Correct weight balance?

[Brishar]

Hey Joe Mack

I too dive a Balance. When wearing a 3mil shorty and using a alum 80, in salt water, a 2lb weight in each trim pocket and a 3lb weight in the front pocket, for a total of 10 lbs, is what works for me. Suggest you start from there and try moving weights around in 1 lb increments to find out what works best for you. Kindly write down in your log book what did and didn't work for you. Will give you a best guess if you switch wetsuits or tank size/material as your diving changes. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

My first dive in a Balance was a pool dive (hey, I was desperate and my LDS made the offer). I was initially concerned because I seemed pretty "feet down", bottom heavy (no comments please). Decided to see how easy the ditchable pockets worked (quite well) so I set them on the bottom and duh, I'm much straighter in the water. Typically now I dive 3lb shoulder/2 lb ditchables using a 3/2 shorty. Your fin type (mine are heavy natural rubber fins) can certainly make a difference. If you have the chance, do a pool dive first (w/ LOTS of rinsing afterwards due to chlorine) or at least a shallow checkout dive to get things dialed in.

BTW, my experience is that if you are getting pushed face forward in a back-inflate bcd you are over-weighted. It causes you to over-inflate to try to keep your mouth out of the water and yep, you could get pushed face forward. Relaxing and leaning back would help but to avoid it, just get your weighting figured right and you'll always float fine. 100+ dives in my Balance and it is a very comfortable, dependable bcd. The internal frame makes things very stable when clambering around on Bonaire's iron shore entries w/ a full tank--no wobble problems. (Must be why they call it a Balance...) Brishar's tip of logging weighting info is good advice. // ww

 

[LanceRiley]

2.75 lbs in each trim pocket ( custom weights )
1 lb in each ditchable pcket.

i use jet fins.. works great for me. under water and in the surface.

 

[TSandM]

I think what you are seeing, in all the answers you have gotten so far, is that there is no formula. Where you need your weight will depend on your body structure, your exposure protection, the type of fins you use, the tank you are diving, and where you set that tank in the cambands.

If you normally use 10 lbs, try just putting them in the weight pockets to begin with. Do your dive and see if you constantly drift to a feet-down position when you are not actively swimming. If so, move a couple of pounds up. If not, you're good to go!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

When I dive my SeaQuest Balance I have 6 lbs on a belt (I cut off the IW pockets). With my bottom heavy Asahi HP 120 there are no trim weights; with an AL 80 there are two 3 lb trim weights. If you have been paying attention you should be able to see that the balance of the Balance weights/tank is way different at the end of the dive, not to mention that the difference in buoyancy of the tanks is not 6 lbs. My body position changes when the balance of the rig is different, from slightly head town to a little more head down, and being up to 4 lbs overweighted (by some divers definition) is something I don't really notice.

 

[Shftrdog]

It will take some playing around with the weight. Move it around untill you find what works best for you.

 

[buton]

play with your tank also, put as close as you can to your head( avoid touching it) leave it abou 1 or 2 inches..