Weights, Weight Belts & Weight Pockets

A secure weight belt or weight harness is an essential safety item for any diver. It has to be able to release instantly in any emergency, allowing you to drop your weights but be locked enough not to come loose during your normal diving activities.

Diving weights are used to act against the buoyancy of other diving equipment, such as diving suits and diving cylinders. The diver must be weighted so that he is negatively buoyant by default, and then adjust the amount of air in his Buoyancy Compensation Device (BCD) to achieve neutral or positive buoyancy as and when required. There are different types of weights and ballast for divers:

Weight belts and weight harnesses. The primary way of becoming negatively buoyant is to use a ballast belt with a quick-release buckle with block lead weights or integrated BCD pockets with lead shot bags. 

Trim Pockets weights are used mainly for two reasons. Firstly, to improve the fine-tuning of your trim in the water - the correct, horizontal position will make you swimming thru the water more relaxed and more efficient. Another reason divers use trim pockets weights is to reduce some of the detachable ballast from your weight belt so in case of emergency you don't ditch the whole of your ballast. 

Ankle Weights and Clip-on weights. Another right way of fine-tuning your buoyancy is to distribute a small amount of weight around your body. Ankle weights are very popular with drysuit divers whose boots and legs are extra positively buoyant. 

Your weights and weight belt are an important part of your equipment so remember to check out our useful blog for some equipment advice.