Release or not to Release?

Following some heated debate at my dive club I would like to find out how many people WHO DIVE WITH ADEQUATE REDUNDANCY in terms of Bouyancy (Drysuit & BC or Wing) AND Air (Twins or Pony) still dive with releasable weights to provide a "Rescue" option?

[ahar]

I have a BCD and drysuit and a pony bottle - I use a normal style weight belt with all my lead on for two reasons - the first is that I don't mind more lead on my weight belt, and the second is that the integrated weight pouches on my BCD are pretty rubbish

All this is about to change as I pick up my twinset tomorrow !

[tom]

I have redundant air & buoyancy. I use a pocket weight belt, which is ditchable. Runs under my harness crotch strap so I'm less likely to lose it accidentally.

[Dominic]

I have a twinset, a drysuit, a wing, and at least one SMB. And so far, a 100% success rate of having a buddy the whole time as well

My weights are bolted in place

[Pierre Farrugia]

I pass the g-string (crotch strap) over it as I would never want to loose it! As I use twinset for deeper dives with twin inflation so no need to dump weight belt. What I think is if you loose boyancy I have backup with an other wing and a 25kg lift bag but is I loose the weight belt then I am in deep S$#t. Altough I use only 2 KG, this would made it difficult to hold my stop.

[Spike Jackson]

I wear a weight belt mainly because I've not gotten around to investigating the other options (v weights etc). I'm also not that keen on the idea of making my twinset any heavier!

Ditching my weights is almost the last option I would take as I always carry redundant lift in the shape of a drysuit (or double bladder wing when wetsuit diving). I really don't ever see myself having to ditch weights to get out of trouble and I'm much more concerned about my weight belt coming off accidentally. I have lost my weight belt, as has m buddy, both times they were hired weight belts with cheap plastic buckles. We now carry our own weight belts (minus weights!) on holiday.

[nigelH]

2.7Kg of lead blocks behind my head in the usual YBOD trim pocket.
2Kgs shot back thrown on top of the scrubber.
6Kgs in zipped up pockets on the waist.
I used to carry less but when I got the Otter Britanic and its nice undersuit I had a rather scary dive holding a final stop with everything squeezed up. I guess the new undersuit was just a lot fluffier. I might get it down a bit as the suit beds in. 3Kgs comes off in fresh water.
I guess I could unzip the pockets and ditch 6Kgs but I think it would be slow unless I practiced it a few times. I use a weight belt on a RIB or they'd leave it for me to drag out of the water.

nigelH

[Adrian Kelland]

I use a standard weightbelt with 2x3kg. THe strap is under my crotch strap. The buckle has never opened accidently yet. I use a weightbelt as I mainly RIB dive and twins are heavy enough as it is without fixed weights to be lifted too.

A lot of lead as I have a full thickness neoprene drysuit - a Solent for those who know them.

Adrian

[johnkendall]

In fresh water the only weight I use is my Canister Lamp. In salt I add a V-weight into the equation. So No, I don't have any ditchable weight (Well, in a complete emergancy, completly knackered wing, and flooded dry-suit, I could ditch the canister, or even just the battery), But I also have 3 DSMBs on me for most dives, and at least 3 places to get gas from (2 sides of the twinset, plus suit inflation bottle)

John

[Reeve]

When diving the salty stuff, I tell my buddy that the small amount of ditchable weight integrated, is not to be dumped unless I'm unconscious. Otherwise no non ditchable weight.

p.s the only time I've considered ditching weight was after 30mins bobbing about on the surface with a buddy in choppy seas and no cover boat in sight.