Shot belt for spearfishing

[1 shot 1 kill]

Does anyone use a SCUBA style shot belt for freediving or spearfishing? I want to better distribute the 24lbs I use and thought a shot belt might be a good way of doing it. Will it slip when my wetsuit compresses or will I be able to do it up tight enough to stop this happening?

 

[Janner]

I bought a shot belt in error when i first started spearfishing/ freediving. Don't even bother attempting using one mate, as you guessed it slips round constantly and is a total pain the arse. A rubber marseilles belt with the 'traditional' belt buckle is the way forward for freediving/spearfishing for sure. I have the sporasub belt below

Marsellaise belt SPORASUB Belts Accessories United Kingdom Dive Scuba store .com

 

[Old Man Dave]

Foxfish wears a shot belt. He's used it for years, although he bought a full on Omer weight vest last year so his shot belt is now lighter. Shot belts are comfy. My mate uses one when we're tanking. It has a complete set of braces/harness that's all quick release too.

I use a rubber belt. home made from solid 5mm thick neoprene with a commercial quick release buckle. Most importantly I use my own design of "bullet" weights which make the belt much more comfortable to wear than with "H" weights.

I have bought a weight vest for this season. Have given it a couple of early season trials and it feels good. Currently I have 6lb in the vest (6x 1lb weight plates, 2 front and 4 on the back) and 15lb of bullets on the belt.

Dave

 

[atomichaggis]

Just a thought but surely it's possibly to secure a shot belt via a rubber belt? just have a few loops attached and thread the rubber belt thru and there ya have a comfy, quick release belt that don't slip.

 

[foxfish]

I love my shot belt, I glued a bit of rubber on the inside of the belt!
Actually I used one of those non slip rubber thingies you find in boat chandlers or car accessories shops. They are used to stop things sliding around your car or boat, cost a few pence. I glued in on with contact adhesive & renew every couple of years.
If & when my belt finally wears out (about 20 years old now) I would probably use my brothers design bullets on a rubber belt but only because I dont wear so much weight in my belt anymore.

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

Foxfish, that sounds like an excellent idea, is it just one of those rubber patches about the size of an A5 piece of paper that you'd put on you dashboard to stop your mobile sliding off? You don't have any problems with your wetsuit compressing and making the belt far too big?

Cheers

 

[foxfish]

Yes that is the stuff, ref the sliding - maybe but never bothered me too much as I dont often dive deep.

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

Sounds like a good idea, think I'll give it a go and if it slips when/if I go deep I'll try mounting it on my rubber belt or making some 'braces' to help hold it in place....

 

[Pastor]

One thing a shot belt won't do is clank against the rocks, not a bad option when you think about it. Most things are a compromise just depends which one you want to make I suppose

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

I'm hoping it won't hurt my kidneys so much while I'm using it or hurt my feet so much when I drop it!

 

[foxfish]

I originally bought the belt because I though it would be more comfortable to wear when walking down the beach, is was & still is.
The main problem I had was the belt slipping around my waist so the buckle ended up on my back. I glued some rubber to my suit & the problem was no more!
Last year I made a rubber belt & fitted it out with D weights, I used it once & reverted back to the shot belt! I also like the big rings that shot belts have as standard, but it would not be my first choice of belt for free diving or deep diving - it just suits my needs.

 

[devondave]

I've always used a shot belt for spearfishing , it's comfortable , easy on the back and kidneys and doesn't wear out your suit . Slipping isn't a problem with mine ( a bit too porky methinks ) :t . Disadvantages include price , you might need to ditch it one day ! and they are a bit more bulky . These days i use a weight vest , half on the belt , half in the vest , very comfy and good position in the water .

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

My old man is picking my belt up for me tomorrow, i'm lucky as it is a freebe, from a certain well known manufacturer who got a lucrative defence contract out of him! I'm going to stick some anti-slip matting on straight away and keep my float line tied to it, just in case I have to dump it! Looking forward to giving it a go at the weekend, if the weather doesn't have other ideas...

 

[Mr. X]

I was interested to read Foxfish's reasons for using a shot belt. When I started a SCUBA instructor pal suggest a shot belt for comfort & the ease of changing the weight. I looked at a few but some were expensive (not a problem in this case), most were bulky & not streamline (so they might snag/catch). It seems like most folk that use a Marseille are happy to stick with them. Simple, relatively inexpensive,hardwearing and work with most of the common/cheap weights. Mine has been more comfortable & less likely to slip than I expect.

I guess you could also stick a few pebbles in a shot belt if you had some spare pockets & needed a little more weight!