Weight Belts

[nickb]

Originally Posted by dave archer

This weekend I'm off to Wraysbury to check out how much extra lead I need when I switch to my FE SubZero, some have suggested they needed 4kg more

Yeah, I picked mine up this week. I'm a bit worried about the weight check!

[Mal Bridgeman]

I think there is a big difference between a novice recreational diver ditching weight and an experienced diver, possibly doing deco ditching weight.

The novice is typically overweight because of pre dive tension they have trouble descending. At the end of the dive they are less apprehensive so they are less buoyant.....coupled with trouble at the surface and they soon run out of energy making ditching the weight belt absolutely essential. There have been more than one incident in our waters where divers have failed to do this and paid for it with their lives.

PADI teach dumping weight at the end of the CESA as do SSI with their equivalent and SSI have an Emergency buoyant ascent as their last ditch attempt to get an OOG diver to the surface ..... the surface is regarded a better place to be.

The more experienced diver is probably more appropriately weighted and ditching weight is really not something he's likely to do ..... except in an emergency and they he would be glad he had chosen a reasonably balanced rig and dived with buddies who could help him out......

Solo divers would no doubt choose different solutions.

HTH
Mal

[wilbo]

Originally Posted by nickb

Yeah, I picked mine up this week. I'm a bit worried about the weight check!

I'll be interested in what you find out actually - as I'm looking at getting a set - but have been put off by the additional bulk of the suit (and whether it will fit inside the suit without impacting shurdowns) and the additional weight needed to sink it..

[nickb]

Originally Posted by wilbo

I'll be interested in what you find out actually - as I'm looking at getting a set - but have been put off by the additional bulk of the suit (and whether it will fit inside the suit without impacting shurdowns) and the additional weight needed to sink it..

I haven't tried it under my drysuit yet, but it didn't feel much bulkier than my DUI thinsulate.

Feckin' smart though

[dave archer]

Originally Posted by nickb

I haven't tried it under my drysuit yet, but it didn't feel much bulkier than my DUI thinsulate.

Feckin' smart though

It is bulkier than my 200g Otter Thinsulate for sure. Fits under my suit, but is snug, a bit of a pain to don the suit over it, but once on it doesn't seem to restrict movement. It is bloody warm , I'm only going to be using it for winter and/or longer dives....

I'll post how I find it in the water, and the extra weight

Dave

[Sparky]

I have most of my weight belt for ease but do have a 2kg V weight which as has already been said is not very ditchable.

You forgot to mention that we were at the farrrrrrrrrrrr side of Stoney and had to tow it back on an smb!!!

Originally Posted by DannyB

Same as Nigel, I lost my belt at stoney once (25M) and caught it as it fell off, half a second later and I would have been going up at some speed. As the buckle had broken I then had to ascend and deco whilst holding (admittedly very, very tightly!) the belt with one hand, not ideal.