Adding pony...will it change my weighting

[jwalko]

Hey all:

I am going to adding a pony. While this might seem like a common sense question, I am wondering how it will affect my weighting?

I assume I might be able to drop a couple of pounds from the weight belt (30 cu ft AL pony).

I am wondering how it will affect my trim? Will I need to take some weight off the side where the pony will be mounted (plan on clipping to waist and shoulder D rings)?

First dives with it will be this weekend...just wondering what to plan for.

Thanks;

John Walko

 

[iztok]

Don't change weighting when you add pony bottle. What if you have to ditch it or donate to another diver and now you can't maintain your safety stop because you are too light?

 

[McCainiac]

I JUST started slinging a bottle on Saturday and didn't change any weight because of what iztok just mentioned. I did change my weight because of the steel tank on my back and I must say I will never go back to aluminum!!!

 

[a22shady]

We sling a Luxfer AL 40' No need to change weight because it's almost neutral, Also if you have to donate it to another diver now you have a loss

 

[CamG]

Greetings jwalko and I would not change weighting because of the afore mentioned scenerios. Your question about trim is really up to the mannor you attach the pony, size of snaps, strech of rope or banding, etc. I have found that a very slight and I mean little tweek of my wieght belt takes care of any issue. Most of the time I do not even notice it is there, unless training specifically for deployment.
One thing I do kinow is a 40 cf Lux trims better for me than a 30 cf. It is just my opinion and I have both and continue to dive them till I sell the 30 and replace it with another 40.
I hope this helps PM me if you are having any specific issues and I will do my best to help out. 40 cf Lux are more expensive but I would and will buy another very soon.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Hey all:

I am going to adding a pony. While this might seem like a common sense question, I am wondering how it will affect my weighting?

I assume I might be able to drop a couple of pounds from the weight belt (30 cu ft AL pony).

I am wondering how it will affect my trim? Will I need to take some weight off the side where the pony will be mounted (plan on clipping to waist and shoulder D rings)?

First dives with it will be this weekend...just wondering what to plan for.

Thanks;

John Walko

The combined weight (in water) of the full Al30, regulator, and snaps/rigging is equivalent to adding maybe 4lbs of ballast.

I sling my Al30. I do not notice any trim change (I think most folks just unconsciously adjust to the very slight change in trim).

I "split the difference" and carry 2lbs less when I sling my Al30. If I were to drop it or hand it off, I'd be instantly 2 lbs lighter than I normally weight myself.... which I can easily compensate for with breathing control. You need to decide what is right for you however, and do need to consider how your buoyancy changes if you hand off or somehow lose the pony. But you are not going to go "shooting to the surface" by merely handing your pony off at depth... you just let a squirt of air out of the BC to compensate.... but you may have trouble holding a safety stop if your tank is near empty and your weighting was spot-on before removing a couple pounds...

Best wishes.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I concur with most of what's posted above.

No need to adjust weights, if you feel you wish to, drop 2#, but as pointed out, consider if you found yourself donating your bottle to another diver, and what that might do to your safety stop (of course this assumes you were already set up to be perfectly neutral at your final safety stop with near empty primary tanks, a full stage, and your lead, plus the scenario where you donated your stage at that point). Lot's of what if's there but still a good worst case scenario to plan around.

And I agree also with the comment on your trim adjustment - you'll self adjust, and not notice it at all. Your body is dynamic, not static, so you'll make yourself balanced.

 

[Chris12day]

Two weeks ago I did my first dive with my 19cft pony strapped to my Al 80. It weighted 10 pounds, so I reduced my wieght from 23 pounds to 13 pounds (cold water (SoCali) 7mm gear). I did not want to be overweighted for an evening dive.

After gearing up, walking down the cliff, swimming out about 500 yards, guess what? Yep, I could not get down.........Swim back to beach, climb stairs, and clean gear and called it a night since I had rented the weights and tank earlier in the day.

I have not yet attempted another dive (I live in Chicago), but will go back to my original weight configuartion. I wish I would have posted first......

Happy Diving

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I back mount my pony, so handing off is not an option.

I am able to drop 2lbs due to the weight of the valve and reg. The bottle itself is very close to neutral. The odd thing with the back mount is the reg/valve weight is offset to the right, so I end up moving some of my trim weight so that I have 2lbs more on my left to compensate so I don't roll to the right.

 

[Sas]

Two weeks ago I did my first dive with my 19cft pony strapped to my Al 80. It weighted 10 pounds, so I reduced my wieght from 23 pounds to 13 pounds (cold water (SoCali) 7mm gear). I did not want to be overweighted for an evening dive.

Yea the weight of the tank is not what its buoyancy characteristics will be. For example, one of my single tanks weighs about 16kg when full but this translates to 4kg negative when full. Empty it weighs 13kg and is 1kg negative. You can look up various tank characteristics online when you change your setup to give you an idea.