearly price and cost are major factors too and the people that run ops aren't always the people that own them.

FYI, the belt stayed around my waist, or rather around my back, straps flapping in the wind . No biggie, but if I had inverted or twisted for some reason it probably would have been a biggie fairly quickly. I still say beware of rental kit.

N.B. These weren't LDSs. They were resorts. Expensive ones at that. Perhaps Op is the wrong word in this context.

. Understood. Yes, the word "Op" probably isn't the right word.................. equipment manufacturers have a vested interest in gear working at resorts. It's the same as rent-a-car. If you have a bad experience with a particular brand you hired you are unlikely to then go out and purchase it.

 

[InTheDrink]

equipment manufacturers have a vested interest in gear working at resorts. It's the same as rent-a-car. If you have a bad experience with a particular brand you hired you are unlikely to then go out and purchase it.

Yes, however the analogy with rental cars isn't correct. Brand is nowhere near as sticky in resorts. Liveaboards perhaps. But given that DSDs are the largest proportion of income for most resorts (and lots of dive ops) the brand will not be remembered. The poor experience sticks to diving or the resort, not the brand of kit (assuming it's still discernible from overuse).

J

 

[leapfrog]

What I said is that the brands have a vested interest in having their equipment at resorts and in perfect working order not that the resorts necessarily have an interest in the brands.....