Sonic04GT
Contributor
I have considered taking a solo diver course. Once I get all this equipment stuff sorted out I'll start looking around and see who offers what in the local area.Ok. First off. Take a Solo Diver course. You have the needed dives and it will be a great refresher for you, will get you comfortable slinging a pony and improve your diving experience so you will not care if you lose the dive guide. In fact, you might find that you try and lose the guide and the entourage
I know of three schools of thought. All three start with a detuned second stage and with pressurizing or priming the set predive.
From there, some leave the valve on the entire dive. This choice has the gas always readily accessible to you without any additional steps but risks gas loss from an uncontrolled free flow. If you dive a small tank, this might be important to you.
The next is as Kharon posted and he can speak better to that choice but I believe he puts an inline shut off valve near the second stage and closes it during the dive. This method avoids the risk of water entering the first stage if the initial pressure is lost in the second stage but requires the diver to remember to open the inline valve if the pony is needed.
The third option is the one I use and wrote about earlier. I pressurize the set predive then close the tank valve. This prevents significant gas loss in a free flow but does open up the risk of water in the first stage. So I reprime my reg after entry and periodically thereafter to ensure the line stays pressurized and I know in my " muscle memory" to open that tank valve if I even think I might need to use it.
I have slung a 13 (my pony), a 19, a 30 and a 40. In my experience, once under the waves and properly slung, there is no significant difference. Remember, it is the buoyancy characteristics of the tanks that count underwater. Not its top side weights. And the small differences in length and diameter are immaterial while diving.
Predive and on a crowded boat, you may notice some difference however. I am a petite female so those differences are pretty significant. For you, maybe not so much. Only you can decide that.
As far as my opinion 19 or 30, there is not wrong answer. It's what you want and feel comfortable with that counts. If you know you will willing lug that slight extra weight and size of the 30 around as religiously as you would a 19 and it makes you feel better. Go for it. In reality, do you need that extra cf of gas for your dives in WPB. IMHO, no.
Thank you for the suggestions on valve/reg operation. I will take them all into consideration and eventually decide on what I prefer. Do regs with the adjustable knob on the side work well usually for "de-tuning." I don't recall having any issues with my Atomic and it's the only reg I've owned.
I'm beginning to think the 19 will just be more comfortable overall, especially after looking my dive log over again. I want to say 90% of my dives are 100ft or below and you seem well versed with the WPB area.
My other concern was as you mentioned, bringing the equipment out on a crowded boat, or even on our own boat when we may be out doing some fishing as well.
As always, thanks again for your mostly objective input. It's always appreciated.
---------- Post added June 18th, 2014 at 05:40 PM ----------
Any criticism on the Aqualung Calypso for the pony? I know it's been a proven reg for many many years. Our military rigs had them as well although they never got used.
Aqualung Calypso Regulator at LeisurePro
I preferred a DIN setup but could possibly convert this.
Then there's this little guy for starters...
Highland by XS Scuba Compact DIN First Stage at LeisurePro