Chapter 2- Diving Equipment Diving Equipment 37 The length of your weight belt must be adjustable so there is not an excess of belt to pose a quick-release hazard. Your instructor will show you several methods of adjusting your weight belt so that you do not need to cut the end of the belt. The tail of the belt should not be longer than needed to provide a tightening grip of about 8 to 10 centimeters (3 or 4 inches). One advantage to the wire cam buckle is the complete absence of a tail. Quick Release of Weights No matter what type of weight system you choose, you must have a means of ditching the weights with one hand. This type of system is known as a quick release. The plastic or metal buckle on a weight belt must be a quick-release buckle that opens by pulling on the end of the weight belt or on the buckle. You can then pull the weight belt free from your body by grasping the buckle and pulling the belt away as needed. Integrated weight systems in BCs use either pockets that can be quickly pulled out of the BC and dropped or a cable that can be pulled to drop weights out of the bottom of the BC. Verify What You Have Learned Review the following questions about weight belts: 19. The most important feature of a weight belt is the __________________________. 20. A compensating weight belt _____________________________ _____________________________. 21. Divers might prefer soft weights over molded lead weights because _______________ __________________________ and ____________________________. DIVING SUITS Your normal body temperature averages about 37°C (98.6°F). Your skin will be cooler, but any time the water temperature is colder than your skin temperature, your body will lose heat to the water. Divers must wear a thermal-protection diving suit in all but the warmest waters (figure 2-38). It is essential to wear the right thermal protection for the conditions where you dive. When you grow cold under water, you lose your ability to perform at your best. Heat loss under water affects your ability to think, and you fatigue rapidly. Cold water is a contributing factor in many diving accidents. The amount of insulation you need to wear on a dive depends on the water temperature, your activity level during the dive, and other factors such as your build, body fat, and so on. In colder water, every diver needs to wear more insulation than they would wear in warm water. The harder you work under water, the more heat your body generates, and the warmer you are, unless you fail to wear adequate protection. FIGURE 2-38. DIFFERENT DIVING SUITS ARE NEEDED TO ALLOW YOU TO DIVE IN WATER FROM FRIGID TO THE WARMEST TROPICAL WATERS.
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