Balanced Rig: Understanding Proper Weighting
What Is a Balanced Rig?
A Balanced Rig is a dive setup where you carry only as much weight as needed to compensate for the gas you will consume during a dive. This ensures that, even if your buoyancy compensator (BCD) or wing fails, you can still swim up safely without ditching weights.
Before setting up a Balanced Rig, you must determine your proper weighting. If you haven’t done a buoyancy check and calculated how much weight you actually need, stop now and read our guide on Buoyancy & Weighting. Otherwise, the Balanced Rig concept won’t be useful.
The Core Principle of a Balanced Rig
A properly weighted diver should only need to compensate for the gas they consume. For example, if you are diving a single AL80 tank, you are only compensating for about 5 lbs of gas loss from start to finish.
If you can comfortably swim up that 5 lbs without a working BCD, then you are, by definition, diving a Balanced Rig—whether you realize it or not.

The Ditchable vs. Non-Ditchable Debate
The main disagreement in Balanced Rig discussions isn’t about weighting itself, but rather whether divers should carry ditchable weights. This is a risk calculation decision, and there is no universal right answer.
View 1: No Ditchable Weight (Purist Approach)
- If properly weighted, you should never need to ditch weight in an emergency.
- Eliminating ditchable weight removes the risk of accidental loss.
- If your BCD fails, you should still be able to swim up your full rig without assistance.
View 2: Keeping Ditchable Weight (Practical Approach)
- Ditchable weights provide an emergency option if something goes wrong.
- Some divers may be overweighted due to wetsuit compression or rental gear.
- The real-world risk of a BCD failure is low, but the impact can be severe.
Which approach is best? That depends on your risk tolerance and equipment setup.
Real-World Considerations for Recreational Divers
For most recreational divers, perfect weighting is not always practical due to rental gear, travel diving, or budget limitations. Here’s what to consider:
- If you are diving an AL80 and properly weighted, you are compensating for ~5 lbs of gas.
- If you can swim up with full gear at the end of the dive, ditchable weights are not required.
- If you need to carry extra weight for trim or exposure protection, evaluate whether some of it should be ditchable.
In my personal experience, I have never had a BCD failure, but I have had an accidental weight ditch on my second-ever Open Water certification dive. The real-world risks of accidental loss versus BCD failure should be part of your decision-making process.
My BPW setup (xDeep Zen) includes ditchable weight pockets, but I don’t use them for quick release—I use them because the tank band pockets max out at 8 lbs. This is an example of adapting to gear limitations rather than blindly following a rule.
Final Thoughts: Make an Informed Decision
There is no single "right" answer. Instead of asking, "Should I carry ditchable weights?" ask:
- Have I properly calculated my weighting? (See Buoyancy & Weighting Guide)
- Can I swim up my rig if my BCD fails?
- Am I more concerned about BCD failure or accidental ditching?
- Does my gear setup limit my weight placement options?
Master Your Buoyancy
Learn how to calculate your correct weighting and control buoyancy underwater.
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