Weighting with pony

[RyanT]

Marie, it shouldn't matter. If I'm carrying no stage, a single 40, or a 40 + 80 on my left side, I trim the same.

But... the reality is that everyone is different. Here's a couple of more questions, what brand of AL 30 are you using and how much does your first stage weigh? Here's why I ask.... An AL30 Catalina is -2.4 lbs full. AN AL30 Luxfer is -1.3 full. I also noticed the other day that one of my first stage regulators is noticeably heavier than some others I own. What this means is that two 30cf pony systems could easily have an in water difference of - 2 pounds or more, depending on the brand.

Again, in theory this shouldn't matter, but in practice it might. Your best bet is to just get in the pool and play around with the position of your D-rings and other gear. In particular, take the waist D-ring that your pony is clipped to and move it around on your belt. Also, think about moving the bands on your pony rigging system up or down a little to take some of the slack out of the stage rigging. I think with a little practice, you'll find you can make it work without too much fuss.

 

[RyanT]

Oh yeah, and +1 for what @doctormike said. Although it won't affect your trim, I think you'd really enjoy the weight reduction that a steel tank would provide.

 

[gfaith]

Get new friends . It's horse-poop, to put it in a friendly way.

We dive single tanks 80s in sidemount no problem. People dive with 2 AL80 on the same side and have no problem nor "need to shift hte weight".

Good point Padtoux01 my buddy/wife who only weighs 105lbs can do single tank in her sidemount gear and has pretty good trim.

 

[rick00001967]

i dive sm at times. doubles and single. steel and allum. and i most def need to shift weight when diving a single allum. i know some people seem to be able to do it fine without shifting weight but it drives my crazy if i feel off balance. considering the gas weight in allum 80 is 5 or 6 lbs i could never understand how anyone could dive single and not feel the difference as you breathe it down. maybe it is just a matter of not minding.

as far as the pony goes (stage, deco, bailout, whatever you wanna call it).....i too felt lopsided when i tried one for the first time. that was a 30cf allum in warm water conditions. i was told to just lean to move the gas around in my wing to compensate. problem was i had such little gas in it that i just couldn't get it to work for me. tried it in cold water at home and i didnt seem to notice it as much. never really spent much time analyzing why.

i am sure once the OP is able to get some more dives under their belt they will get the hang of it.

 

[Marie13]

@RyanT pony is a Catalina. First stage is an XTX50. Weight unknown right now (on the way home from diving today), but it is heavy.

Steel tanks were not in my budget this year. Perhaps next year.

Left waist D ring doesn't get moved. I have a BP/W with the Halcyon Cinch. The weight pockets stay fixed in place with the harness sliding through the slot on back side of pockets. Left D ring is on weight pocket.

Oddly, I easily turned to my left side on second dive today with no pony. It was strange. Don't know why it happened.

 

[RyanT]

Ok, so your rig could be on the heavier side. You should still be able to make it work though! When you say that your left waist D-ring doesn't get moved, why not? Sure, you've got a buckle over there, but you should still have a little space to move it around, yes?

 

[Beau640]

How do you have the pony slung? The closer/more streamlined you can get the tank into your body the less it will mess with your trim as well. Although what the other posters said is true. In general you should not need to shift weight around.

The other thing you can do that I don't endorse but is fine for recreational OW is clip your pony off diagonally across your body (L shoulder, R hip) which some people prefer for true pony/non deco tanks and won't affect your trim. This has its own issues but is fine for simple recreational OW dives that you want a pony for.

Also the Catalina is more negative than the Lux. I can sling 2 full lux's on my life side and when slung appropriately will not tip to one side or really feel that they are there. Post some pictures of how you have it slung/how it looks on your because bringing it up as close to your body as possible will help the tipping.

 

[Marie13]

Pony is slung on left side - chest D ring to hip D ring. I've seen the slung across your body thing. Dislike! I don't have any pics currently. Will have to see if buddy can get some on future dives.

 

[Marie13]

Ok, so your rig could be on the heavier side. You should still be able to make it work though! When you say that your left waist D-ring doesn't get moved, why not? Sure, you've got a buckle over there, but you should still have a little space to move it around, yes?

I agree it's a bit heavy. Next weekend, I'm going to experiment with taking off 2 lbs total at my waist.

The weight pockets do not move. They're attached to the Cinch BP adapter and the webbing moves through a slot on the back of the weight pockets. The Cinch allows you to tighten/loosen shoulder straps by just pulling on shoulder straps or waist belt.

Cinch Quick-Adjust Harness - Halcyon Dive Systems

ACB Weight Pocket Adapters - Halcyon Dive Systems

 

[Rusty Roo]

I don't dive with a pony but I see a lot of people attach them to their main cylinder.

Seeing as you're not planning to hand it off at any time, no need to have it slung?

Like this Metalsub Pony Cylinder Quick-Release Clamp System