He Wouldn’t Drink the Water

[psjanker]

Thanks. First time I have seen a free diver’s belt, dispite SCUBA diving forty + years. Will have to check them out. Always wear my knife on my calf but may change to a location on my BC.

Most recently i’ve been diving on my hull with a pony bottle slung across my back but found a Mantus pony bottle in that looks promising to keep on board for hull dives and catching bugs for dinner. Will post some photos once I get the system checked out.

Pete

[Ben Miller]

Wrong! Come on now. Think. The Cold War. Russians. B52s. Nuclear Armageddon. The War Room.

P.O.E?

We may have a winner. Ben, give me a little more....

"The War Room" was what gave it away for me!

[John Stone]

We may have a winner. Ben, give me a little more....[/quote]
"The War Room" was what gave it away for me![/quote]

Ben, you were on it like dog gone it.
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the war room!”

[Sea Hunt Video]

"Gunny John": Apologies for diverting thread from P.O.E. (I still have no idea what you guys are talking about) .

Peter: stick with the tried and true web belt we have been using for 40+ yrs (you) and 50+ yrs (me). It works, its simple and its bullet proof. Also if geared up correctly, it is ALWAYS a right hand release. SAFETY FIRST

I am somewhat familiar with the belt John bought. It is my understanding it was primarily "invented" for free divers who did really deep breath-hold dives. Despite being thin their bodies still compressed. With a standard weight belt that did not compress at depth the web belt would be a little loose and could move around. Free divers want everything really streamlined and close in to the body. The rubber belt would allow this because its compresses just a little. Also breath hold divers do not want diaphragm restrictions when prepping their lungs for the dive. Our web belts can be restrictive; rubber belts are less restrictive.

What I have railed against for years are weight integrated BCs. They are a safety hazard. Difficult to remove and drop weights in an emergency; Different BCs have different release mechanisms. Dive masters hate them. Ever try picking up a 80Al with a BC and regs and 20 lbs stuffed into the BC weight pockets Slinging tanks around a boat deck is hard enough; adding integrated weights is a recipe for disaster.

In an emergency, with a simple, tried and true web weight belt with a right hand buckle release it is a simple one motion exercise to remove and drop the weight belt

There are many options out there. Everyone makes their own choices. My choices are the result of thousands of dives in all kinds of conditions. My choices work for me and only me. Others have different choices.

Peter - buy a K-Bar and strap it to your BC shoulder straps. Then get a "Rambo knife" and strap it to the INSIDE of your leg. Now that's COOL

Again Gunny, sorry for "hijacking" this thread; however you started it You are the one who posted a photo of your new rubber weight belt and your "knife belt".

[John Stone]

Roberto
Copy all.

Regarding thread drift...who cares. It’s my thread, I say let it go where it may and be as interesting as it is entertaining.

Re P.O.E—if you have not seen Dr Strangelove in the last decade you simply must. It is, in many ways a cinema classic. It’s also, I think, Stanley Kubrick’s greatest masterpiece. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 99 percent score. My kids scan pretty much quote the entire movie I think.

I never thought about what a PITA slinging a BC and 80Cu with intregated 20lbs I’d weight would be. All our SCUBA tanks in the Marines were set up as Twins. No real back pack. Just nylon straps. It worked fine but was not “comfortable. A welt belt is all I have ever used. And speaking of that, I test my new rubber belt yesterday free diving around a wreck near the FR. One hand release (yes right hand) and it fell away cleanly same as my old nylon belt. I tried it a couple times. There is also a big grouper hiding in there that I would like feast on. Alas, no speargun. I need to address that too at some point.

I finished my diving time in the Marines with the Dragger LARV rebreather. An amazing and fairly simple piece of equipment. Long underwater swims in cold water required a fair amount of rubber...which in turn required a lot of weight on a belt. Since you are swimming horizontally the entire time the weight hanging around your waste tends to bow your back and spine. Serious wear and tear on the skeletal frame etc.

You flatter me with the term Gunny. But, I must ask you not to bestow such a title on me as it is a revered rank in the Marines. Widely regarded as one of the four “best” ranks in the Corps. Of course all ranks are trumped by the title Marine.

I’m off to haul ice. Then swim later with my rubber weight belt and fantastic new Mares intermediate free diving fins. I’ll never go back to my old Scuba-Pro rocket fins, reliable though they were.

As my Brit and Scotts friends often say TTFN.

[Sea Hunt Video]

John:

Sorry. I thought you had retired at that rank. Again apologies to all.

I have an older pair of those Mares fins. They are OUTSTANDING fins; my favorite.

As for the grouper I have faith you will enjoy it for dinner soon. Some garlic, a little EVOO, butter and a little white wine in a sauce pan. Italian bread and a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Heaven.

Instead of a spear gun consider using a "Hawaiian sling". Compact, simple, easy to use and no real breakable parts and very accurate.