I really like the SeaSoft SeaWolf SCUBA Weight harness. I definitely think it's a vast improvement over SeaSoft's other weight systems, as well as over any other weight harness I've ever tried. Seasoft Scuba is well known for making those soft weightbelts, which many scuba divers (men & women alike) find to be extremely comfortable.
WHY A HARNESS?
If you are diving in cold-water, are personally very buoyant (as I am), or are wearing certain specialized gear for technical-diving, using a weight harness can help distribute the larger amount of weight required, resulting in better trim, better buoyancy control, and less soreness for our hips. You can also change the weights in your harness as often as you need to. The problem with many (most) weight harnesses is that they are often made of flat webbing that cuts into the diver's shoulders. For women, the harness straps may also compress or cut into the sides of the chest in a way that causes discomfort. Smaller women divers also sometimes have trouble finding a weight harness that can adjust down enough in size to fit their frame.
Fortunately, the SeaSoft SeaWolf weight harness solves these problems.
The shoulder straps are padded, and curved, making the harness much more comfortable and fit much better around the chest. In addition, the harness has a separate chest strap. The chest strap allows for even better fit adjustment, and causes the weight to be borne on the shoulders closer to the neck, where our skeleton can support more weight (as opposed to out towards the arms.) This is probably the biggest single benefit to the SeaWolf weight harness compared to any other weight harness, and is really beneficial for male divers and female divers alike.
Beyond that, the quick-release dump function on the SeaWolf weight harness is easy to use, works well, and is easy to put back into place after use (unlike harnesses requiring the scuba diver to re-thread the release mechanism after testing it.) The weight loads into the pockets from the top, with a heavy-duty, easy to use zipper, making it easy to adjust the amount of weight in the harness, even while you are wearing it.
WHY THE SEAWOLF HARNESS BEATS SOFT WEIGHT BELTS
While I have to agree that the SeaSoft soft weight belts are much more comfortable on the hips than old-style hard-weights threaded onto a belt, there are two main downsides to those seasoft weight-belts, as I see them:
First, it is difficult to adjust the amount of weight on your belt. You can't really decrease the amount of weight on the belt at all, since the weight on each side is sealed in one self-contained bag. You can increase the weight on the belt by a few pounds by threading some extra weights onto the belt, but then you have to use hard weights, which defeats the purpose of buying (& paying for) a soft-weight belt, and it's also not very convenient to thread more weights onto the belt because you have to take the two halves of the belt apart to do it, and then re-thread them through the keeper clasp that holds them together. It's definitely not designed to be done quickly, or regularly. Yet adjusting your weight when you change suits, gear, or environments (fresh water to salt water or vice versa) is essential to maintaining good buoyancy skills, trim, and efficiency. It's also important to adjust the amount of weight you wear when your own body weight changes. Men and women scuba divers both typically experience some weight change over time, so regular weight/buoyancy checks are recommended for everyone. If they do this, most women divers will find that they have to adjust their weight even more frequently than men, making the lack of adjustability of the regular SeaSoft soft weight belts even more of an inconvenience.
The second downside to the standard SeaSoft soft weight belts is that, with moderate-to-heavy use, and/or with age, the material that encloses the lead shot in the belts eventually breaks down, and saltwater gets in and starts to corrode the lead. The belt will then start to leak lead-oxide, a milky-white fluid. Lead oxide is toxic for humans and marine life. The SeaWolf weight harness allows the scuba diver to use coated weights in comfort, without getting lead oxide all over his or her exposure suit, and without trailing it through the water.
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