Weight belt issues for short ar$e

Grebo · July 4th, 2007, 01:53 PM

I've been DIR for my twins for a while now, but I'm shifting my single rig over to DIR. I managed to get hold of a Frog Single Tank wing and adaptor. Unfortunately being a shorty, I find it difficult to get a weight belt on, either over or under the harness.

Anyone got any tips apart from spending money on ACB pockets?

Cheers.

Greg.

Mal Bridgeman · July 4th, 2007, 02:01 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Grebo)

I've been DIR for my twins for a while now, but I'm shifting my single rig over to DIR. I managed to get hold of a Frog Single Tank wing and adaptor. Unfortunately being a shorty, I find it difficult to get a weight belt on, either over or under the harness.

Anyone got any tips apart from spending money on ACB pockets?

Cheers.

Greg.

how much weight are you talking of? Could a weighted Single Tank Adaptor help or failing that, camband the weight to the tank?

HTH
Mal

Sterny · July 4th, 2007, 02:03 PM

Is the problem caused by the position of the single tank and how far down your back/over your waist the bottom of the tank sits, or by something else?

If it's the position of the tank, have you tried a dumpy tank? Or would that be another expensive solution to a problem you're wanting to solve cheaply...

*Clare Gledhill* · July 4th, 2007, 02:57 PM

Weighted single tank adapter and/or P weight. Can be combined with weights on the cambands if you need more - push these in very tight to the wing.

Make sure you either have redundant buoyancy with fixed rather than ditchable weight (drysuit) or could swim up comfortably if you needed to with a wing failure.

Pockets on the waist belt will really get in the way.

Sterny · July 4th, 2007, 05:40 PM

Thanks Clare - good to have someone with personal experience answer this one!

Out of interest (and I'm not short so I'm probably talking nonsense, but bear with me), I find it useful to have some weight on a weightbelt, as it happens to help me trim out much better with some of my weight there. If I put everything on my rig and dive without a weightbelt, I'm head-heavy. Options are good, as we're all slightly different shapes and sizes, and what works perfectly for one of us... you know the rest

Jonathan · July 4th, 2007, 05:51 PM

I put the weight directly onto the harness, tucked up by the backplate and found it most agreeable (well for 3kgs each side anyway).

Grebo · July 5th, 2007, 09:12 AM

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm going to try putting a few pounds on my cambands in trim pockets, I still need to spend some time finding my optimum weighting, but I reckon i'll only need about 8lb in fresh water and maybe 12lb for the sea.

I was hoping to have some sort of ditchable weights as I do a lot of shore diving and (thankfully not needed as yet) having some weights to ditch when the sea is a bit more lively can be a real bonus.

July 4th, 2007, 01:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
Grebo(Offline) New Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brig O Doom Posts: 69	Weight belt issues for short ar$e I've been DIR for my twins for a while now, but I'm shifting my single rig over to DIR. I managed to get hold of a Frog Single Tank wing and adaptor. Unfortunately being a shorty, I find it difficult to get a weight belt on, either over or under the harness. Anyone got any tips apart from spending money on ACB pockets? Cheers. Greg.

July 4th, 2007, 02:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mal Bridgeman(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Suffolk, UK Posts: 662	Quote: (Originally Posted by Grebo) I've been DIR for my twins for a while now, but I'm shifting my single rig over to DIR. I managed to get hold of a Frog Single Tank wing and adaptor. Unfortunately being a shorty, I find it difficult to get a weight belt on, either over or under the harness. Anyone got any tips apart from spending money on ACB pockets? Cheers. Greg. how much weight are you talking of? Could a weighted Single Tank Adaptor help or failing that, camband the weight to the tank? HTH Mal __________________ Opinions and beliefs are correct at the time of posting but are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the author.

July 4th, 2007, 02:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sterny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: The limpid tropical lagoons of Ealing, West London Posts: 550	Is the problem caused by the position of the single tank and how far down your back/over your waist the bottom of the tank sits, or by something else? If it's the position of the tank, have you tried a dumpy tank? Or would that be another expensive solution to a problem you're wanting to solve cheaply... __________________ "I thought I had a great idea today, but it never really took off. In fact, it didn't even get on the runway. I guess you could say it exploded in the hangar." - Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

July 4th, 2007, 02:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Pacman Champion! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,540	Weighted single tank adapter and/or P weight. Can be combined with weights on the cambands if you need more - push these in very tight to the wing. Make sure you either have redundant buoyancy with fixed rather than ditchable weight (drysuit) or could swim up comfortably if you needed to with a wing failure. Pockets on the waist belt will really get in the way. __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

July 4th, 2007, 05:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sterny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: The limpid tropical lagoons of Ealing, West London Posts: 550	Thanks Clare - good to have someone with personal experience answer this one! Out of interest (and I'm not short so I'm probably talking nonsense, but bear with me), I find it useful to have some weight on a weightbelt, as it happens to help me trim out much better with some of my weight there. If I put everything on my rig and dive without a weightbelt, I'm head-heavy. Options are good, as we're all slightly different shapes and sizes, and what works perfectly for one of us... you know the rest __________________ "I thought I had a great idea today, but it never really took off. In fact, it didn't even get on the runway. I guess you could say it exploded in the hangar." - Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

July 4th, 2007, 05:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jonathan(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 215	I put the weight directly onto the harness, tucked up by the backplate and found it most agreeable (well for 3kgs each side anyway).

July 5th, 2007, 09:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
Grebo(Offline) New Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brig O Doom Posts: 69	Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to try putting a few pounds on my cambands in trim pockets, I still need to spend some time finding my optimum weighting, but I reckon i'll only need about 8lb in fresh water and maybe 12lb for the sea. I was hoping to have some sort of ditchable weights as I do a lot of shore diving and (thankfully not needed as yet) having some weights to ditch when the sea is a bit more lively can be a real bonus.