Mares presents a new integrated weighting system for stabilising vests. This appears for the first time on the new Quantum stabilising vest, resulting from years of research aimed at creating a safer and easier-to-use weighting system.
The role of a weighting system is to perform only two tasks, but without error: first, accidental release of a weight pocket must be avoided. Secondly, in case of an emergency, the diver must be able to get rid of the weight pockets in a simple and intuitive way, even under stress and panic.
In addition to these two main aspects, it certainly does not hurt if the system is easy to use, clearly shows whether it is engaged or not, remains stable on the vest, has sufficient capacity for the intended use, and even allows you to customise the weight pockets.
All these aspects have been carefully analysed during the development phase of the SLS (patent pending). Let’s take a look at the closure mechanism. Instead of relying on elastic elements whose state of deformation determines whether the system is engaged or not, the SLS is based on mechanical movements and interferences. The base of the system is a slider that can slide into the handle, and its movement defines the position of the "tooth" on the male part of the buckle. When the slider is pushed inwards, it pushes the "tooth" outwards and locks it against the corresponding "tooth" of the female buckle, blocking the return path.
When the handle is unlocked, it pulls the slider and consequently mechanically opens the "tooth" inwards through a system of guides and tracks, thus releasing the female buckle. This gives us a system that withstands everything, but releases simply by pulling the handle, with no possibility of error or anything getting stuck.
The ease of use is guaranteed by the wide handle and by a tunnel on the vest that guides the insertion of the weight pocket, so that the male buckle aligns properly with the female part. While holding the handle against the female buckle, use a finger to push the slider and lock the pocket in place. You will hear a sound indicating that the operation is complete, which you will also see visually. A small window displays an open padlock on a red background when the system is open, and a closed padlock on a green background when it is locked. This is a novelty in the field of weighting, which will certainly attract a lot of attention. On one hand, your teammate will be able to immediately check the correct or incorrect insertion of your weighting system just by looking at you.
The handle and buckle system is connected to the weight pocket using a semi-rigid U-shaped element, held in place by a pin. This eliminates any relative movement that could occur between the buckle and the pocket, and then between the pocket and the vest (so, no more weight pockets half out of the vest). This works in conjunction with the tunnel that keeps the entire pocket perfectly in place, giving you a very stable positioning of the weight on the vest.
The pocket itself comes in two sizes, holding a maximum of 6 kg/12 lbs or 4 kg/8 lbs. Both sizes feature a reinforced zipper as well as a new useful idea: a label on which you can write your initials or other identification marks with a permanent marker.
