The TDS Weight System design distributes weight more evenly around your body, reducing strain on your lower back and hips, providing better balance and stability underwater. This can enhance your comfort, manoeuvrability, and overall performance during dives.

The TDS Curved Lead Weight Plates are specifically designed to ergonomically fit the body for maximum comfort and reduced drag. Various weights can be bought separately to suit your individual needs.

In some cases, traditional weight belts have been known to become loose and slip either up or down the body when diving to certain depths, due to the compression of the wetsuit. Utilising the TDS Weight Vest also eliminates the undesired slipping of weight caused by a traditional weight belt.

The TDS Weight Vest, with its Four-point connection system could be considered safer than a traditional weight belt which only utilises one connection point/buckle and can be prone to unintentional release, potentially causing an uncontrolled ascent.

The TDS Weight Vest System is designed and built for all types of diver at any age or experience level, recreational, occupational, SCUBA, SSBA, Freediver or Spearfisher.

If you would like to experience the freedom of diving without a weight belt or BC integrated weights and feel the relief of pressure on your lower back and hips, allowing you to stay doing what you love for longer and in more comfort, then yes the TDS Weight Vest is for you and is safer to use and operate compared to traditional weight systems.

If you are an avid diver who spends lots of time underwater either recreationally or as an occupation or you are new to the sport and want to get it right from the start, then you won't regret the TDS Weight Vest System.

If you care about your health and safety and are interested in protecting your back and hips, then the TDS Weight Vest is for you. Similarly, if you already experience pain when diving with a weight belt or BC integrated Weights, you’ll find the TDS weight Vest a game-changer for your underwater activities and will allow you to continue doing what you love, whilst still feeling great afterwards.

Freediving & Spearfishing:

We recommend getting the ‘Single System + BCD Integration’ plus your choice of weight plates, this will give you everything you need to ditch your weight belt, slip on the vest and explore the depths in freedom. The BCD Integration Adaptors come with this package, in case you wish to utilise the vest with a BCD for SCUBA diving in the future, however you don’t have to use them if not needed.

OR

If you need to carry more weight than possible on one side of the vest (20KG) or you would like to split the weight between your front and back, you may benefit from getting the ‘Dual System’ as this will give you the ability to load weights on the front and back side of the vest. Note that this package does not include the BCD Integration Adapters, these would need to be purchased separately if you would like to use the vest with a BCD.

SCUBA Diving:

We recommend getting the ‘Single System + BCD Integration’ plus your choice of weight plates. This will give you everything you need experience the freedom of diving without your old cumbersome weight belt. You’ll also have the option to use the vest on its own, without your BCD if you wish to freedive or spearfish. Remember to refer to ‘Is my BCD compatible?’ in the FAQs section to ensure that the vest will work with your BCD.

Commercial Diving / Surface Supplied Breathing Apparatus (SSBA):

We recommend getting the ‘Dual System’ as Commercial Divers may need to carry a lot of weight in order to perform specific underwater tasks. Especially when needing to be firmly planted on the bottom or when utilising SSBA, due to the absence of additional weight ordinarily provided by a BCD backplate and SCUBA Cylinder.

The BCD Integration Adapters can be purchased separately if a combination of SSBA and SCUBA is required.

Yes, dumping weights from the TDS Weight System is a quick 2-step process:

1. Pull down the Speed Tube tabs

2. Unbuckle the shoulder straps

If wearing the vest with a BCD, the BCD will remain safely on your back and will not be released in the process.

The TDS Weight Vest System could be considered safer than traditional weight systems. A weight belt comprises only one connection point/buckle which can be prone to unintentional release, potentially causing an uncontrolled ascent. Also, not all BC integrated weights are quick-release or have the ability to be ditched in an emergency.

In comparison, the TDS Weight System utilises FOUR connection points (two at the shoulders & two at the waist), these four connection points offer redundancy and by their design, are much less prone to unintentional release.

In the case where fast dumping of weights is required, the TDS Weight Vest system allows for quick-release of all weight plates in any configuration via disconnection of the two shoulder buckles and two side waist connection speed tubes. If any of the 4x 1KG Trim Weight Pouches are being utilized, these would be manually removed if necessary.

(Diving and other action sports are intrinsically dangerous activities, which may result in injury and/or death and are undertaken at one’s own risk. Trident Dive Systems products are designed to offer comfort and high performance, no product can offer total protection against injury or damage of any kind to people or to property. People undertaking extreme activities such as diving must be familiar with the activity they are doing and aware of their abilities and limitations with regard to the activity and the equipment they are using. They must also acknowledge any potential risks involved and decide whether such risks should be taken or not. Trident Dive Systems shall not be held liable for any personal injury or damage to property while its products are being used. Trident Dive Systems provides no explicit or implicit guarantee regarding the suitability of its products for any particular use, neither does it guarantee protection against personal injury, death or damage to property.)

All TDS Weight Vest Systems are ‘one size fits all’ with adjustable side and shoulder straps, making the TDS Weight Vest an optimal choice for any diver.

Each TDS Weight Panel (front or back) can hold a maximum of 20kg, in a 4x 5KG Weight Plate configuration. If utilising the ‘Dual System’, you have the capacity to carry 40kg distributed between the front and back, with both side panels enabling enough space for 2x 1KG Trim Weights per side, that brings the total weight carrying capacity of the TDS Weight Vest Dual System to 44KG.

There are many factors that can affect your buoyancy, including your body composition, equipment, wetsuit thickness, the amount of air you’re breathing, and whether you’re swimming in freshwater or saltwater.

If you are moving from a traditional weight belt to the TDS Weight Vest and already know how much weight you require, you can simply select a combination of 1KG, 2.5KG and 5KG TDS Curved Weight Plates to replace the weight you would normally carry on your old weight belt.

If you have never used a weight belt and don’t know where to start, a good starting point is to weigh yourself. In freshwater, most divers need 6 to 8 percent of their body weight in added weight, whereas in saltwater (which is denser and will add buoyancy), this figure is closer to 8 to 10 percent. Don’t forget to consider the weight of any equipment you’ll be wearing such as a BCD and cylinder which will decrease your buoyancy, as well as the thickness of your wetsuit, the thicker the wetsuit, the more buoyant you’ll be.

There are more resources and dive weight calculators that can be found online if you are still having trouble figuring out how much weight you’ll need. You may also wish to hire some gear from a dive shop first and run a test dive to see how much weight will suit you best.

The TDS Weight Vest System when used with the BCD Integration Adaptors, is designed to work seamlessly with Technical/Wing BCDs that utilise a 50mm webbing harness and Backplate (such as the Halcyon Harness Systems):

• Technical diving systems combine wing-style bladders with harness setups.
• Side mount divers combine a back wing with a harness system that mounts tanks to your sides.

Two important elements that will determine if your BCD is compatible, are as follows:

• It has a 50mm webbing harness to which the ‘Female Buckles’ can be threaded up onto the shoulder straps to receive the ‘Male Buckles’ of the TDS Weight Vest.
• It has a Backplate that features two free vertical slots, either side of the backplate spine, located at the lower back position. This is where the connection point for the TDS Weight Vest Sides will be threaded.

The TDS Weight Vest BCD Integration will generally not be compatible with ‘Jacket BCD’ styles. However, you may still be able to use the TDS Weight Vest beneath your BCD. If you choose to use the TDS Weight Vest beneath your BCD, please ensure that you are still able to access the quick-release shoulder buckles and side connection speed tubes in case you need to doff the weight vest in an emergency.

If you are still unsure, please send a picture of your BCD setup to info@tridentdivesystems.com.au

If you frequently enjoy both activities, we recommend purchasing the ‘Single System + BCD Integration’ as well as an additional pair of ‘Side Waist Straps’. This way, you can leave one pair of ‘Side Waist Straps’ attached and setup on your BCD and the other pair of ‘Side Waist Straps’ attached and setup on the back blank panel of your TDS Weight Vest. All you need to do is load the weight you require into the front weight carrying panel of your TDS Weight Vest and connect it to either your BCD for Diving or your back blank panel for Freediving or Spearfishing.

If you are looking to set up your TDS Weight Vest system with the slimmest profile and least amount of drag underwater, we recommend using the ‘Single System’ utilising up to 4 of the 2.5KG weight plates on the front of the vest, without any 1KG Side Trim Weights.

The reason for this is, if you need to carry only 10KG or less, you can use up to four of the 2.5KG Curved Weight Plates which are half as slim as the 5KG Curved Weight Plates. And although the 1KG Side Trim Weights are very slim, you can eliminate any bulk whatsoever from your sides if you don’t require the extra weight.

The TDS Weight Vest System has adjustable tabs at the rear allowing a tailored fit around the waist and adjustable shoulder straps, ensuring maximum comfort and buoyancy control. Scan the customer card inside packaging for further set-up instructions.

We recommend setting up the vest and weight configuration to your preference first. Then, depending on how much weight you have installed, you may be able to use the below methods to don the weight vest by yourself. If you require to install a lot of weight, you would be best having a dive buddy or dive tender assist you in donning and doffing the weight vest, always lift responsibly.

Single System – without BCD:

• Keep both shoulder strap buckles connected.
• Leave one side waist strap secured and one disconnected from the quick-release tube at the front.
• Lift the vest from behind the front weighted panel and slip your head between the two shoulder straps.
• With the vest now resting on your shoulders, without letting go of the vest, connect the quick-release tube to secure the currently disconnected side waist strap.

Single System + BCD Integration:

• Install the BCD Integration Adapters onto your BCD first.
• Fit your BCD as normal, we recommend adjusting the buckle on your BCD waist strap to be positioned either far right or far left (closer to your hip where comfortable).
• Lift the vest from behind the front weighted panel and connect the ‘male’ shoulder strap buckles on the vest, to the ‘female’ shoulder strap buckles on the BCD harness.
• Connect both side waist straps from the BCD to the front of the weight vest panel via the quick-release tubes.

Dual System:

• Keep both shoulder strap buckles connected.
• Leave one side waist strap secured and one disconnected from the quick-release tube at the front.
• Lift the vest from behind the front weighted panel and slip your head between the two shoulder straps.
• With the vest now resting on your shoulders, without letting go of the vest, connect the quick-release tube to secure the currently disconnected side waist strap.

Scan the customer card inside packaging for further set-up instructions.

Rinse your TDS Weight Vest in fresh water after each dive to remove salt, sand, and other debris, then hang to air dry.

If you notice any damage or broken components on the weight vest, ensure these are replaced before your next dive. Always check functionality of the vest prior to each dive.

While it is possible to use the vest with drysuits, if your drysuit has only one inflation valve located around the centre-chest position, use of the vest may not be the best option for this particular configuration.

The reason for this is that you may not be able to quickly operate the inflation valve if it is sitting beneath the vest.

Lead has been the go-to metal for making dive weights for many years, and there’s good reason for that:

Firstly, it is very dense which means you can pack a lot of weight into a small package, essential when diving and trying to reduce bulk. Sure, there are metals denser than lead such as Tungsten, however metals like this are much more expensive and generally have a much higher melting point which makes them more difficult to mould into the required shape, thus deeming them unfeasible to be utilised as diving weights.

Secondly, lead is a highly corrosion resistant metal, meaning it won’t rust in salt water. There are of course other metals which are corrosion resistant such as brass and stainless steel, however these types of metals are not as dense as lead, meaning you would need a much larger unit to achieve the same amount of weight.

In regard to toxicity, within the realm of diving, lead weights only pose a risk to health if ingested, melted and inhaled or potential minimal risk if food is handled and eaten directly after handling lead weights without washing hands.

For now, at least, lead remains the best metal with which to manufacture diving weights. The TDS Curved Weight Plates have been specifically engineered to fit the contours of the body and work seamlessly with the TDS Weight Vest. Since lead is a relatively soft metal, we have crafted the TDS Curved Weight Plates with a mixture of Antimony which serves to harden the lead, meaning the weights will be less prone to deforming – we still recommend treating your weight plates with care.

While the Single System incorporates a BCD Integration Adapter Kit and the Dual System does not, the Single System includes only one Weight Carriage Panel and one Blank Support Panel. Whereas the Dual System includes two Weight Carriage Panels.

We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return for refund, subject to terms and conditions.

Please refer to our Refund Policy page for further information: tridentdivesystems.com.au/policies/refund-policy

Yes. We care about our oceans and the environment. We strive to use sustainable packaging and processes wherever possible and to reduce the use of harmful plastics.

We strive to protect our oceans and environment wherever possible and we’re sure you do to, that’s why you’re here after all; to purchase a product that will enable you to explore the beauty of our oceans in complete comfort and freedom.

That’s why we donate $1 from every purchase to an ocean or environmental charity of your choice. After check-out, you’ll be given the option to choose which organisation you would like us to donate to. Note this is not an additional charge to you, the $1 donation is paid for by us from your purchase.