Need Help. Buoyancy problems. Looking for weights that lifts instead of sinking

[Bow]

Hi I'm new to this board and looking for advice to solve my bouyancy problem.

For the past 4 years I have been using 3-4lbs of lead weights to balance myself underwater with following factors and equipment, which was perfect, streamlined and efficient.

Body weight: 120lbs
3mm full hooded wetsuit
Luxfer 100cu.ft Tank S100
Scubapro Glidestar BCD (XS)
Aqualung Legend Regulator

3 months ago I decided to be a little more safer and added a pony bottle on top of the above equipment.

Catalina S13 Pony Bottle
Aqualung Legend Regulator
Pony Tamer X Aluminum Bracket(strapped to the main tank right-side)

I checked the technical specs, the new add-ons would be around -6lbs bouyancy underwater. Figuring that I remove my 3lbs lead weights, I would only be -3lbs underwater. But for 3 months I have been having trouble staying horizontal or upright underwater. Inflating the BCD pulls me up but doesnt help with the balance issue. The extra -3lbs just keeps on pulling me down to my back-right, which is where I placed my pony.

I was wondering if anyone know of positive weight compensator shaped like weights which I can put in specifics area of my weight pouches to balance the pony and regulator? Kinda like lead weights that pulls up instead sinking.

 

[CardShark]

Can you fit either a watertight bag, or a tube / bottle ( like a small soda bottle ) in between the pony and your BC ?

 

[tc]

Get one of the single weight pockets and put it on the tank cam band on the side opposite your pony.

Move a few pounds off of you belt to it and that should balance you out.

 

[adutto]

Looks like your pony bottle isn't located in the middle of your torso. Remember to have that "extra 3lbs" on the correct side of your torso in order to compensate the weight and most important to stabilize yourself.

Cheers!

Ale

 

[flots am]

Hi I'm new to this board and looking for advice to solve my bouyancy problem.

Your real problem is trim, not buoyancy. Being 3 pounds negative isn't a huge problem. Your problem is that your pony bottle is throwing off your buoyancy distribution.

I'd get rid of all your ditch-able weight and the pony bottle bracket and switch to a sling-mount in the front. You can build one for about $12 at a hardware store

DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

The picture below shows an 80, but it will work just fine with your 13. It gets clipped off to the front and side D-rings. If it happens to throw you off balance, it won't be more than a pound or maybe two, which you can add to the other side.

flots.

 

[Bow]

Hi Thanks for the quick reply guys. But I'm currently diving with "No Lead Weights" The -3lbs I mentioned was from the 3lbs lead weights I was using before and no longer using now "minus" the "6lbs pony-regulator-bracket" set-up.

@ CardShark: A water bottle might help but I think it will just get crushed underwater.

@TC: I don't use weights anymore, I tried adding 2lbs to the opposite pocket before helps only a little with the balance but its still too heavy, instead of -3lbs, I would be -5lbs.

I used to be very efficient with my air, since I'm also a freediver and use my breathing technique during scuba. But with the "balance" issue I'm having, I now consume 30% more air than before.

Im actually thinking of "weight-shaped" floaters to adjust my "balance". Hope you guys can refer me to a manufacturer or dive shop that sells them.

 

[flots am]

I used to be very efficient with my air, since I'm also a freediver and use my breathing technique during scuba. But with the "balance" issue I'm having, I now consume 30% more air than before.

Im actually thinking of "weight-shaped" floaters to adjust my "balance". Hope you guys can refer me to a manufacturer or dive shop that sells them.

Switching to a slung pony bottle will move the weight much closer to your center of gravity, which means you won't need much weight to offset it and getting rid of the bracket will make you at least a pound (maybe two) less negative.

No matter what you do, you're going to be using more air because the pony bottle gives you more drag. You could ditch the whole thing and work on buddy skills, which would put you right back where you were.

flots.

 

[Bow]

Hi flotsam. Thanks for the advice but a slung pony is just not an option for me right now.

I've actually been thinking of ditching the whole pony thing but only as a last resort. I already invested on the pony-reg-bracket which cost me around $550 and right now I'm just trying to find ways to make it work, hopefully with weight shaped floaters-compensators.

 

[Bow]

Hi adutto, I'm no longer using any weights, the extra 3lbs comes from the Pony setup itself(strapped to the right side on my main tank. But thanks for the advice though.

 

[flots am]

Hi flotsam. Thanks for the advice but a slung pony is just not an option for me right now.

I've actually been thinking of ditching the whole pony thing but only as a last resort. I already invested on the pony-reg-bracket which cost me around $550 and right now I'm just trying to find ways to make it work, hopefully with weight shaped floaters-compensators.

Sorry if this sounds grumpy, but . . . "There's no amount of extra stuff you can add that will fix something you didn't need in the first place."

Adding floats is not the solution for a bracket you don't need and a misplaced tank. The solution is to get rid of the bracket and place the tank where it won't throw you off balance.

However I also predict you're going to ignore this, so I hope you at least have fun with it.

FWIW, you'll need a rigid enclosure with an interior volume of about 28 Cubic Inches (almost a pint) to compensate for each pound you want to get rid of. This means that if you're 4 pounds overweighted, you'll need something almost as big as your pony tank. And you'll need some way to attach it.

flots.