Weight Belt

[kalvyn]

I think the problem lies in what they are thinking "weighting" is. If you are horrendously overweighted then you have no choice BUT to drop weights. I think most people dive horrendously to horrifically overweighted, so maybe that's where the disconnect is?

This is probably part of the problem, yes. I knew that my first dive in a dry suit I was WAY overweighted when I really had to kick hard to start ascending at all. I could swim my current rig up without dropping my weight belt, and pretty rapidly if the need arose. Fortunately, to date the need has not come up and if I did have an OOA I would go to my buddy and not the surface.

Jimmie

 

[RichLockyer]

At the start of this season, my one buddy had a dual failure at 80 ft. One reg locked up. He switched to his backup and headed for the anchor. Before he made it to the line, his lp hose on the pony reg blew. With out a second thought, he dropped his weights and did a free ascent from 80'. You do not want to take a few extra seconds to get the belt out from under the crotch strap!

Where were you? A safe, normal ascent should have been easily do-able.
Ditching weight is a last resort.

He was lucky to not have required a chamber ride.

 

[RichLockyer]

He made the right decisions

No he didn't.
The incorrect decision was not the one made at 80ft though, it was the one made on the surface before he jumped in.

 

[RichLockyer]

Soggy,

Let me through in one more. During our classes we had to do rescue work. Have you ever tried to drop the weights on an unconscious diver who had their weight belt looped through their crotch strap?

If it's not easy to pull through, simply cut the strap.

 

[RichLockyer]

or go after lobster? How about video?

Yup. Same way we dive when we're not hunting or shooting video.
Side by side, or within 5-10 feet of each other an in constant visual or light-signal contact.

 

[Atticus]

I've recently done a number of dives on a RIB (ie: Zodiac) in doubles. The routine is to surface, rest for a bit, then hand up your weight belt, doff your rig, tie it off to a line, climb the ladder, then pull your rig into the RIB.

I put my weight belt on under my crotch strap and didn't have any particular trouble getting it off.

I suggest that the nay sayers go out and practice the skill a couple of times. I'm much more concerned about an accidental drop than I am about not being able to get it off in an emergency.

I did have one question from the previous posts however - on the subject of recovering an unconscious diver - I was not aware of a protocol where a regulator would be placed into an unconscious divers mouth if they had already lost theirs. Can you guys fill me in on what GUE has to say on this?

 

[mleong]

Well, why not consider not using the crotch strap. That will basically solve the issue. I am new with a bp/wing, just done 6 dives, I find it to be easier to palce the weight belt just above the waist line, and after all the bp strap sits a little higher, somewhere near to the last of the rib bone, so there should be no confusion between the two. Without the crotch strap, the bp sits ok, does not rides up too much to make it too uncomfortable.

One other option is to buy the weight pouches by Xscuba and mount them upside down, and if need to ditch the weight, just pull on the velcro flap.

 

[cornfed]

Well, why not consider not using the crotch strap. That will basically solve the issue.

The crotch strap helps hold the rig down and secure.

One other option is to buy the weight pouches by Xscuba and mount them upside down, and if need to ditch the weight, just pull on the velcro flap.

Most weight pouches I've seen or used are bulky. Also you run the risk of having the weights prematurely and unexpectedly dumped from the pouch.

 

[Viscya]

No he didn't.
The incorrect decision was not the one made at 80ft though, it was the one made on the surface before he jumped in.

Is there an echo in here???

 

[mleong]

The crotch strap helps hold the rig down and secure.

Most weight pouches I've seen or used are bulky. Also you run the risk of having the weights prematurely and unexpectedly dumped from the pouch.

Cornfed:

I see the reason for the crotch strap, but somehow I did not notice any major disadvantages in NOT using the crotch strap, except only when I am at surface waiting for the boat to come or to get up the boat, the rig rides up a little.

As for the weight pouches, well, can add a few extra velcro, or a quick release snap to prevent it from coming off accidently.

I agree with you that a lot of the weight pouches are quite very bulky since they can accomodate about 20 to 30lb of weight, which is around 3 to 6 pc of lead or more, but this pouches that I am refering to, they only fit one lead in each pouches, so the velcro should hold it ok.