Proper hose management when using pony bottles.

[yarik83]

Hi folks.

Today I have a question about proper hose management when using pony bottles. I originally purchased my pony bottle after diving for 3 years with spare air. Now I dive with both. My setup has spare air mounted to strap of my BC right next to my 80cf nitrox tank. My pony bottle is attached via X bracket on other side of the tank also attached of via tank strap. My pony is 19cf.

I tried mounting my pony bottle upside down, under arm, in front of me, right side up and best way I found it to work is behind me with valve pointing upwards so I could reach to it. Unfortunately with my near perfect positioning setup I am running into hose management issue. Attached pictures show exactly what I am talking about.

My left side has my Sherwood Wisdom 2 attached via hose and retractor. I also have my BC inflator hose on left hand side. So that is 2 hoses there.
My right side has my main second stage, my safe second, second stage of pony and my old computer with pressure gauge also attached to pony bottle. That is 4 hoses.

I attached all of my hoses where they need to belong so I can tell which one is which even when blind folded. My second computer is clipped to bottom D ring of my BC.

None of hoses seem to interfere with each other but after giving one of my dive buddies my camera for a few minutes I was watching over the footage and I look like a christmas tree. I am sure I am not the only person with this dilemma so here is my question to you guys...

How do you manage your hoses?

I have a few of these guys at home used on my hookah setup so will try those on next dive on my setup.
IST Double Hose Retainer Divers Clip BCHH with reviews at scuba.com

p.s. that yellow thing on my left side is my 3 finger reef hook that I use to hook to dead coral if I ever need to continue filming without fighting the current.

 

[fire_diver]

That looks like a nightmare. Get some bungie cord and strap the hoses to the pony bottle. Then sling that thing on your left side where you have control of it and can better protect the valve. You only need ONE hose coming off that pony bottle.

 

[Teller]

Why dive with the pony and the spare air? Your buddy is your backup the pony is your peace of mind and the spare air is just extra weight.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

You can read the threads about this... but i have dove with a pony for a long time (20 yrs).
I say buy a small plug gage and put it on the pony. you do not need another hose and gage to read while diving. You do not need to monitor the air in the pony, if you get on it, you are comming up and you have what you have.

You do NOT need 3 second stages... remove the octopus from the primary tank.

Wear your pony reg on a necklace around your neck, route the hose DOWN, straight down from the first stage, then under your arm and to your throat.

My rig has extra stuff on it, but you can look at this video and see a cleaner hose routing. I was wearing a third bottle under my arm in this video (for decompression). I also wear an AIR 2 inflator which many people hate.

I also think it is cleaner to mount the pony lower than the main tank, it makes it easier to stick your head in holes if you don't have two tank valves abouve your head..


Skip to 1:10 or so...for a quick look of my hose routing..Maybe not the best or most popular, but cleaner and makes sense for me.

Spearfishing on a WW II Plane Wreck, SB2C, Jupiter, FL. 185 ft Depth - YouTube

 

[eelnoraa]

Pony with valve knob facing inside and 1st stage facing outside seem like a big potential issue to me. Change that at least. Also with all 2nd stage dangling from the right side, you will not know which coming from where in stress situation.

 

[scubadada]

Get rid of the SpareAir, sling the pony on your left with the hose bungied away. I have a SPG on a 6" hose but, I agree, a button guage would be fine. I also dive with an Air2.

Good diving, Craig

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Pony with valve knob facing inside and 1st stage facing outside seem like a big potential issue to me. Change that at least. Also with all 2nd stage dangling from the right side, you will not know which coming from where in stress situation.

yeah that looks bad too, I didn't look closely enough.

 

[yarik83]

I had IST tiny pressure gage on my pony for about 4 months and while it was really cool to know how much air I had when I was checking my equipment before the dive, I had no idea how much air was left in the bottle if and when I would use it. I tested it at 90ft and squeezed about 11 minutes out of it with 500psi left on the bottle but for all I knew bottle could have been empty in next breath or so.
Around June I upgraded my Genesis React Pro like this one: Genesis "Resource Pro" In-Line Computer Console with Compass, CG2259
to Sherwood Wisdom 2 Metal Button. My old computer was purchased in 2007 so resale value would yield very low return... I figured I would go ahead and recycle it.

Honestly I would not want to detach my safe second from my setup because I do travel out of country without my pony and spare air.

To answer some of the other questions. My #1 backup is obviously my dive buddies. I dive with 6 other people so I would rely on them first of course. I have my spare air because it gives me enough time to do a safety stop (trust me I timed it) if and when necessary. I like having redundancy especially after blowing O-rings for a number of dives. I have my pony because it provides additional redundancy. Again after suffering through blown o-rings and having buddies rescue me... I love to have redundancy.

Hmm... I will try to reroute my hoses a bit. I have not thought of using a bungee cord before. Right now I have them hanging off my rubber holder thingies.

 

[stairman]

I dont use a pony with a single tank. I realize some have a fear of nothing coming out of either second stage and needing a breath quick. Your buddy might have gotten away from you too far to race over and grab his reg. In reality, regs are designed to freeflow and for a 1st stage to lock up is very rare. It is possible to have plenty of air to do a safetystop and surface, but...people panic with a freeflow and shutting down the bubbling disaster while ascending on your buddys backup is usually the easiest. If its a burst disc shutting the reg off wont help and your coming up in bubbles. Having a pony will give you the redundence you might need someday. Id sling it on my left side like a deco bottle and keep the hose stowed under a couple bands. If I needed to use it Id pull out the slack,and bring it around my neck and into my mouth from the right.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I had IST tiny pressure gage on my pony for about 4 months and while it was really cool to know how much air I had when I was checking my equipment before the dive, I had no idea how much air was left in the bottle if and when I would use it. I tested it at 90ft and squeezed about 11 minutes out of it with 500psi left on the bottle but for all I knew bottle could have been empty in next breath or so.
Around June I upgraded my Genesis React Pro like this one: Genesis "Resource Pro" In-Line Computer Console with Compass, CG2259
to Sherwood Wisdom 2 Metal Button. My old computer was purchased in 2007 so resale value would yield very low return... I figured I would go ahead and recycle it.

Honestly I would not want to detach my safe second from my setup because I do travel out of country without my pony and spare air.

To answer some of the other questions. My #1 backup is obviously my dive buddies. I dive with 6 other people so I would rely on them first of course. I have my spare air because it gives me enough time to do a safety stop (trust me I timed it) if and when necessary. I like having redundancy especially after blowing O-rings for a number of dives. I have my pony because it provides additional redundancy. Again after suffering through blown o-rings and having buddies rescue me... I love to have redundancy.

Hmm... I will try to reroute my hoses a bit. I have not thought of using a bungee cord before. Right now I have them hanging off my rubber holder thingies.

Why do you need to know how much air is in the pony when you are diving? Seriously why? If it should develop a significant leak, you will probably hear it. If you wear the pony stage around your neck you will feel a freeflow.

As for not removing the octompus on the main tank.... You are going to dive with way too many hoses because why.. you go on vaca? If you go on vaca with no pony, then just add the octopus back onto the first stage.. takes 3 minutes...

Also you have to realize that 3 second stages is much more to manage, get mixed up and it increases the chance of a freeflow a bunch... what safety benefit is derived from 3 second stages?

And.. the guy is asking about pony hose routing.. telling him to NOT use a pony seems to be pretty far off topic in this case....Yes?