Pony attached to main cylinder or No?

[CJM]

I will will give both ways a fair chance. I can definitely see where boat dives would be difficult where I would need to swap out tanks and mounting the pony to another tank between dives would be a bit difficult. Thanks everyone. I appreciate the responses

 

[diver 85]

That's what she meant about my short hose, eh? LOL

and empty marble sac......

 

[4sak3n]

and empty marble sac......

Reminds me of that quip about divers being the only men who brag about their small SACs ...

 

[Randy43068]

and empty marble sac......

SAC or sack? There is a difference................

 

[QuarryDiver23]

I have tried both ways and am still up in the air about which I like better. Have you found which way works for you CJM?

Here is what I have noticed: I like the versatility of slinging a 30cuft pony - hose routing, ease of reading SPG, able to deploy in different situations, etc... What I don't like about it, if I were spear-fishing or taking photos then it does appear that it may be in the way.

When I have used it back mounted to the primary it is nice to have the setup behind me. But the hose routing can get a bit ridiculous. I recently made a switch to a longer primary 7' and shorter octo bungeed - with the back mounted pony the additional 2nd stage clipped to my harness makes deployment in an OOA situation a bit tricky. Also I have an additional SPG routed down to the left - two to look at now. Now there are also an LPI and drysuit hoses on the left as well - all total 4 hose on the left and 3 on the right. It occurred to me that why not just go to doubles with a manifold it would be much easier but then there is a lot of added cost and weight.

Has anyone had similar issues with the back mount style or can offer any suggestions? I think slinging it and just adjusting the way I dive might be easier than dealing with the hose soup.

 

[FritzCat66]

All these responses are good. How you carry your pony is a very ideosyncratic thing - best bet is to try several different methods and see what's right for you and your diving style.

I like to do photography, sometimes very close to the reef. So, like some of the other responders mentioned, slinging my 19cf pony just seemed to get in the way too often. So I moved it to the main tank, but I also wanted to be able to remove it if necessary to escape from an entanglement or possibly to hand off to a buddy (although for me its primary purpose is self-rescue and bailout).

After trying out several options, I decided on a bag solution (I went with the one from XS Scuba and have been happy with it). My choice was mounted left side, valve up, valve on, hose routed underarm left, necklaced reg (I have an Airsource 2 for my alternate off my main tank as well).

While not as easy as a slung pony to remove and hand off, nevertheless it can still be done with reasonable effort (although the bag had to "break in" a few dives before it loosened up enough to allow in-water removal).

As some others mentioned, I also placed a 4-pound balance for the pony in the opposite trim pocket and have no problems floating level.

Per the manufacturer's suggestion, I also recommend a low-pressure-side overpressure valve for your pony first stage, just in case you charge it at depth and then ascend without breathing the pony reg.

>*< Fritz

 

[Twistedarts]

Chris,
I checked out those XS pony bags, they look pretty cool. Check out these Zeagle mounts. The pony attaches to the cam bands and goes with the bc. so when you move to another tank the pony goes with it. This is the solution I'm looking at for my pony.

Zeagle Pony Bottle or Battery Pack Attachment Kit 8029HD with reviews at scuba.com

 

[Doc Intrepid]

"I am in the market for a pony bottle"

....Why are you in the market for a pony bottle? Why do you want one?

What problem will it solve? (Why do you want to pay the extra cost of one?)

What sort of diving will you be doing with it? Are you, for example, a macro photographer?

(if you were, it may indicate a position on your tank would work...if not, then perhaps not...location often depends on where you're diving and why. For example, if you're going into an overhead environment the ability to avoid getting stuck to the point that you can neither proceed forward nor retreat backward is a good idea. Yet some folks persist in mounting small tanks to their tank with metal mounts so if the butt end of the pony tank gets caught in some space in the ceiling they are completely jammed up with no remedy. Can't go forward, but can't back out. And because the mount is metal their buddy can't even get his hand and knife in there to cut away the bottle. ...Bad idea...)

Is there the slightest chance you'd ever need to remove it from your harness and hand it to another diver who is entangled or entrapped? While you're doing something else? Like unscrew them? Tough to do if your bailout bottle is attached to your tank where you can't even reach it.

So why do you want one, and what do you envision yourself doing with it?

Those answers will often point you in one direction or another...

(uh...if your answer is "well hell, i don't know..." that may point you in still another direction...)

Best,

Doc

 

[IceBergSlim]

If you really think you have to have one sling it in front of you. As stated you can reach the valve, see the SPG, cut it away easily and replace it with a deco cylinder in the future. (if you go that way)

 

[USFishin]

I understand most of the arguments for slinging and tank mounting but I think a more important thing to consider is what else you have to bring with you on a dive.
Here in South Florida many of us use tank mounted pony (bailout) bottles because we are hunting. Whether it be lobster hunting or spearfishing or both, there is a lot of gear involved. I think having the pony secured behind you is actually less of a tangle hazard in this case.
I personally turn the pony on and leave it on and just check the pressure (button gauge) before dives. I also take a "test breath" along the way.
One major difference with this setup is I don't intend to pass off my pony to any other divers. I always follow NDL limits and will be happy to air share and even switch to the pony myself if necessary. Unfortunately I got to test this a few weeks ago and it worked fine.
One important thing to consider is that if you want to donate a pony bottle you will need to not consider it part of your weight setup and need to "overweight" yourself which I do not like to do.

As he said here... it depends on what you're doing in your dive. If you're hunting or taking pictures then a slung bottle will probably get in your way. A 19 CU ft bottle is only -1.5 LBS full in salt water. So it shouldn't throw off your balance too much when tank-mounted. I'd recommend the Zeagle Pony Tank Bands as stated in another reply. It securely mounts the pony to your main tank and it is easy to swap out main tanks because the pony stays attached to your BC straps. It's a very solid connection. I can pick up my whole setup (119 CF steel tank, BC, and Reg) by my pony bottle when it's attached with the Zeagle straps.