[tigerhawk]

I usually dive with about 18# in a pocketed weightbelt in FL and the Caribbean - this has worked for me for years. Last week I was on a cruise and made 2 day trips. In Cayman, 18# on a belt worked perfectly as I expected. The next day in Roatan, they used integrated weight BCs - put 20# in the BC and I could not descend at all - ultimately needed 24# which seems ridiculous. The boat captain kept telling me weight is weight and it doesn't matter how you wear it - but I have no other explanation for my difficulties other than weight position. I usually wear my weights near the small of my back - and of course the integrated weights are up around the front rather than behind me. Does weight position matter? Could my difficulties really be due to using an integrated BC rather than my usual weightbelt? Or are there other factors at work? The jacket style BC seemed to fit snugly enough - no loose places to trap air. It was a little longer than my usual BC - I am a 5'4" woman and this was a man's medium but I had worn a man's medium the day before in Cayman with no problems. Really interested in all your comments.