Why get rid of the Balance BC?

[tstormdiver]

I have had 2 Balance BC's over the past several years. Sold one & the last one succumbed to the rigors of instruction (bladder rupture). I understand why it was not covered under warranty. I was hoping to get another, but found it has been replaced by the Dimension. The Balance is a wonderful BC's because they fit me well & trim me out perfectly in the water. My biggest gripe with the Dimension is the placement of the trim pockets on the low- set cam band. That puts all the weigh around the waist, causing a head's up/ feet down position. That is unacceptable to me & should be to most divers. Horizontal Trim helps reduce damage to the environment, streamlines the diver & reduces air consumption. Why get rid of a superior product to replace it with something inferior? I do have a Zuma & that is also my biggest gripe,.. all the weight around the waist.

 

[decompression]

My first BCD was a balance and it was a pretty good BCD, I did lose a weight pouch on a boat entry but that was before they added the sure lock system. After awhile the bladder leaked so they gave me a deal on an Apeks BP and wing. I don't know much about the diamension but there are very few things that a bpw can't do better.

 

[runsongas]

wouldn't weights at your waist line up with your center of gravity? not sure why that would cause you to go head up unless if you were already feet heavy and then making it worse with the trim pockets.

 

[tstormdiver]

My first BCD was a balance and it was a pretty good BCD, I did lose a weight pouch on a boat entry but that was before they added the sure lock system. After awhile the bladder leaked so they gave me a deal on an Apeks BP and wing. I don't know much about the diamension but there are very few things that a bpw can't do better.

Our students train in the Balance. The owner of the shop prefers for us to have equipment very similar to what they use. Yes, I have several backplates for tech & rebreather diving & they are OK, but they do not have the QD's that most rec BC's have & most rec BC's do not have crotch straps. The Dimension is similar to their travel BC, the Zuma. They have no back pack & have a very low cam strap that basically makes the cylinder give the BC rigidity. The Zuma has not trim pockets & the Dimension has the trim pockets on the cam strap (far too low to help trim out a diver), along with the ditchable weight pockets along the waist belt.

 

[tstormdiver]

wouldn't weights at your waist line up with your center of gravity? not sure why that would cause you to go head up unless if you were already feet heavy and then making it worse with the trim pockets.

My legs are heavier. It would be akin to wearing all your weight on a weightbelt. Doable? Yes, well trimmed out? Not really, in my case.

 

[claymore]

I have noticed the same issue with the newer AquaLung BC's. The trim weight pockets are so low that if you are foot heavy they do little to no good. An easy solution is a cam strap with the proper weights on it up at the top of the tank. I have had to do the same only on the bottom when diving short steel tanks to keep my feet down.

 

[tstormdiver]

I have noticed the same issue with the newer AquaLung BC's. The trim weight pockets are so low that if you are foot heavy they do little to no good. An easy solution is a cam strap with the proper weights on it up at the top of the tank. I have had to do the same only on the bottom when diving short steel tanks to keep my feet down.

That's true,.. but kind of defeats the purpose of the trim pockets in the first place. I teach the cam strap with weight pockets up high on a cylinder, to my students taking a buoyancy course who have the Zuma.

 

[runsongas]

isn't the dimension a single strap design? wouldn't the tank be banging into your knees if you had the cam strap up high on the cylinder?

 

[tstormdiver]

isn't the dimension a single strap design? wouldn't the tank be banging into your knees if you had the cam strap up high on the cylinder?

It is, with a "catch strap" that goes around the valve at the top. The cam strap is located several inches below where the cam straps are located on a traditional BC. These BC's use the tension of the "catch strap at the top & the cam strap at the bottom to use the cylinder to give the BC its rigidity, instead of a hard plate. Makes the BC much more flexible for packing & traveling.

 

[Speario760]

I have only ever dived a SeaQuest/Aqua Lung BCD. The Balance was my primary BCD for years. Then I switched to the Dimension i3 because I wanted the convenience of adjusting my buoyancy without changing my body position. I dive a HP Steel 120 CF tank and only use 2-4 pounds depending on the time of year and thickness of my wetsuit. The Dimension is the most comfortable BCD I have ever dived and have been diving since 1978. The idea of the "Wrapture" harness system has nothing to do with travel convenience other than the first BCD to use it was the Zuma. It is about the fit and security of the BCD. It is designed to allow you to stand upright while getting into the water without having to stoop forward to stay balanced. This also places all of the weight on the hips like an alpine backpack to take the stress off the shoulders and lower fatigue. I do not put any weight in the Sure-Lock pockets only in the pockets around the tank band. I can do this because of the weight of the tank I use. This puts me in a slight head up position which I have found is much more comfortable than a level horizontal or slight head down position and has eliminated headaches I was getting from trying to left my head and strain to look forward. Since I am a spear fisherman I don't just look straight down but I look forward and ahead of me while scanning from side to side looking for game.

The tank band is positioned to place the weight on the waist/hips. It does exactly what it was designed to do and is a superior design and as has always been the case with SeaQuest/Aqua Lung products uses the best quality materials in the construction.

If the OP has tried the Dimension and didn't like it that's tough and suggest you might try some of the Apeks backplate and donut bladders for a similar to the Balance performance and fit.

Good Luck!!