Where does the weight belt go?

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mark99

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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
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Redlands, CA
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Just purchased a used Halcyon Pioneer, and was trying it out in the pool yesterday. So where does the weight belt go, in relation to the BC belt and crotch strap. I assume over the top, but in the back it seemed like the weight belt was too low, could not slide up the back because of the connection between the crotch strap and the BP.
 
Lots of arguments about this if you do a search.

I did it for you . . . what I came up with is that there is some consensus that, diving wet, the weight belt should be outside the crotch strap as you have no redundant buoyancy and therefore might have greater need to ditch weight; diving dry, the weight belt may go inside the crotch strap as you have redundant buoyancy. Within that framework are a number of arguments about whether it is, in fact, difficult to ditch a weight belt from inside the strap or whether it is fairly easy, and that will then lead into a discussion of when, if ever, and under what circumstances one wants to ditch a weight belt and what will happen if one does. It goes on and on.

Mackay's book, Dress for Success, prescribes putting the weight belt on the OUTSIDE of the crotch strap in the back and INSIDE in the front. That's a pain to do unless you use Tobin's technique of putting the weight belt on first, then the BC, and bringing the crotch strap around to the side and threading it under the weight belt there, then pulling it down so it hangs in normal position.

I think I just summarized about twelve threads, hopefully fairly accurately.
 
TSandM:
...

I think I just summarized about twelve threads, hopefully fairly accurately.
...

Excellent job, considering how some of those threads got rather heated at times.

I'm still wondering how I will wear the weightbelt as I am planning to buy a BP rig early next year. Putting the crotch strap on first, then the weightbelt on a rolling RIB on the Shoal is probably going to be interesting...

Cheers,

Andrew
 
My buddy and I both put our weight belts on first with the crotch strap over the weightbelt. Never have had any issues or problems.. We both are diving dry, but even when I dove wet I still put the crotch strap over the belt because that is what I was confortable with....
 
In Australia, I tried really hard to do the "outside in back and under in front" thing on the RIB in chop and WITHOUT the benefit of Tobin's description, and it was, to say the least, challenging.
 

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