Balanced Rig

[Charlie99]

This term is often used, but it's not clear to me what it actually means.

Does anybody have a clear definition of what this means, and can give some examples of balanced vs. unbalanced rigs?

Thank,
Charlie Allen

 

[Blackwood]

delete

 

[pants!]

What part of my reply in the other thread were you unclear on?

 

[Charlie99]

What part of my reply in the other thread were you unclear on?

Just seeing if there is anyone else that has your definition of "balanced rig". Your definition is pretty good, although one might argue that a balanced rig might also have the requirement of having enough ditchable weight that one can achieve positive buoyancy on the surface with full tanks and no BCD.

For example, Boomx5 post makes it sound like it's something complicated and mysterious: "The problem with this discussion is you can't just throw a "sticky" on it and say this is the only way to dive like this. Body types are different, water type is different (salt vs fresh) exposure protection is different, gear type is different. Use the right tool for the environment in which you'll be diving. Oh, and having a balance rig is the right way to do it and it shouldn't be done any other way."

 

[Charlie99]

If you are talking about balanced regulators, a balanced reg will require the same amount of effort to draw air from at all depths, while an unbalanced reg will require more effort with increasing depth.

Examples could be the Scubapro Mk2+ R290 (unbalanced) and the Scubapro Mk25 S600 (balanced).

I assume you knew that, though, so that's probably not what you were referring to.

Sorry. I'm referring to the phrase that gets thrown around a lot anytime wetsuits and steel tanks are mentioned in the same breath.

 

[pants!]

I think boom was attempting to say that it's incorrect to simply say "double 72s with a wetsuit is wrong".. what matters is having a balanced rig. Different body styles can dictate different rigs.

 

[pants!]

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1240421&postcount=44

This is a very good spreadsheet

 

[Rec Diver]

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1240421&postcount=44

This is a very good spreadsheet

Couldn't a balanced rig also have something to do with your positioning in the water while diving? Example...perfectly horizontal, head up positioing, head down positioing. I prefer the horizontal position, but I know of others that prefer to do dive the other positions. This would have more to do with weight placement than just the total weighting system, wouldn't it? Then what would be the definition of a balanced rig?

 

[pants!]

Read the other thread.. it's not about rotational balance... it's having a rig able to be swum (is that a word?) up in the event of a bc failure without making you uncontrollably positive near the surface...

Balanced in the sense of not too negative nor too positive in any given failure mode.

So there, maybe that's the definition you're looking for.

A balanced rig is a gear configuration that does not have the ability to make you uncontrollably negative or positive in the water column in any given failure mode (within reason)

 

[Rec Diver]

Read the other thread.. it's not about rotational balance... it's having a rig able to be swum (is that a word?) up in the event of a bc failure without making you uncontrollably positive near the surface...

Balanced in the sense of not too negative nor too positive in any given failure mode.

So there, maybe that's the definition you're looking for.

A balanced rig is a gear configuration that does not have the ability to make you uncontrollably negative or positive in the water column in any given failure mode (within reason)

I thought the question to this thread was "what is the definition of a balanced rig and could examples be provided". I was not aware that the question was dealing with one form of balance. I apologise for misunderstabding the question, if I did.