Pony bottle

[EricTheDood]

Among other factors, not everybody will diving at 100 feet or more and spending one to three minutes at depth for "assessment" after an out of air emergency.

True, but there's only one way to find out.

I don't see the relevance to pony bottle size. An OOA buddy will not be getting my pony;.

The OOA buddy would be getting his or her own pony.

 

[Nemrod]

Since the OP specifically stated his purpose as Solo certification one might consider that by definition there is no buddy to be OOA.

I do not use an octopus/secondary when solo. I have my back tank regulator and my pony regulator, each with a single second stage. And, if shallow (shallow is relative and purposely undefined) or when kayak solo diving, I will probably not carry a pony, only one regulator with a single second stage on my back tank. An octopus secondary is not redundancy, it is a liability for the solo diver.

N

 

[tbone1004]

I don't see the relevance to pony bottle size. An OOA buddy will not be getting my pony; they will get my back gas, and my bottom time and gas calculations will already include the possibility of such an emergency.

suit yourself, but you aren't getting what I'm trying to say. If you're calculations have taken account the possibility, your pony would be appropriately sized. If not, then you are carrying three second stages, two on backgas, one on pony, and that to me is excessive. Either plan for your pony to be your emergency gas under all circumstances, where in an OOA scenario you donate all of your backgas to the OOA diver and you have enough in the pony bottle. It sounds like you plan on staying on backgas in an OOA scenario which means you're carrying quite a bit of excess gas for no real reason

 

[Ojai Diver]

suit yourself, but you aren't getting what I'm trying to say. If you're calculations have taken account the possibility, your pony would be appropriately sized. If not, then you are carrying three second stages, two on backgas, one on pony, and that to me is excessive. Either plan for your pony to be your emergency gas under all circumstances, where in an OOA scenario you donate all of your backgas to the OOA diver and you have enough in the pony bottle. It sounds like you plan on staying on backgas in an OOA scenario which means you're carrying quite a bit of excess gas for no real reason

Yes, I get what you are saying, I just do not agree. It does not fit how I dive, and is not rellevant to the OP's solo diving goal.