Do you dive Side-Mount or Side Slung??

[scuba127]

.....or put weights on the aluminum 80's to make them behave more steel like....

 

[JamesK]

.....or put weights on the aluminum 80's to make them behave more steel like....

Very true. Not an option I like, but definitely an option!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hmmm ... food for thought. I'll be heading to MX in a few weeks, where I expect I'll be diving AL80's using my Nomad. Gonna be the first time I haven't dived steel cylinders, and I'll have to give some thought to how to trim them ... my rig's set up for the HP100's I normally dive with here at home.

Couple trim pockets on the tank straps, perhaps ... and some 4 or 5 lb weights ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JamesK]

I wouldn't use 4-5 weights as they can throw off trim. All that is needed is a pound or two.

 

[rjack321]

Hmmm ... food for thought. I'll be heading to MX in a few weeks, where I expect I'll be diving AL80's using my Nomad. Gonna be the first time I haven't dived steel cylinders, and I'll have to give some thought to how to trim them ... my rig's set up for the HP100's I normally dive with here at home.

Couple trim pockets on the tank straps, perhaps ... and some 4 or 5 lb weights ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

put a triglide and Dring on your waist belt just forward or behind where the shoulder strap attaches. Move the rear clip forward when the butts get light.

 

[JamesK]

put a triglide and Dring on your waist belt just forward or behind where the shoulder strap attaches. Move the rear clip forward when the butts get light.

That is my preferred method. I do not like weighting my tanks.

 

[DevonDiver]

I wouldn't use 4-5 weights as they can throw off trim. All that is needed is a pound or two.

1. Weighting Cylinders

Adding weight/s to the cam-band of primary sidemount tanks.

I've played with this. On an AL80, 2lbs prevents nearly all tank rise. It'll still rise with 1lb, but not as drastically.

Pro:
Direct and simple method to improve tank trim.
Fix and forget method.
Keeps cylinders ~neutral, if fully removed when low/empty.
Cylinder trim remains level if inverted.

Con:
Clutters the cylinders and causes increased entrapment risk for penetrations
Tendency to over-balance the diver if/when they detach and rotate cylinders into forwards position.
*May not be a permitted option by some overhead environment instructors

2. Additional D-ring Mounts

Adding D-rings to the waist harness near the front of the hips and lowering cylinder attachments to that position when they start to float above ideal trim.

Pro:
Keeps cylinders de-cluttered and does not vary balance when forward-carrying cylinders.

Con:
Diver has to retain awareness of cylinder trim and move cylinders at the appropriate time.
Cylinders are positively buoyant if removed completely.
If diver inverts (up-side down) cylinders will float up.

3. Adjustable Mounting Points

Using an adjustable mounting point on the waist strap, that can be shifted over the course of the dive to counter-act increasing cylinder buoyancy. Mounting point is shifted forwards over the course of the dive.

Pro:
Allows precise location of cylinder mount, to provide perfect trim at any given time.

Con:
Requires more diver attention to detail/task loading.
No/few 'off-the-shelf' solutions for secure but adjustable waist mounting points.
If diver inverts (up-side down) cylinders will float up.

 

[Colliam7]

I keep weight pockets on the cam bands I use for the bottom cylinder attachment points. With steel cylinders, I don't use any weight in them. With AL80s, I put 2lb in each pocket. Diving a Nomad, I still clip the cylinders to the buttplate, and don't worry too much about the bottoms rising.

I don't find the 2 lbs makes the cylinders difficult to manipulate in a front facing position when I unclip the bottom attachment points.

 

[DaleC]

I use 2lb's on my tanks as well.

 

[TracyN]

Hmmm ... food for thought. I'll be heading to MX in a few weeks, where I expect I'll be diving AL80's using my Nomad. Gonna be the first time I haven't dived steel cylinders, and I'll have to give some thought to how to trim them ... my rig's set up for the HP100's I normally dive with here at home.

Couple trim pockets on the tank straps, perhaps ... and some 4 or 5 lb weights ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Take my lowly opinion for what it's worth but I went on the Mexico trip last year. With my rig all I had to do was put 1lb weights on each cam band. I started out with 2 lb weights but they were too heavy and messed with my trim. I use the SMS 100 with Edd's mods.