Threading A Weight Belt Buckle - S06E06

[@fallenlow]

I just bought a new weight belt...did not come in one piece. Was scratching my head. Thank you!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

You're welcome!!

[@mizzorian]

I'm glad I saw this video; I was looking all over the internet on how to thread cam buckles

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

I hope it helps. Thanks for watching. Alec

[@scubacy]

Thanks for your videos! Always something to learn and avoid those 'little' aggravations that can make a dive go sideways

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Very true!

[@barnaclebill1615]

Thanks for the great instruction! Simple yet easily bypassed. 👍👍😁🇺🇸

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Glad it helped!

[@JD-wy4ti]

Thanks again Alec for another great video

[@jasperpolak3200]

Keep em coming. Love the experianced tips!!!

[@chiranagheorghitaeugeniuth98]

Very good vid Alec. Thus seems to be the most difficult thing for new divers along with the tank buckles also.

[@Ex7878]

Another interesting video 😀 keep em coming. Take care Alec

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Thanks BBG. Alec

[@jimschnurr3512]

I looked at this a little bit skeptical-boy was I wrong. I have never used weight belts lately and I am going to dive in the Caribbean probably using a weight belt. I wouldn't have known a thing about them. A big thanks to always keep me learning.

[@seikibrian8641]

I didn't like the buckle that came with my first belt, so I replaced it with a "ClearPath Buckle" by XS Scuba. It has a sort of built-in keeper under the buckle and just two slots on the buckle body itself; it keeps the threaded end of the belt down to just one layer, yet is very secure. Since most belts are of a standard size, if one doesn't like his or her buckle there are usually options that aren't too expensive.

[@therontaitano1504]

Grade A content. Entertained and informed

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Thanks Theron.

[@scottmiller1738]

Great! Very valuable "basics." Thank you

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

You're very welcome Scott. A

[@tedreitsma478]

Another great informative video Alec, thanks. Just 2 notes, I constantly see people putting on the weight belt the wrong way around. A friend said to remember 'MALES are always RIGHT'. I.E., the male end of the belt should be in your right hand when putting the belt on. This was very helpful reminder tip. Secondly: As you mentioned, with drysuits you need an incredible amount of weight. I am also fat, so I am 'pair shaped'. So I use a "weight harness". All scuba shops sell them but they never mention the option. So the weight belt can have tonnes of weight on it and yet it will never fall off your body as you get deeper because it is held onto you as a harness. I do admit it takes a bit to get used to dawning a harness. Using weight spacers helps immensely. I am using an elastic/stretch belt (in the harness) and that helps for comfort too. Maybe you can discuss this in a video too? Keep the videos coming !

[@seikibrian8641]

"with drysuits you need an incredible amount of weight." I need more weight with my 7mm farmer john wetsuit than any of my buddies and instructors need with their drysuits. They can let air out of the dry suit to descend and add more air to compensate for pressure/compression as they get deeper; I have to have enough weight to be neutral on the surface, and then add air to my BCD as my wetsuit compresses. I use 44 pounds of lead where my similarly-sized drysuit buddies are using 32 pounds or less.

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Hi Ted. Good to hear from you. Yesterday Diana and I returned from a visit to an old dive buddy in NY. On the way back to the ranch, we stopped at Scuba 2000 to make a few more Tech Tip videos. One was about using a Weight Harness and I talked about stretch belts too. How about that? It won't be out for a few weeks but watch for it. Thanks, Alec

[@edwinmiranda8174]

Excellent

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Thank you sir. A

[@chadryther8710]

Alec, great video! Do you have any suggestions for adjusting weights for buoyancy trim?

[@superbeastie]

Love the tech tips! I've been cutting my girlfriends dives much shorter with my air consumption. I've pretty much decided I want to switch from al80 to a larger tank. What is your opinion of LP & HP steel tanks? how do they differ other than psi? Lifespan? How available are the fills for hp tanks? One of my local dive shops puts the cylinder in water during the fill the other does not what is your opinion on this?

[@alaind831]

100cf are great size for us taller/bigger guys (I also have 120) and would highly recommend HP steel. In that non standard size they are not much more than AL100 yet lighter on land (~3lbs) and much better buoyancy (-7lbs difference) saving you at least 10lbs total. Most shop should have no issue filling to 3500psi, take yoke or din. Boats generally don't fill up to 3500psi (or do but hot fill requiring a top off which annoys them as they try to fill 25 tanks at once, so LP are better suited as you tend to get overfilled maybe to 3000psi instead of typical 2640 LP+ rating). Tempted to get for that reason...

[@alaind831]

Belts - searched you previous 2 videos and still no talk about stretchy ones (better fit as you go deeper) vs nylon strap you are showing. Or buckle release vs preset size one you just hook on. Just yesterday I somehow had my belt come undone at the surface getting inside by BCD (kayak diving) and thankfully felt is get loose and was able to grab one end before it sank to 100+ ft below. I'm seriously re-considering the buckle (metal on rubber band) as it's too easy for it to happen... as you mention I can't remember ever needing to dump my belt (would come up too fast anyway) but seen plenty loose it or their BCD integrated weights...

[@VictorGarciaR]

And belts with pockets? for soft weights

[@seikibrian8641]

Victor Garcia -- Yes, there are many belts available for soft weights. I have a five-pocket model by Sea Pearls (seapearls.com), and I divide my weights between my BCD and my belt. Other makers include OMS, XS Scuba, Henderson, and more. Here's one source: www.leisurepro.com/l/Scuba/Weights-Belts?sel=Weight-Belt-Type_Belt-With-Pockets

[@pernilsson6501]

Dear Alec. I really like your videos and I have seen them all. Some several times. But I have question that I belive you have not covered enough. It is dive knives and how to protect it from be lost down there...and maybe as well yourself as you dropped the knive and can not reach or totally gone. One problem I see when put it back into the scabbard again and the position is on the left Bcd side or on chest. This close to the body you not sse where you exactly point the knife anf into the narrow scabbard entry. The Bcd, dry suit or bcd tubes are very close and may be a serious risk of being punctured. I this respect the old fashioned leg position may be better. Easier to see what you are doing and less things to puncture. I see that the knife shall have a lanyard to the scabbard and a second lanyard from the scabbard to a D-ring. The knife shal be put into the scabbard away from the body. Then when rendered harmless one can attach it in proper position close to body again. Maybe safer to use a scissor?

[@fredericv974]

Maybe try a blunt tipped knife? It's not like you're stabbing sharks with it. Once you settled on a place to carry it, remove and put it back over and over again until you can sheath it properly in your sleep. Putting a lanyard on a knife just seems wrong to me. I figure, if I get tangled up I don't want my solution to potentially make it worse. Now you're mentioning dry suits; I'd like to see Alec's take on them.

[@alaind831]

ha yes drysuit is an interesting topics. I'm on my 3rd one trying to find the perfect price/comfort/slim combo... so many different materials (crushed neoprene vs tri-laminate vs 'breathable') and shape (back zipper vs front) and feet option (boots seem convenient but are a pain to dry if you flood, are heaver, can't replace shoe easily for different situation, but worse of all don't compress as you go down so you get looser).

[@KimonFrousios]

Here's the thing, how often do you actually use a knife? The answer should be rarely, so you can afford to take an extra bit of time to be careful when re-sheathing it. You could also learn from how katanas are traditionally resheathed without looking down at the scabbard: Don't go point-first, but rather find it with your knife hand, blade away, then slide the blade back and then into sheath. Even with a sharp knife, I think it would take deliberate effort to cut through a hose (they have a double wall) or the tough outer shell of a BC (not an issue with wing BCs as the bladder is safely behind you away from your knife). And when using the katana method, the knife should never end up pointed at your suit. I stick my sheath in a dedicated thigh pocket, because my drysuit happens to have it. The sheath itself is not attached. I have a short coiled lanyard from the knife to a grommet in the pocket and tuck the excess in the pocket. So the knife is attached to my suit to prevent loss but I can detach and make a wrist strap out of it if needed. Down at the leg is a good point too (inside of the shin, accessible to both hands), but my shin straps are old and fraying and can't be bothered to replace them. I've considered various places on the BC but concluded that I want the knife on my person when I'm separated from my kit (such as during shore cover). Having it on the leg also reduced the chest clutter.

[@tedreitsma478]

I have been diving 15+ years and the newest 'knives' (and you cab see youtube demos of this) are the ones that are like a box cutter blade that is in a V-troph (sorry, can't remember what they are called), they cut like butter through any rope/line. They have velcro attachment to a sleeve that I put over my wrist dive computer strap. They are a great deal cheaper than the knives I had in past too. You can attach it to your belt too, It is impossible to cut yourself or your BCD with the design.

[@pernilsson6501]

Thanks bery much for feedback on my knife question.

[@troop1026]

Guilty for being a stainless steel buckle guy. Nice on the belt keeper. Seen a guy in Okinowa loose 15 pound of plastic coated bullet weight. No keeper. Cheers my friend.

[@KimonFrousios]

I would not trust a threading method that does not double back on itself. While the cam holds the opposite end from sliding, you also want the near end to stay put, and the only way to ensure that is to double back. The retainer at the end of your recommendation sort of satisfies that. But without that retainer, absolutely not. Another reason to use more of the slots in a plastic buckle is to spread the load and prevent the thin plastic strips from breaking. Important if you put a lot of lead on the belt.

[@TomKnudsen]

Hi Alec, just confused the heck out of my betterhalf waching this, was going to show her the "how to thread the tank" video, did not noticed this was new. Oh well, learned something i did, she too.. Anyway I would like to suggest a video and that is about drop weights. Personally I have the Mares Hybrid AT BCD, with it two drop pockets that both include 12 pounds of weight each. You might be laughing now while you silently compare me and Kevin he he, just kidding, not that big he he, just joking Kevin, just use lots of weight due to my drysuit.. But I digress.. One of my biggest fear is those pockets falling out during a dive, especially a deep dive. Believe me, it has happende twice now, one I retrieved and one I lost. Luckily both happend one a shallow dive so I took the "elevator".. So I was hoping you had some nice techtips to share or perhaps some ideas to better secure them. I would love to not use them, but that would be when I change to double sets and wingbased bcd down the road if any.. Any tip for me and everybody else with the same concern?

[@alaind831]

that is my biggest fear as well - I wear 30lbs (steel 100 HP tank) with my drysuit and while I could put all the weight in my BCD (I had it that way once) I don't trust the velcro pockets, and have seen even the clip on weight pockets come undone for others. coming up too fast could be very dangerous so I wear all of it around my waste now (does hurt my back a bit on longer dives so I should move some out). For kayak diving I find it easier to dump that weight belt than it is to pull a tank on board with extra 20-30lbs. I feel you are 100x more likely dropping your weights by accident and ascending dangerously than you are to ever need to dump them for emergency (easy enough to swim up even with failing BCD/drysuit/low air

[@TomKnudsen]

I actually filmed my incident, 1 minute into this film kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKvCY4GieLtlidk

[@alaind831]

yeah I remember seeing it. very lucky you were no deco and only 5m

[@richpalmer64]

I like your videos, I don’t agree on the reliability of plastic over metal. I have metal buckles on my regular at home weight belt. When I went Grand Cayman I had the plastic buckles fail a couple of times. Once entry I made a giant stride and the belt just kept going to 60’. In the future, I am bringing the belt with me. The plastic don’t last forever like a metal buckle, I have never seen a metal buckle get damaged

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Having used both plastic and metal, there should be no difference to its grip to hold the belt. However, belt problems are mostly poor threading (too much belt lifts the handle), or a worn/smooth locking surface. For a buckle to safely hold the belt it has to 'snap' closed. If not, get it checked or replaced. I have used both in warm and ice diving with no difference. Bringing your own belt is a good idea so keep diving safely.

[@jonnieinbangkok]

The actual threading information is at 7:25 of this ten minute video!

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

There is more to know about threading than just doing it. I give background and options others don't. If you want only speed, would not all YT videos be 1-2 minutes long, or a TikToK? Thanks for watching.

[@dariuszwons6004]

No

[@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter]

Why?