Weight Belts
The use of weight belts are a part of scuba diving. These are used to neutralize the weight of the other parts of a scuba diving gear. These include the weight of the diving equipment and the weight of the aluminum diving cylinders. The amount of weight needed is just for you to sink into the water. It is because you only need enough weight to maintain buoyancy.
The weight loads in a weight belt for scuba diving is usually made of lead. It is a metal that is resistant to corrosion as well as cost effective. Lead quantity in these weights is dependent on the overall buoyancy of the diver. There are certain conditions that will decide this like the physical structure of the diver, his scuba diving gear that also includes the diving cylinders along with the water conditions, its temperature and the saline level in it.
It may be mentioned here that the use of weight belts is a crucial process in scuba diving and thus cannot be taken lightly. Professional and experienced divers take care to see that the weights are dropped by careful planning rather than by mere practice. The dropping of weights can increase the potential for decompression sickness and therefore precaution is necessary in the release of the weights gradually so that the ascent is slow and gradual.
Weight Belts for Diving
The use of weight belts for diving is a common and necessary practice in the area of diving. There are different kinds of weight belts that are made of nylon and rubber along with easy fitting buckles that can be fitted and released swiftly and with ease that will be helpful especially when there is an emergency need for the release of weight into the water.
There are two techniques in the making of weight belts for diving. The conventional weight belts used in diving is one that is made of nylon and attached with lead weights. The weights are either threaded to the belts or placed in a belt that comes with the comfort of pockets.
The other technique used in a weight belt is those that are built into your BCD or the buoyancy compensator. It is placed in a case with a Velcro or a zip flap so that the weights are fixed in them as these are placed in slots within the BCD. There are handles that can be pulled to release the weights at a time of exit from water or even if there is an emergency.
Scuba Diving Weight Belts
There are several types of scuba diving weight belts. Here are a few names of weight belts and their specific usage.
- Marseillaise Belt – This is a belt that’s made of rubber. Due to the compression that occurs in the diving suit and the lungs of the diver this weight belt too compresses underwater. It maintains a good fit around the diver.
- Shot Belts – A ‘shot’ is a term used to refer to pellets that are shaped out of lead to be placed as weights inside the weight belt. In a weight belt that’s called a shot belt these are often placed in pouches around the diver’s body. They are comfortable and useful as they take to the shape of the diver’s body.