Setting Up Your Weight Belt

While still in pre-dive prep mode, fuss a little as you set up your weight belt. If you have absolutely no idea where to start, get an approximation from your local dive center, resort or instructor. (Courses, complete with cool videos and wonderful books, are available in Peak Performance Buoyancy.) Lay your weights on the floor and think about configuration. You'll usually be looking for a symmetrical setup. For most dives, you will probably want to keep the bulk of your weight forward on your hips, so it acts like the keel on a sailboat as you swim. For vertical wall dives, you might want to shift the weights back. Leave at least 3 or 4 inches between the nearest weight and your buckle. Use belt slides to anchor weights. If you have an integrated BC and weight system or a combination of an integrated system and a weight belt, make sure that ditching either your belt or the weights in the integrated system results in positive buoyancy.