Weigt belts and crotch straps
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There have been quite a few discussions of that on the board. The consensus seems to be that those diving wet leave the weight belt on the outside of the crotch strap, as they have no redundant buoyancy; those diving dry leave it on the inside.
cool_hardware52
Contributor
stas:
I always put my weight belt on first, i.e. it's under the crotch strap.
I use the XS Scuba pouch type belt. This means I can drop weight, if I ever need to by just opening one pocket at time and removing the weight.
If you want to have your weight belt outside the crotch strap, here's how to do it.
First put on your weight belt, just snug enough to keep it from falling off.
Put on your rig. Now reach around your side, not through your legs, and grab the crotch strap. Pull it around your side to the front. Stuff it down under your crotch strap from the top. Grab it and pull it back around to the rear.
It's now under your weight belt at the rear. Swing it forward between your legs and up under the weight belt. Snug up the weight belt. Done.
Sounds hard, it's not.
Tobin
It seems to me that this is not realy an issue of having reduntant bouyancy or not. If having the weight belt under the crotch strap has a serious chance of interfearing with droping weights rapidly in an emergency, then the belt shouldnot be there. Otherwise, why have ditchable weights when in a dry suit. I feel that if you have to dich weigts, it means you need to get to the surface NOW and FAST. In all situations where that is the case (that I could think of), aditional task loading is not desiarable. Also, in such cases, it seems to me that there is an excelent chance that your DS is already at least partialy flooded (thrashing about seems quite likely in such an emergency) and has lost at least some of its lifting capabilities.
I recently began diving an AL back plate. It was a thought out decision for me to wear the belt UNDER the crotch strap, contrary to what I was taught. (I dive wet)
My real fear however was the potential loss of the belt, and I like the idea that the crotch strap will catch it.
I am only wearing 4 lbs on the belt and I am actually able to slip the belt out with a little wiggle. ( I know it should not take any work)
Also, I opted for the quick release buckle on the crotch strap rather than threading my waist strap through it. (I know not DIR). I figure the only time I would need to ditch the weights would be in the event of a BC failure. If that were the case, I would not need the crotch strap so one extra move would un buckle the crotch strap and completely free the belt. ( I know additional task loading). I always review weight dumping with my buddy.
Most importantly, I have my weight so nicely dialed in now, I can swim my rig up with an empty BC and full tank.
Anyway. my $.02. I am not advocating this or suggesting in any way that you do anything contrary to your training or safe diving practices. Just relating my personal experiences.
Dive safe and often.
My real fear however was the potential loss of the belt, and I like the idea that the crotch strap will catch it.
I am only wearing 4 lbs on the belt and I am actually able to slip the belt out with a little wiggle. ( I know it should not take any work)
Also, I opted for the quick release buckle on the crotch strap rather than threading my waist strap through it. (I know not DIR). I figure the only time I would need to ditch the weights would be in the event of a BC failure. If that were the case, I would not need the crotch strap so one extra move would un buckle the crotch strap and completely free the belt. ( I know additional task loading). I always review weight dumping with my buddy.
Most importantly, I have my weight so nicely dialed in now, I can swim my rig up with an empty BC and full tank.
Anyway. my $.02. I am not advocating this or suggesting in any way that you do anything contrary to your training or safe diving practices. Just relating my personal experiences.
Dive safe and often.
I just read Tobin's reply. I like the idea of the XS pouches on the belt. I originally had them (XS pouches) on my waist strap back near the plate, but felt I needed to improve my trim by moving weight forward, so I opted for the belt. I tried the belt with DR clipper pouches(after shelling out the $56.00) , but they were too bulky.
DUH
DUH
cool_hardware52
Contributor
Splitlip:
XS makes a belt with 4 or 6 pouches on it.. You could slide your single pouches on to a belt.
Tobin
donacheson
Contributor
stas:
Yet another alternative: I put about half my weights on my tank bands on the right side of my tank, then the rest of my weights on the left side of my weight belt under my crotch strap. Popping the buckle with my right hand either allows the weight belt to drop freely or, by using my left hand to grab the weight belt, allows me to pull it freely out from under the crotch strap, both from and rear, and hand it up to the boat and (if necessary) removing my BC and tank before climbing the ladder.
Why? I just find I can get into the water and out of other divers' way more quickly by donning my weight belt before BC and tank and reg, mask, and fins.
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