Weight vests? (Need advice - Omer/Seatec/etc.)

[Mr. X]

Weight vests have come up in several recent threads...and I having trouble finding the info again. I have decided to get one, as I need to buy extra weight anyway & it seems like a good idea to distribute it around. Also, a little camo might be good. e.g. This is the sort of thing:
http://www.subprof.com/cat_en__58_142__Belts+++Weights+Weight+vest.htm

I am actually leaning towards the Omer vest & the Seatec harness.

A few questions on the Omer vest:

- I am told the Omer vest will likely be too small for me though (I am 6ft & around 230-240lb) -- although I also hear they have a new large size...anybody know anything about this (Mark/Fondueset)?
- Does the vest add any warmth? (This might actually be a disadvantage for me -- as my suit is pretty toasty already!)
- Are they all blue mimetec camo? (Probably fine)
- can you use solid regular solid weights and/or bags of BB (what size - 1kg each)?​

Re. Seatec vest

- how is the sizing on this -- I have a pretty broad shoulders & back, prob. around 47".
- how do you prevent the vest moving during dives -- is it attached to the belt?
-available in camo?​

Has anybody used/seen the Best Hunter vest (or see above link) - price & design look good?

 

[Panos Lianos]

Another option might be the Seac-sub vest.

Edit: OK I just checked the link (after posting :duh) and saw that the Seac-sub vest is there as well

 

[Mr. X]

Also, any suggestions on how much weight I might need? I am thinking about 22-24lb (10-11Kg) total (for full 5mm spearo suit, 235lb me, mainly shallow spearing).

I currently have 4 Rob Allen D-weights (I think they are about 0.75 Kg each) & just bought 4 ugly day-glo yellow 1 kg scuba weights. I am thinking:

Belt = 3kg + 4kg = 7 kg (= 15.4 lb)
Vest = 3-4kg

(Wondering if ankle weights might be required -- I hope not, too much clutter).

 

[spaghetti]

I'm not an expert of of weight backpacks, but for me it's important to say in this thread that they should be used only in shallow water: if you dive deep they become dangerous for your life. I still remember the baritonal voice of my freediving teacher shouting:NEVER GO DEEP WITH THOSE F§°§°ING BACKPACKS!
This is my contribution to the debate.
dive safe,
Spago

 

[Mr. X]

...NEVER GO DEEP WITH THOSE F§°§°ING BACKPACKS!
...

Thanks -- a timely reminder. [BTW I added the Best Hunter product to my original post]

 

[dave]

As regards the seatec vest;
I have customers with 50" chests who use them with no problems
The harness clips to the belt with a fastex buckle
Camo will be available in a week or two..........
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[Mr. X]

As regards the seatec vest;
...
Camo will be available in a week or two..........
...
www.spearo.co.uk

Camo I didn't fancy a camo wetsuit -- but a camo weight vest seems like it might be good.

:hmmI wonder if it would be worth rigging the stap to a small ball (like the Merou), so that it can be wedged under the belt rather than being attached to it (to avoid compromising the belt's quick release).

 

[dave]

Rigging a ball would take all of 5 minutes.....
The Seatec harness is much more comfortable than the Merou. The Merou is simply a one piece chunk of lead
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[land shark]

mr x
Bear in mind that I'm that I'm in fresh water and my conditions are probably different than yours.
I am also 6 ft and weight 235 lbs. I also dive with a 5 mm smoothskin. I find that 16lbs
is enough to hunt down to 25ft. any deeper and I start to practice removing my weight belt
When the water warms up for the summer I can usually drop 2 lbs.
but remember that your muscle to fat ratio could be different to.

jim

 

[mishu1984]

i use the omer vest and it works alright. it can be adjusted for certain chest sizes. im 5'10ish almost 5'11 but slim (except for tummy- beer gut)

 

[Mr. X]

i use the Omer Gilet and it works alright. it can be adjusted for certain chest sizes. im 5'10ish almost 5'11 but slim (except for tummy- beer gut)

I heard that Omer is coming out with a new larger size any time now (Large or X-Large?) [Mark/anybody, can you confirm this?]. Not sure why they never did this before really (esp. for the US market!).

I am currently leaning towards the Seatec vest -- it's simpler & less expensive than the Omer, although a little less flexible re. weight carried (the BestHunter looks interesting too). Being a full Gilet, I suspect the Omer will add warmth, which is great if you need it but I don't (a 5mm Eliossub Ecoline spearo wetsuit is surprisingly toasty warm even in the mid-January Dorset sea -- I don't want to overheat or have a vest that I can only use in February!).

Looking at the homemade one describe elsewhere on the forum (that uses mountain bike inner tubes, leadshot* & cable ties), a thought occured to me yesterday: I wonder if one could rig an old weight training weight to one's back? I have some flat ones (no writing/sharp edges) that might work well for this purpose :hmm. I even have an old MTB inner tube! It might look rather Heath Robinson though! rofl Come to think of it, I know somebody who is very handy with a sewing machine...:hmm

*Where do you buy lead shot ...perhaps the local gun shop, for home loaders?

... slim (except for tummy- beer gut)

rofl -- strangely that does make sense

 

[Groupermadness]

Hi Mr X here we use theory easy, and that is 1k to 10k body weight and 2 for the suit(5mm) i weigh 80K and carry 10 1k weights on a web belt(nice fit all round ) i also carry some spare 2k for shallow water so i dont have to work hard to lay on the bottom, extra 4k usualy takes me just negative boyant. its a game of trial and test once you have the initial weight sorted then you can add or minus as you please. i was toying with the idea of the vest but its not practical for me , i prefer the security of the belt and quick release.

Peter.

 

[Mr. X]

Hi Mr X here we use theory easy, and that is 1k to 10k body weight and 2 for the suit(5mm) i weigh 80K and carry 10 1k weights on a web belt(nice fit all round ) i also carry some spare 2k for shallow water so i dont have to work hard to lay on the bottom, extra 4k usualy takes me just negative boyant. its a game of trial and test once you have the initial weight sorted then you can add or minus as you please. i was toying with the idea of the vest but its not practical for me , i prefer the security of the belt and quick release.

Peter.

I think the idea is to use a vest to supplement rather than replace the belt. Releasing the belt is still the safety release -- which implies that the weight of the vest should allow you to float easily sans belt.

I heard another angle on vests this week -- that it can compromise your ability to breath, putting weight on your rib cage (a bit like a heavy rucksack/backpack). Perhaps more noticeable if you are upright treading water -- although I suppose laying horiz. could be uncomfortable too. Seems like there are several users on the thread & none have mentioned this being an issue for them so far.

BTW I think you formula is probably about right. 10% of body weight seems a decent rule of thumb, although I plan to build up to it gradually.

 

[Groupermadness]

I think the idea is to use a vest to supplement rather than replace the belt. Releasing the belt is still the safety release -- which implies that the weight of the vest should allow you to float easily sans belt.QUOTE]

Thats the bit that scares me, taking off my weight belt gives me full boyancy still wearing a vest maybe only 50% but its all to do with what you are comfortable and confident with, for depths this side of the negative boyancy line, if confident, why not use a vest to relieve 50% off the weight of a 10-15kilo belt around your waist
I also read earlier you mentioned a bar bell weight on your back, when i first started spearing again i put all the 2 kilo weights on the back of the belt for comfort, got into the water and was turned over by the first wave and i found it impossable to right myself face down again (trust me when the beach is full of babes and you look like a drowning turtle its not the place to be)rofl , so maybe the barbell weight strapped to your back with innertubes may have the same daunting effect

Peter.

 

[Mr. X]

Thats the bit that scares me, taking off my weight belt gives me full boyancy still wearing a vest maybe only 50% but its all to do with what you are comfortable and confident with, for depths this side of the negative boyancy line, if confident, why not use a vest to relieve 50% off the weight of a 10-15kilo belt around your waist.

I found I was super buoyant in a 2.5mm shortie wetsuit -- the buoyancy from my full 5mm suit seem an order of magnitude or more buoyant still! I tried diving for scallops with just 3 Kg on my weight belt & just could not get down for any time before being yanked up backwards by my wetsuit. So I would aim for a vest to make me about as buoyant as my shortie wetsuit (i.e. still very buoyant).

BTW the 3 Kg weight belt work perfectly with the shortie leaving me with normal buoyancy -- while allowing me to dive as if not wearing a wetsuit.

I also read earlier you mentioned a bar bell weight on your back, when i first started spearing again i put all the 2 kilo weights on the back of the belt for comfort, got into the water and was turned over by the first wave and i found it impossable to right myself face down again (trust me when the beach is full of babes and you look like a drowning turtle its not the place to be)rofl , so maybe the barbell weight strapped to your back with innertubes may have the same daunting effect
...

rofl I can picture myself doing that (actually there were a couple of young babes watching last time I dived -- must be all that black rubber)...they'd probably be thinking, "fat old rubber ninja turtle" [sung to the tune of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]rofl

 

[Mr. X]

Just saw this article ...might interest those with back problems (seems to be associated with Terry Maas). The article includes build instructions.

 

[Dobs]

It seems that the link doesn't work

 

[Fondueset]

With weight on the back of the omer vest there is some intereference with breathing - the weight wants to rise up out of the water - where it holds you down with just a bit more pressure on the lungs. Quite noticeable. I plan to correct this by adding a little more to my belt and reducing the back weights from 6 to 2 lbs. The problem can be overcome by pulling the knees in to get more buouancy under the vest.

The vest is a real boon to freedive photography. I'm 6'1" 165lbs

 

[Mr. X]

It seems that the link doesn't work

Fixed http://www.freedive.net/back_brace/back_brace.htm

 

[The Killer's me]

i have a friend who got it...he looks like a killer when he puts it on.in the end a rubber weight belt is more than enough X.