pony or spare air?

[tomboyy]

If you're not in an overhead environment; if you're diving with a buddy; if you're in normal diving limits; the pony will get you in more trouble than it will get you out of. The only times I've used a pony is when the knowledge it was there made me push things in a very non-conservative manner.

Stupid statement of the day

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

the pony will get you in more trouble than it will get you out of. The only times I've used a pony is when the knowledge it was there made me push things in a very non-conservative manner.

I carry a 30 cu ft pony on every dive. I practice with it (typically on my last dive of the day or a weekend), so if I ever had the need to use my emergency gas, it's second nature to me. But that 30 is never factored into my backgas or my diveplan. IMHO, a pony is an asset that would never make me push my diving procedures. It's for emergencies only.

 

[CMAS One]

Right On! Think about it. Just the small volume of the Spare air rules it out - even the largest volume spare air is not going to last more than a few breaths at depth when the adreneline is pumping!

CMAS One

 

[CMAS One]

Bottom line there is no substitution for proper training, endless practice and exercise of common sense!

CMAS One

 

[sanchoshark]

Think so, Tom? Ask around at DEMA next week, particularly among those with 1,000 plus dives. Better still, tell me stories about when, on a non-Technical, non- overhead environment dive, YOU have had your posterior saved by having a pony. There are places for ponies, but not in the gear of a recently certified diver doing conservative profiles.

 

[matsat64]

Pony all the way no matter what!!!
This is my personal preff. 40

 

[divingdds]

You're really need to "do the math". With the Spare Air model 300, the website claims you get 57 breaths at the surface. I imagine that's when you're calm. For calculations-sake, let's say it's 60 breaths. At 33 ft, you will have 30 breaths. At 66 ft, you will have 15 breaths. In an emergency at 66 ft, assuming you're as calm as you are at the surface, will that be enough air?

The amount of emergency air you will need depends on the conditions you are diving--depth, viz, temperature, alone or with a partner, etc. You need to do your own calculations for your diving conditions.

I threw away my Spare Air. I use a 13 cu ft pony bottle with a separate reg. I dive solo in Southern California (poor viz) at 50-60 feet max. I needed more than "15 breaths".

 

[karlwhubbard]

As an "intermediate" (50 dives < 120 feet) diver diving the San Francisco wreck at Truk to a depth of 200 ft on regular air (there were a lot of very experienced divers with me on the Thorfin 1999) I had a pony bottle. I had the exact air integrated dive computer/regulator on the pony as on my main tank. If something happened to my main tank, then the pony bottle and pony dive computer would still keep track of my time, current depth (but not my decompression time which would have to be recorded from the main tank computer). Even though I had buddies, this would allow me some independence, and extra time to get to my buddies.

I think my reasoning is sound, even if perhaps it was a leap in my abilities to follow the pros down to 200ft.

Certainly feel more reassured with pony during night dives. For daytime reef diving around 20-30 feet, I don't bother with pony.

Incidentally, one of the divers had a high pressure line to dive computer leak on the descent at about 150 feet-bubbling away like a supernova fizzie, which he and his buddy handled as if just a minor inconvenience.

 

[Dr Wu]

As an "intermediate" (50 dives < 120 feet) diver diving the San Francisco wreck at Truk to a depth of 200 ft on regular air (there were a lot of very experienced divers with me on the Thorfin 1999) I had a pony bottle. I had the exact air integrated dive computer/regulator on the pony as on my main tank. If something happened to my main tank, then the pony bottle and pony dive computer would still keep track of my time, current depth (but not my decompression time which would have to be recorded from the main tank computer). Even though I had buddies, this would allow me some independence, and extra time to get to my buddies.

I think my reasoning is sound

You have a very complex series of computers, buddies and gas sources.

I applaud you for being so independent.

 

[penitent1]

You have a very complex series of computers, buddies and gas sources.

I applaud you for being so independent.

You are such a kind man!