No such thing as a Pony Bottle

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PantherDiver

Registered
Messages
48
Reaction score
30
Location
Southeast, USA
# of dives
100 - 199
I spent a lot of time on these boards lurking through pages of peoples thoughts about Pony Bottles. I selected a 30cf Worthington bottle, with a DIN Atomic Aquatic reg, Dive Rite Travel/Sidemount for sling rigging and a 1" gauge on a 6inch hose.

Done a lot of pool work connecting, disconnecting from my BCD, exchanging regulators, boyancy etc. I was left on my first open water dive when my buddy had low air and the instructors left me alone at 80 feet while helping them. That whole stick with your buddy thing doesn't always happen.

Today the dive shop owner approached me said he saw I had a "stage bottle" an that I don't have the training for it that it's a tech level requirement and they go through hours and hours of how to use it. I said it's a pony bottle and he told me there's no such thing, people just use that phrase as an excuse and that having one causes more problems than it's worth. He doesn't want me wearing them on any training dives with his shop. He said "you don't see anyone else in my shop wearing one?!"

I'm now sitting in the PADI deep diver class where it talks about oh what's this?! Pony Bottles or Alternative Air Source. Thoughts?!
 
Depends on how you use it. It is a stage bottle if it is filled with gas to accelerate staged decompression stops. It is a bailout bottle if it is an independent backup gas supply. It is a pony bottle if you happen to be a young horse. Either way, it is none of the dive shop's business.
 
He said that his instructors doesn't have the training if something happens with it while I'm diving. I'm already in the Divemaster program and can't leave. It's also the only shop in our area. I just didn't understand it's a Tec skill to have a Alternate Air source or that it would require hours and hours if specialized training. I asked would it matter if I had it mounted to my tank and was told... It just causes more problems than it prevents.

edit: It's filled with air only for emergency and not considered a part of my diving air supply.
 
Today the dive shop owner approached me said he saw I had a "stage bottle" an that I don't have the training for it that it's a tech level requirement and they go through hours and hours of how to use it. I said it's a pony bottle and he told me there's no such thing, people just use that phrase as an excuse and that having one causes more problems than it's worth. He doesn't want me wearing them on any training dives with his shop. He said "you don't see anyone else in my shop wearing one?!"

I'm now sitting in the PADI deep diver class where it talks about oh what's this?! Pony Bottles or Alternative Air Source. Thoughts?!

The guy's an idiot. Carrying an alternate air source isn't rocket science and any diver with bit of common sense can perceive the value of having a redundant gas supply no matter what type of diving you're doing.
 
Today the dive shop owner approached me said he saw I had a "stage bottle" an that I don't have the training for it that it's a tech level requirement and they go through hours and hours of how to use it. I said it's a pony bottle and he told me there's no such thing, people just use that phrase as an excuse and that having one causes more problems than it's worth. He doesn't want me wearing them on any training dives with his shop. He said "you don't see anyone else in my shop wearing one?!" I'm now sitting in the PADI deep diver class where it talks about oh what's this?! Pony Bottles or Alternative Air Source.
I always hesitate to react to second hand comments, as it is easy to take things out of context when not an actual participant in an exchange. I will give the shop owner some benefit of the doubt, that perhaps his intended point was something other than it appears to be.

But, if the exchange went the way you said it, my visceral reaction - my 'thoughts' as you requested:

1. The owner is entitled to his own opinion.

2. In my own opinion, the owner is an idiot.

3. The owner is entitled to define the conditions of participation in any diving activity / course that his shop sponsors / offers.

4. Run away, very fast, and find another shop where there are at least some signs of intelligent life among staff members.

But, your subsequent comments suggest that running away to a competent shop is not an immediately viable option. Perhaps, a more mature, reasoned approach might be to ask the owner to help you, as a Divemaster candidate, better understand::

1. Why some / many members of the diving 'community' seem to advocate the use of 'pony' bottles, as emergency / redundant air supplies.

2. What the differences are between an emergency / redundant air supply, and one which is part of the overall gas management plan for a dive.

3. Why some Instructors on his staff would not know what to do if you were using a pony.
 
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He said that his instructors doesn't have the training if something happens with it while I'm diving...

Am I the only person disturbed that there are people training divers who can’t figure out a backup gas source?
 
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I'm now sitting in the PADI deep diver class where it talks about oh what's this?! Pony Bottles or Alternative Air Source. Thoughts?!

For those who don't have access to this, the following is on page 25 of the 2010 version of the instructor manual for the course:

You may want to consider a pony bottle – an independent
air source that provides additional air; it helps assure that you
have ample gas to reach the surface safely in an emergency. It is
important that the regulator used for the pony cylinder is easily
identified, and that it cannot be mistaken for the diver’s primary
regulator. This can be achieved in many ways including:
a. Color of the second stage
b. Color of the mouthpiece
c. Shape and style of the second stage
d. Shape and style of the mouthpiece
e. Coloration of the pony cylinder hose
f. Use of a physical item, which covers the mouthpiece and must
be physically removed before the regulator can be used.
Buddy teams should confirm the procedures that will be used,
should a diver need to switch to a pony cylinder and end the dive.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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