When you were taking your dive certification class, you are undoubtedly taught to wear your weights in a manner so that you could easily jettison them and get to the surface in an emergency.

The traditional diver wears his/her weights on a weight belt that is secured around the waist by a single buckle. A quick pull on the tail of the belt or on the buckle lever and the weight belt drops.

Many current buoyancy compensators have weight pockets on each side. The weights are typically secured in the pockets by Velcro fasteners that are designed to be rapidly released. Sooo, how many of you have ever needed to jettison weights at any time during your diving career? Not very many of you I bet.

However, I’ve seen numerous people inadvertently lose their weight belt while diving. This has happened to me once or twice. An accidental tug on the free end of the weight belt or on the buckle and your weight belt is gone. This is not an issue if you’re on the bottom and you can swim and pick up your weights, but it can be a major issue if you are finishing your dive and are approaching your safety stop when you suddenly lose some or all of your dive weights. You may rapidly and uncontrollably bob to the surface.

Not a good situation if your dive computer shows that you are near decompression requirements. Don’t let this happen to you! It could ruin your day! I recommend you carry your weights in several locations, such as the 2 side pockets in addition to a weight belt. This way if you accidentally lose one of the weight packs, you probably can maintain control of your buoyancy.

Be Safe!
Dave Wills