Will this pony seriously alter my trim?

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rab1412000

Contributor
Messages
604
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Location
philippines
# of dives
200 - 499
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
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 

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