Weight Harness - any good ones, any to avoid

[tootricky]

Originally Posted by MATTBIN

Mrs B wants to buy me a Chrissy pressy, I would like a weight harness as my weight belt keeps slipping off my slim hips (or over my belly).
The requirements are that it doesnt need D rings and needs to take soft weight pouches, over to you guys, what's on the market and how much, what should we avoid like the plague and what must we buy else our life wont be complete??
TIA
Matt

Treid the Bowstone, loved it. Bought the Northern Diver one, hated it. The difference seemed to be in how the pockets sat on each side of my body. The ND didn't fit the contour of my body, I am quite slim, as a result it made it difficult to do my BCD/harness up and never felt comfortable. I believe this was due to the amout of lead required, IIRC, I used 10kgs, 5 each side. This made the pockets too rigid. Aside from that, it seemed to be well designed and I'm certain it would work fine with less lead.

Cheers/Nic

P.S. Anyone want to buy a ND weight harness?

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by ardhill

No matter which one you get, I would suggest going to your local builders yard and buying a roll of roofing lead. Then cutting, folding and shaping the lead to fit the pouches of your harness. I made a selection of different sizes, so I could adjust my lead when I adjust my kit configuration. I also put Gaffer tape around the edges of the lead so it wouldn't damage the material when sliding in and out of the pouch.

That's what I do too. I hold the 'sandwiches' of lead together with velcro straps, although I don't put gaffer tape round the edges (but what a good idea), I smoothed them with a rasp instead. Well, Mr Helen did

[Peter M]

I got an ND one and its ok !

[rustferret]

As I have said in another thread dont touch anything that relies on velcro.

My recomendation would be the Ralftech harness it uses valcro AND CLIPS so weights cant ditch, when you dont want them to......and the warentee is excerlant at 10 years.

Rustferret

[Frankie Price]

Bowstone for me as well. Bought my harness 5 years ago and it's still doing a perfect job. As far as the velcro and press stud fixing, I've never had any issues, and fixed correctly the pockets remain secure under all diving conditions.
The main advantage is for diving off a RIB. When you reach the RIB grab the rope with the left hand and pull the right pouch and pass on board, then hold the rope with the right hand and pull the left pouch and pass on board. Then unclip left BCD shoulder clip and BCD then hangs secure from right arm till it's recovered on board.
So much easier than trying to remove a weight belt with both hands while drifting away from the RIB.

[IanD]

Another vote for Bowstone

[alistairb]

Bowstone everytime

Safe Diving

alistair