Correct pony bottle size?

I am looking to see what size pony bottle is best suited for my type of diving which is usually from 30ft -100ft for right now. It is mostly recreational diving in the keys or anywhere on the east coast. I was thinking either a 13cu ft or a 19cu ft. I didnt know if a 13ft would be cutting it to close. Please help with your experience!

here is a website i found...let me know if you agree with the information on this site.
Scuba divers pony tank comparison chart, redundant air supply.

There are a million threads on this via a search. Very thoughtful ones, too-definitely check them out. I made my decision based on them AND the chart you linked. But, my choice for the same range is 30cf slung
from my harness. Weightless, out of the way (even though it doen't look like it would be on shore) and enough gas to do a safety stop on the way up from 100').

If you think you'll want to train for deco diving during next 5 years, a 40cf is better.

a 30 cf pony will just fit between and in the same length approx. as a LP 95 but I don't recommend anything but slinging so you can see or hear a leak.

I wish I'd gone ahead and gotten a 40cf as underwater it doesn't feel different from the 30'.
I didn't feel comfortable with a 19cf (although I thought about it quite a bit for how it "looked/felt" on the beach) but underwater at 100' knowing
it should be enough gas felt even better having the 30cf.

Edit: after reading Dirkadiver's post. Yes, remember that things can go wrong with the pony system at the worst possible moment too. The lst stage can free flow, the 2nd too. You may have an OOA diver come up behind you out of the blue and want to buddy breath! Ya never know.
Slinging allows you to "feather the valve" if freeflowing. It's generally going to take maybe a minute to register/believe/act on any issue
before you even begin an ascent.

I'm with JimT. 30 cu.ft. for rec. 40cu.ft. if planning on going tech. In a panicked OOA or malfunction situation, the bailout gas will probably get sucked down pretty quickly. I'd lean toward the bigger tanks i.e. 30 or 40

I currently own and use a 19cu ft pony slung as a stage. I usually use it when I am going to dive deeper than about 60'.

I think if I were routinely going to dive in excess of 100' I too would opt for a 30cu ft pony and if facing any possibility of doing deco training/diving I would even purchase a 40cu ft.

Depends on where I'm diving but when I was using a BC I used my 40 and had a 30 for a spare. No that I am in a BP/W I sling a lp45.

There's no option for "slung 40"

If you're going to bring extra gas, have enough. In the water, I can't tell the difference between and 40 and a 30, they sit the same. Here's a link to a picture with the 40 (taken from below) it sits neatly up and behind my elbow. 'Course, then I went and setup doubles ... so now it just sits around and looks shiny

I dive with an 80 cf foot "pony bottle". It also has a human brain that comes with it to assure that decisions are sound when things get stressful. In fact, it has an "auto-deploy" feature that actually puts the regulator in my face if I make a certain signal.

bubbleblowindude:

I dive with an 80 cf foot "pony bottle". It also has a human brain that comes with it to assure that decisions are sound when things get stressful. In fact, it has an "auto-deploy" feature that actually puts the regulator in my face if I make a certain signal.

Click to expand...

Mine has 160 cf. Similar auto deploy feature though...

I use a 13 but that does cut it close. I went with the 13 rather than the 19 because it travels by air a bit easier. If air travel is not a major concern, the 19 is probably the better choice. And if air travel is not in your plans, might as well go with the 30 and not have to worry about trying to keep to right up close to 3000 psi.

For < 100' a 19 cf would probably be adequate, but I'd recommend a 30 cf or even a 40 cf. A 30/40 would be workable even if it isn't full, isn't much bigger than a 19 and I'd consider it mandatory when you do venture into the 100-130' range.