Weighting with a slung pony bottle

[maremd50]

I've searched and gotten quite a bit of feedback about ponys and weighting, but am still a bit confused. In fact, I think I'm more confused than when I started my research.

Tomorrow I will be diving Lake Michigan using a pony bottle as a redundant air source - it'll be my first time using the pony. Now that the air temp is below freezing, the pony is required, so I have a S30 Catalina, which weighs a negative 2.4 lbs full (which is how I hope it will stay!) and of course, a reg (not sure of that weight). I have my gear configured with the pony slung on my left, attached to the upper and lower D rings of my BC. I've learned the scoop about not breathing thru the reg until I'm under water, etc.. and feel I'm ready to go except for the issue of weighting. In my drysuit setup, without the pony, I normally use 16 lbs (8 in each wt pocket). Now that I will have the negatively weighted pony on the left, should I be decreasing my wt by approx 3 lbs on the left? Or what????? I hate being overweighted. We do use a descent/ascent line at the site.

Thanks for any help you can give me. And send prayers for calm winds -- off-shore marine forecast is iffy.

 

[redacted]

I do not adjust my weight when I sling a pony as there is the possibility of handing the pony off to another diver.

 

[sea2summit]

It makes very little differance, I wouldn't change anything. Even diving multiple stage bottles I don't change weighting but that is starting at a close to balanced system anyway so I don't have much I can remove without removing lifesupport.

 

[mjarrardjr]

I rarely adjust my weighting; sometimes you hand off the pony and other time (and usually the case) you keep it on your person. In any case, when I run a back mount pony, I am lopsided and I add a counter weight to the other side. All in all you are a few pounds over weight, but it is the lesser of the weighting evils.