Just picked up a used Seaquest Balance yesterday at a bargain, and tried it for the first time. I had it configured a little differently, because I was wearing a 7 mm wetsuit, steel 108 tank, and weight belt rather than weight pockets. (I will try that next.)
So far, I found that it feels stable, and holds the tank really snugly in place. Compared to a jacket BC, the horizontal trim and streamlining are beautiful--I have heavy legs, so they sink in a jacket BC. In terms of venting air, it seemed to "trap" a little more, but arching a little gets the bubbles to the shoulder or hip dump. On the surface, when it was inflated enough to comfortably raise my head out of the water, it pushed me just slightly forward, and when it was fully inflated, it definitely pushed me face down. Sitting back on it solved this, but I could see this as a disadvantage for an unconscious or exhausted diver, or someone who is a nervous in the water. Have to see how this changes with an AL 80 and different weight configurations.
