Calling all ponies

I did a search, but came up empty handed. was gonna buy a "Spare Air" tank, but think i would rather go pony. can i see some of your guys setups? I am fairly new to diving.

1. can you use a standard stage 1 reg with small pressure gauge?

2. better to mount to primary tank?


Thanks

Slightly off-topic--sorry--but may I ask, why do you want a spare air or pony?

mainly for a redundant air source, I am a very safety cautious person. I cant put all my faith into a dive buddy, especially when i pair up with someone that i just met on a boat.

When I dive a single tank, I use a 19 cu. ft. pony mounted to my tank. Yes, you use a "standard" first stage. You're going to hear a lot of differing opinions on the use of a pony versus a buddy for redundant air. Make the decision that's right for you. I agree with the redundant self reliance as a first choice. Different strokes...


PS. You'll hear a lot about what size pony and whether to sling or not.

Lots of threads on this in the past -- it is worth your time to do a search. I am firmly in the pony over SA crowd.

A pony is nothing more than a smaller sized tank. Instead of 80 cubic ft it might be 13 cubic ft or 19 cubic feet. (The original spare air was 1.7 cubic feet and their newer model is 3 cubic feet). Size should be dictated by your needs (air consumption, dive profiles, etc.).

You then attach a "regular" regulator (generally first and second stage with no Octo). You really need a pressure gauge -- I use a small "button" type gauge (others use a more traditional SPG, typically with a shorter hose).

So you now have your pony -- a tank, reg and SPG. The question is how best to attach it. First question: front or back.

For back mounting: The pros are it is out of the way, seems to work well with traditional bcs and there are lots of solid brackets being sold. The cons are that you can't see the bottle (and the button gauge), harder to control the valve and harder to pass of to someone.

Lots of options there. For years, I used something like the Ultimate Pony Bracket -- see Ultimate Pony Bottle Bracket . There is also the pony tamer and x bracket (both appear to be solid products see pony bottle bracket from ReefScuba.com ).

For front mounting: The pros are it is in front and can be easily monitored, shared, and manipulated. Probably less drag and all hoses can be tucked away. The cons are that it is sort of awkward at the surface (fine in the water), requires solid d-drings and it is a bit of a DIY solution. (it would look a bit like Dive Rite Hose Retainer reviews and discounts, Dive Rite )

What would I buy?
a) Pick your pony size first. For tropical diving (given my SAC and profiles), I would be comfortable with something as small as 13. Locally, I think I would want a 19.
b) Decide how you are going to mount it. With a BP/W, I would sling it. With a traditional BC I would look at something that is a back mount (like the ultimate).
c) Decide on my SPG solution. In front, I would use either a button (or a regular SPG with a very very short hose).
d) Decide on what reg to get.

Save your money and get a regular pony tank 19cf+ with a standard regulator. You can usually find a used setup for less than a spare air system. SA is useless.

Dont even waste time or $4 . Just go ahead and get yourself a 40cu bottle, it makes much more sense. When yuo purchase this tank the first thing that you have to remember is that you are not going to have to buy another. The second is that this tank will let you get off a wreck or reef with no problem at all, and with plenty of air to spare. that is just MIO, Good luck

Until I went with doubles, I would dive a slung AL40.

I went with the logic of my pony was 1/3 my back gas. I was diving HP130's.

Use that for what it is worth.

A reason I like the slung method vs. the strapped to back tank method was that if I needed to, I could unclip it and take it off underwater. You could pass is off if you needed to. If you move up the food chain into the technical realm, you're already used to diving with a slung bottle.

A pony is going to get its own 1st and 2nd stage reg and its own spg. For a slung pony you can go with a small 'naked' spg on a 6" hose and your 2nd goes on a nice long 40+" hose. Guys that do the backmount thing can tell you about the hoses they use.

A buddy of mine was give a spare air as a gift. He wanted to see how well it would work. I don't know what size he had. At 60fsw, he switch to the spare air and made his way to the surface around 30fpm. He did not do a safety stop. Within two breaths of reaching the surface, it was out. I would not say the spare airs are useless or stupid. They have their purpose. Shallow, recreational diving with your no stop limits.

I too have been debating this question.

Where I was certified (New Jersey), it was/is local policy to carry a pony. Since my class (along with just about any other I would guess) used cheap rental jacket BCs, our pony was mounted to the AL 80 tank on the back, with the pony second stage serving as our octopus/backup clipped to our BC chest area. So, four regs total (two first stages, each with one second stage).

Now that I bought my first BC setup (BP/W; horray for researching and trying first!), I am a bit confused on what is best.

Now that I have a real setup, do I dive with my main tank having two second stages (primary long hose, octopus around a bungee on my neck like I have seen) AND a pony? Keep in mind I must carry a pony to satisfy local dive boat / quarry / etc requirements.
Since I have a BP/W, everyone is telling me to sling an AL40. Do I now have to have a primary and backup on that tank as well, bringing the total regs to six (two first stages, four second stages)?
Or does the slung bottle only have one second stage?

Do I dive without an octopus on my main (just the long hose primary in my mouth), and route the slung AL40 regulator up to my bungee necklace?

I am really at a loss here.
From my training, the many people I have talked to locally, and local policy, I need to find some way of carrying a completely independent source of air...

Yes, I have searched. I have learned a ton but also became even more unsure the more I have read.


Oh, and merry Christmas to the other half of the world!
Wish I could be home; but alas I am stuck on base. The holidays alone can be quite depressing.

My standard rig for dives deeper than 40ft is an 80 or 100 on my back and a 30 slung on my left side. The pony is outfitted with a button gauge and an OMS workhorse reg. After reading some of the other threads I estimated about 15 cf of gas to get one diver to the surface including safety stop-This includes using extra gas due to the emergency Out Of Air situation/panic mode. Theoretically its possible to get myself and my buddy back to the surface safely on the 30. I would have gone with a 40 but it seemed a bit long to sling.

The reason I prefer to sling the pony tank is so I can see it to check the pressure and make sure its not free flowing. I also like being able to unclip the pony from my BC and attach it to my buddies in the event he needs the gas. That way we don't need to be stuck to each other on the safety stop.