weights, distribution and belt

[pfeffinski]

going to buy my first weightbelt and leads.. and got some questions, which i dont find any specific answer in older threads..

1. i need to put around 3 kg (7 pounds) on my belt. would you rather put 6x 0.5kg or 3x 1kg? or a mix of both? i suppose the smaller the weights, the more comfortable? but maybe its a little too much to have 6 small weights hanging all around my hips?

2. normal leads vs plastic coated? does it matter much when used for shorediving? will the uncoated lead damage my wetsuit or my belt over time?

3. anyone tried silicon belts? are they much more comfortable? i saw a affordable model from c4, only problem is it has a plastic buckle which i guess it wont last as long as a stainless steel one..

thanks for suggestions

 

[vrokhlenko]

1) Smaller weights allow a finer control of your buoyancy. Since you need some minimum weight I suggest getting two one kilo ones or even one 2 kilo one and the rest are smaller.If you later get a thicket wetsuit - it will require more weights.
2) No damage if your suit is externally lined. Get the cheaper ones.
3) Silicon to me is an overkill. It is more prone to tears so it is a bit thicker than rubber and more expensive. I switched from rubber back to the webbing because my belt is heavy and I already destroyed one rubber belt. I suggest get a rubber one with a stainless buckle. But others might have a different opinion.

 

[stefpix]

I switched to the C4 silicone weight belt, and I am not going back to rubber.
It does not slide up and down, it is way more flexible, and silicone is much stronger than rubber.
I would go for it, even with the plastic buckle.

I would rather have 3 1kg weights than 6 0.5. If you need to add or remove weights, for different wetsuits or conditions, it is less of an annoyance than with many smaller weights.

But if you are always going to need the same amount of weights, you could do with the smaller weights.


Anyway, the silicone belt is totally worth. The belt after 2 years shows no sign of use.
Rubber cracks. Silicone is used to seal cracks and plumbing, is heat resistant.

Probably c4 uses a good plastic for the buckle. I have the belt with the steel buckle. But I would not exclude the plastic buckle.

 

[Irishdiver]

I have the same Rob Allen rubber belt for 8 years. I use it scuba diving too so it's in constant use. Fantastic quality.

I would say definitely go for rubber coated 1kg weights. Uncoated tight to your suit will cause wear over time.

 

[pfeffinski]

thanks allot for your suggestions!!

i will buy 3x 1kg coated weights for now and if needed more ill try some 0.5 kg.. i i figuered out that here in spain decathlon sells the coated weights for a good price, only 1 euro more then the normal ones..

and belt wise i ended up buying the beuchat rubber with stainless steel buckle and seems to be a really great belt! i actually did quite a research after all and bought several belts, compared them and returned them.. yes im quite a freak when it comes to buy accessiores for my favourite hobbies..

so now after i did all this efford i decided to share my review with you

the 2 cheap rubber belts "salvimar eco" and "best divers" are shit in my opinion. very thin, but not stretchy at all

"salvimar pro" is also very thin, the material seems more stretchy and comfortable though, but the buckle (stainless steel quick release) doesnt work very well. its quite difficult to push or pull the belt through it and it opens quite easy by accident.

"cressi rubber quick release" seems great quality! thick, strong, quality buckle and quite stretchy. for my use it is a little too bulky/heavy duty over all, but might be perfect for bigger people or someone who uses lots of heavy weights..

"beuchat" rubber is my favorite by now, strong stretchy comfortable, buckle works perfectly, slightly lighter/thinner then "Cressi"

i also had a look at the "c4 silicon belt" and yes it seems to be a very nice belt. it doesnt look fragile at all and its very comfortable, though i couldnt tell a huge difference in elasticity compared to beuchat rubber. but i didnt try those belts in the water with weights, maybe thats the moment when one can tell the difference..

ok thats it hope it will help someone one day

 

[Michael-AT]

Thanks, very helpful for me as well!