Weight Belts and Frustrations

[namabiru]

Just did my OW cert., and had very few major problems with the skills. Except for that one where they make you take your weight belt off underwater and put it back on. I was eventually able to do that with a bit of help from my instructor. But the surface... big failure. The damn thing weighed about a gabillion pounds, and it kept making me roll all over in the water. I was so frickin' tired! Finally my instructor said 'no big deal, chances are you wouldn't take off and put back on on the surface anyway, and you wouldn't do it much underwater anyway unless you didn't do your safety check beforehand and you got something tangled'.

But I was still shamed. You know?

Anyone else have a problem like this? Am I just a big sissy, or is it truly a difficult task? I honestly tried my best, but I just couldn't do it.

Sorry if I sound flaky. :mfight:

 

[Rick Inman]

It isn't anything to be embarrassed about. I watched a very fit friend of mine struggle with this during his open water, and trust me, it will wear you out fast.

It is, however, an essential skill you'll have to master, which with practice you will.

 

[Gryz]

Yep, nothing to be ashamed about, chances are you will go to a weight integrated BC anyway...they are way easier!

 

[scubaotter]

Don't be ashamed! I can fully understand what you are saying as I found myself in your position when I went through my open water class. I wore a weight belt with 22 pounds of lead in fresh water and if that doesn't tire you out nothing will.

Keep praticing the skill and things will get much better - I promise. You will get more comfortable with your other equipment as well as how you feel in the water in general. The main thing to remember is to be patient with yourself. Allow yourself time to learn a new skill before you master it.

The trick that worked for me was to inflate my BCD. Get totally vertical in the water and then take off the weight belt and get it directly in front of me as quickly as possible. Try holding on to it with both hands as that seemed to help as well.

Best of luck!

 

[PerroneFord]

Could someone PLEASE explain the fascination of these things to me? They put the weight in EXACTLY the wrong place, they are inflexible, and weigh a TON when you try to get them out of the water.

What is so evil about the weight belt? It's simple, it works, and it's cheap. That said, I stopped diving with weights of any kind. I'd rather carry extra lift (which weighs about nothing) than spend money and dive effort carrying around a bunch of lead.

Sorry, just my $.02

...chances are you will go to a weight integrated BC anyway...they are way easier!

 

[Lake Mead Tony]

Now that you have your cert, ditch the belt and get a BCD. Problem solved!!!!

 

[Bryan]

Another idea is to get a belt with a much longer length than is needed... my instructor did this after noticing the trouble I was having, and it was a snap after that... I just tucked in the extra length.

PADI teaches using the weight belts, but I don't see very many people diving with them at the lake. Weight belts seem to be an anacronysm in some circles, and sacramental in others.

PerroneFord, I understand your point... many of us need to hit the gym and lose some extra pounds before that is possible, though... but certainly shedding weight is the goal. In the meantime...

 

[PerroneFord]

No, I don't think you do understand my point. Put the weight SOMEWHERE ELSE. Use weights on the cambands. Put the weight somewhere where can help your trim instead of making you swim standing up.

As for needing to hit the gym.. I'm 6'0, 245. I wear no weight, and I dive aluminum tanks.

 

[Bryan]

No, I don't think you do understand my point.

You're right... I did miss your point, sorry about that. :embarass:

I'm 6' 2", weigh 365, and use 20# of weight (with a 3 mil full wetsuit). If I were to put the weight on my SCUBA unit, and the BC were to develop a leak, how would you ditch weight in that circumstance?

(BTW, have lost 25 pounds since Christmas... still working out to shed more, and am dreaming of the day I wouldn't need to pack extra lead just to stay down. On the positive side, the treading water exercise during OW class was a cakewalk!)

 

[PerroneFord]

You're right... I did miss your point, sorry about that. :embarass:

I'm 6' 2", weigh 365, and use 20# of weight (with a 3 mil full wetsuit). If I were to put the weight on my SCUBA unit, and the BC were to develop a leak, how would you ditch weight in that circumstance?

(BTW, have lost 25 pounds since Christmas... still working out to shed more, and am dreaming of the day I wouldn't need to pack extra lead just to stay down. On the positive side, the treading water exercise during OW class was a cakewalk!)

Good on you shedding weight! I'm working on it myself.

Twenty pounds of weight isn't that bad for your size. But here is my question. WHY carry ditchable weight? Whats the logical reason? And what's the difference between carrying ditchable weight and redundant lift? Which is easier to deal with?