Will this pony seriously alter my trim?

[rab1412000]

hi everyone

all of the dives i do are warm water, tropical rec dives in my country. however i feel the need for an alternate air source other than my buddy and since i have a spare reg lying around i thought of getting a 6cf or 13cf pony for dives i do below 60ft.

i use a proqd bcd and a .5mm wetsuit and 4 lbs weights.

my worry is that with a pony the size of a 13cu hanging on my right and a 2lbs on my left pocket, would the additional weight of the pony affect my trim?? i dont wanna be diving leaning to one side and i dont wanna add weights on the opposite side just to compensate... also how much less streamlined will this setup be for me if i have say, fin against a current?

none of my buddies use a pony, since its just rec diving they assert, and additional gear just makes things more complicated. i however believe in a certain amount of redundancy.

your tips and comments would be appreciated

 

[redacted]

I shift my weight belt a bit to compensate for the weight of my 13 cf pony on my left side. I could easily drop a pound or 2 of weight when I carry the pony but don't in case I want to hand it off.

 

[rab1412000]

I shift my weight belt a bit to compensate for the weight of my 13 cf pony on my left side. I could easily drop a pound or 2 of weight when I carry the pony but don't in case I want to hand it off.

do u feel feel it affects your trim and bein streamlined? any adjustment period for you?

 

[helimvee]

I use my 13 CF down south with a SS BP/W and a 3mm suit. It doesn't affect my trim at all.

The best way to find out how it will work for you is to try it out.

 

[Scared Silly]

It will not screw up your trim but if not located properly will make your butt look big .

I sling a 40cuft deco bottle which about 2-3lbs negative I do not even notice it is there.

 

[drbill]

I use a 19 cu ft pony mounted to my main tank. I offset the weight and slight torque it causes my adding 2 lbs to the opposite side of my belt. Once you've trimmed it up you shouldn't really notice the difference. I keep mine on at all times whether I'm diving to 20 or 200 ft. That way I don't have to readjust my weighting.

 

[4sak3n]

It will not screw up your trim but if not located properly will make your butt look big .

I sling a 40cuft deco bottle which about 2-3lbs negative I do not even notice it is there.

+1

Except I use my 40cft as an oversized pony, not for deco. I don't compensate by moving weight around and my trim isn't affected. Or at least it is but its super easy to compensate. So much so that since I have gotten the rigging and d-ring placement dialed in (it took a few dives) I've never had to consciously compensate, I do it automatically.

I assume that it would be just as easy for others.

 

[spectrum]

I sling a 19 with no detriment. I do shift weight to maintain balance. In the case of the 19 it tested out at just under 4 pounds negative so I shift that much to the opposite side to maintain balance if diving with a buddy and there is a chance of handing it off. If I am solo I usually remove the 4 to stay closer to ideal weighting.

Pete

 

[redacted]

do u feel feel it affects your trim and bein streamlined? any adjustment period for you?

Sometimes I feel a slight roll but I offset that by sliding my weight belt to the right. I'm sure it has an adverse effect on how streamlined I am but I'm in no hurry so it is not a problem. The first time I used a pony I noticed the trim problem, but by learning how to adjust my weights and just getting used to it, it is now hardly noticeable. I still occasionally find myself adjusting my weight belt from side to side (often only 1 or 2 pound) to level things out. I tend to be a bit leg heavy so the pony weight above my waist is a good thing. But if I try to hover motionless and feel a little roll, I just move my weight a bit to counter it.