Dayo Scuba - Forgot My Weight Belt

I Forgot My Weight Belt! wtbelt2.GIF (35301 bytes)

On the night dive of the 16th of January, 1999, I made sure that I had squeezed ALL the air from my BCD so I would sink faster upon entry into the water.

When the time came to disembark, I was one of the first to get into the water. I immediately found I couldn't sink... I had forgotten to put my weight belt on! I swam back to the boat and someone handed me the thing. They asked me if I would have a problem putting it on, to which I replied 'NO PROBLEM'.

I switched off the big flashlight and let it hang from my wrist. All my equipment was connected to my by hose, cord, or hook, except that weight belt, so I didn't really have to worry about losing anything. I had turned the light off so it couldn't blind me or others, when I got around to putting my weight belt on. With weight belt in hand, I had promptly proceeded to sink, and continue to do so, and faster than I really wanted to... into the dark...

My hands were full with the camera in one hand, light dangling on one wrist, and now that weight belt. On the way down I had to squeeze my nose frequently to equalize the pressure (didn't want my head to implode), and I was trying to find and grab the inflator hose to inflate some air into my BCD to slow the ascent... So I let the camera loose, and found the inflator, and managed to make myself more buoyant and got complete control at about 55 feet (the bottom was 60 feet...). I let my camera and flashlight continue to dangle while I put the belt on. I then attempted to check my gauges, but I had put the weight belt on over them, so off it came again...

Finally all was as it should be. So I collected my camera, switched on the light, and off I went swimming to catch up with the others already out of sight.

Moral of this story? Check your gear of course.... :)

Link to Dayo Scuba's Home Page

Keywords: technical scuba diving, technical scuba training, rebreather training, cave diving, technical scuba, technical dive training. trimix, technical nitrox, cave, technical cave, normoxic trimix, rebreather,ccr cave, ccr normoxic trimix, technical wreck, cavern, intro to cave, basic cave, dpv cave, open water diver, advanced diver, rescue diver, first aid, divemaster, deep diving, wreck diving, master diver, scuba, trimix training, technical dive training, cave, cavern, Orlando, Florida, dive, training, diving, nitrox, referrals, photos, scuba certification, Florida Keys, florida springs, underwater photography, central florida, west palm beach, marine life, sea turtles, sharks, fish, manatees, grottos, pictures, TDI, SDI, IANDT