Adjusting weights for sling bottle?

[mksmith713]

I'm considering adding a redundant air supply to my EVERY DIVE equipment.
I use a Tech BCD with both dumpable (anterior) and non-dumpable (posterior) weight pockets.
I was wondering if you have to adjust the weights laterally to accomodate for the bottle, i.e, if I hang the bottle on my left, will I have to move some of the weight from my left to my right to counter the weight of the bottle.

If I wear no exposure suit, I'll have a total of 16 lbs of weight onboard with 10 of that (5 lbs on each side) being in the posterior (non-dumpable) pockets.

Also wondering how much the bottle will change my bouyancy if I add a 19cf bottle.
Will I be more bouyant or less?
Can I ditch some of the weight or will I have to add more?

Just wondering if I'll need to buy larger (non-dumpable) weight pockets.

 

[samaka]

I used a 3 litre X 200 bar steel cylinder which was neutral in the water. This means that I didn't need to adjust in any way...

.....a.....
Red Sea Expert ;o)
WELCOME TO AZIAB

 

[LowVizWiz]

A 19cft AL bottle will be between 1 and 1.5 lbs negative when it's full and it will be neutral to slightly positive (Less than half a pound positive) when empty, so if anything you may need to shift a pound around to balance you better (Hopefully your bottle will remain full all the time )

Hope this helps you.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I think you will find an AL19 is 1.4 negative when full with another pound or so for the regulator. So in theory you can drop 2lbs from the side you mount it on.

Please take this in the right way. 16lbs of lead with no suit is very heavy, even for most big guys (like me). You might want to take the time to check you bouyancy very carefully, you might be able to drop more lead than you think and make your dives more enjoyable. I know this from personal experience, learning the hard way.

 

[battles2a5]

I'm considering adding a redundant air supply to my EVERY DIVE equipment.
I use a Tech BCD with both dumpable (anterior) and non-dumpable (posterior) weight pockets.
I was wondering if you have to adjust the weights laterally to accomodate for the bottle, i.e, if I hang the bottle on my left, will I have to move some of the weight from my left to my right to counter the weight of the bottle.

If I wear no exposure suit, I'll have a total of 16 lbs of weight onboard with 10 of that (5 lbs on each side) being in the posterior (non-dumpable) pockets.

Also wondering how much the bottle will change my bouyancy if I add a 19cf bottle.
Will I be more bouyant or less?
Can I ditch some of the weight or will I have to add more?

Just wondering if I'll need to buy larger (non-dumpable) weight pockets.

Ok, a couple of points here:

1) You're first goal needs to be "balance my rig". So withouth a pony, are you balanced? Can you hover in a horizontal position w/o skulling or kicking? Are you overweighted (sounds like you are)?

It is very important to have a stable, nuetral, and trimmed platform first and foremost. Once you do that, adding 1,2,3,4 bottles is much less of an issue.

2) With a full bottle you will be less bouyant. That's what your BC is for. Diving slightly more negative means you need to be a little more vigilant with keeping ahead of the gas in the BC but with a small bottle it is practically unnoticeable.

3) You do not want to ditch weight to compensate for a bottle. What if you lose the bottle, what if you pass the bottle off, what if you have to remove the bottle to address entanglement? You don't want to put yourself in a position where you are positive if you ditch the bottle. On a mixed gas dive with multiple bottles you may acutally need to add weight to account for positive empty bottles but that's a different thread.

So in summary, get your basic rig worked out (get rid of some of that weight), get trimmed, then just slap the bottle on.

 

[mksmith713]

Please take this in the right way. 16lbs of lead with no suit is very heavy, even for most big guys (like me). You might want to take the time to check you bouyancy very carefully, you might be able to drop more lead than you think and make your dives more enjoyable. I know this from personal experience, learning the hard way.

I forgot to mention that I used 16 lbs when diving in extremely salty water.
In fresh water I think I used right around 8 or 9 lbs.

I also forgot to mention I was diving with AL80's

 

[Buoyant1]

I added a 40cf pony (slung) and didn't change a thing.

 

[mksmith713]

Right now, I'm in excellent trim and my bouyancy is right on the mark.
I realize that if I add a small bottle or even an AL40, I'll be less bouyant.
That I can deal with. I'll just have to dive a little heavier.
I don't want to adjust lighter in case I have to ditch the bottle for any reason, I don't want to be positively bouyant.
My main concern is keeping my trim right.
I don't want to dive cockeyed with the preimse that I MIGHT ditch the bottle and when I do, then my trim will be good.
I'd rather have good trim with the bottle and go cockeyed if or when I have to ditch the bottle.
Besides, if I do ditch the bottle, odds are the dive is coming to a quick end anyway.

 

[redacted]

Another good reason for keeping some weight in a simple weight belt that can be shifted a little to adjust for roll.

 

[battles2a5]

No, you won't be cock-eyed in the water. You may need to compensate slightly with your posture but it will be natural after awhile, especially with one small bottle. Don't worry about that part.