A Good Thing…Not!

“Well, there’s one good thing you can say about weight belts: Everybody knows how to use them.” Actually, many divers don’t — at least not correctly (and that includes more than a few instructors).

Setting up a weight belt correctly is an art — and, apparently, it’s a lost one. A properly set-up weight belt, whether a conventional belt made from two-inch webbing or a newer model with weight pockets, has these characteristics in common:

The weights are divided into two, even groups. There is not an odd number of weights, nor is there a single weight sitting in the middle, where it could get caught between the small of the wearer’s back and the tank.
The weights are placed as far forward as possible (but not so far forward as to interfere with operation of the buckle).
If a conventional (i.e., made from two-inch webbing) belt is used, weight keepers are essential to keep weights from shifting around.

The first illustration shows some of the benefits of setting up a weight belt in this manner (the blue cylinder represents a diver’s body, lying in a normal, horizontal swimming position).

There is an open space in the back of the belt, so that weights will not get caught on or interfere with the tank.
Should the quick-release buckle accidentally open while the wearer is in a normal, face-down swimming position, the belt won’t immediately fall off. This also makes it easier to don the belt in the water.
Keeping the weights as far forward as possible lowers the diver’s center of gravity while in a normal swimming position. This helps divers resist the tendency to turn turtle.

The second illustration shows what not to do. By grouping the weights together in the back:

There will be a mass of weights caught between the small of the wearer’s back and the tank. This will almost certainly be uncomfortable.
If the buckle accidentally unfastens, there is a greater risk of losing the belt.
Similarly, it will be harder to put such a belt on in the water…or remove it in an emergency.

When too much of a diver’s weight is massed in the back, there is a further risk that the entire belt may get twisted around while the wearer is under water. This would put the quick-release buckle behind the diver’s back, where it would be almost impossible to get to in an emergency.

If you examine the weight belts being worn by those divers who still use them, you will see that nearly all of them suffer from one or more of these problems. In contrast, it is difficult to have anywhere near the same problems with a well-designed integrated weight system.

Bad for the environment, too »

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