How can I remain stable with this BCD??

[The Chairman]

Personally, I don't teach fin pivots as they introduce bad habits. Feet should be above the head, not below. My students are not allowed to touch the bottom. Even gear doff and don are done midwater. It should be noted that I am not a PADI instructor.

However, steel tanks make a world of difference for me and I dive a wing that can easily support the weight. The bubble at the top of the BCD and the weight of the tank do nicely. However, I don't do a lot of surface talking.

 

[String]

Id go with the above, get the weighting correct then its only a few litres of gas in the BCD. It's just as possible to have stable trim in a BCD as it is in a wing. And just like a wing, you need to move weight around. I need 4kg on my upper tank strap to stop my feet sinking for example.

Also, "fin pivots" haven't been a standard for several years now. That skill was updated and changed some time ago.

 

[pasley]

You have come full circle.

Have you tried.....Crotch Strap?

If you don't have a crotch strap, the rig may ride up behind you head causing a face plant. Otherwise, just lean back and relax chin out of the water and nothing more. If you try to get your neck out of the water, you will be encouraging the rig to tilt you forward causing you to use your ands and feet to stay vertical.

IMHO:
Fin Pivot - not a fan of that. The students often fail to understand (mostly because the instructor fails to tell them) that this is not about checking, but rather is about demonstrating a tool that they will use to help control their buoyancy. They are IMHO suppose to observe and learn that when they take a breath they will float up a bit, and when they exhale they will float down. Tools they will use to help control their buoyancy. Personally I think hovering in mid-water without moving, or swimming around a large pool and moving from 3 feet to 9 feet with out adjusting the BCD using only your breath checks buoyancy for being neutral and demonstrates that using your lungs as your first buoyancy control tool woks better.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I went the opposite way. I use a Zeagle back-mount, integrated weight system for personal diving. But for pool training, I bought a jacket style and regular weight belt for pool teaching. In a perfect world, the instructor should be wearing exactly the same gear the students wear in the pool. That said... you've stumbled on the main complaint people have with back-mounted BCD's. The BCD lifts you from the back, pushing your face forward.

I dive with one all the time. But I am usually wearing a full 7mm wetsuit or a dry suit. This creates additional lift around my body that balances out the lift from the BCD. You might be able to accomplish this same effect by wearing a shorty-wetsuit in the pool. Another approach is to add weight to the tank-side of the BCD. You could use a 5# belt-weight on a short piece of webbing around the tank. Or you could use a steel tank. Most steel tanks are fairly negatively buoyant. Somehow, you need to move the center of gravity behind you.

Or just get an inexpensive jacket BC for pool use. There are many models available.