Advice on slinging an AL40

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

I will be diving with the local club in the quarry this weekend, and since temps are projected to be <40F and I'll be without my regular buddy, I'm opting for redundant air. This will be my first time carrying redundant air of any kind, so I'm renting an AL40 setup from the LDS. My BC is the AL Dimension (so I have chest and hip D-rings), and if it matters (I don't think it does), I dive a 7' primary and necklaced secondary.

I understand the basics: clip the stage to the D-rings and make sure you can retrieve the second stage. On initial descent, I plan to open the pony valve, take a breath or two, and then close the valve with the hose charged. I don't plan to adjust my weight at all.

Any other advice I should be aware of?

 

[Chris H]

Clip it on your left side, so you can still deploy your long hose.

 

[woodcarver]

Is your Dimension an i3 with the lever inflator? If it is, be sure the pony is slung in such a way that it doesn't impede access to the valve

 

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

Is your Dimension an i3 with the lever inflator? If it is, be sure the pony is slung in such a way that it doesn't impede access to the valve

It is not (seems to me like a solution in search of a problem), but good thought.

 

[EricTheDood]

Two things:

1. I like to keep the valve open. In an emergency, I don't want to have to fiddle with a tank valve. Leakage has never been an issue for me with an AL19. You have an AL40, so even better.

2. The hip d-ring on the AL Dimension is hard to reach, especially with weight pockets in place. Instead of a bolt snap attached to the bottom of my pony, mine is rigged with a D-ring. I use a double-ended bolt snap between the lower D-ring of the BCD and the lower D-ring of the pony.

This allows me to unclip the bolt snap from the pony's D-ring (easy to reach) rather than unclip from the BCD's D-ring.

 

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

Two things:

1. I like to keep the valve open. In an emergency, I don't want to have to fiddle with a tank valve. Leakage has never been an issue for me with an AL19. You have an AL40, so even better.

2. The hip d-ring on the AL Dimension is hard to reach, especially with weight pockets in place. Instead of a bolt snap attached to the bottom of my pony, mine is rigged with a D-ring. I use a double-ended bolt snap between the lower D-ring of the BCD and the lower D-ring of the pony.

This allows me to unclip the bolt snap from the pony's D-ring (easy to reach) rather than unclip from the BCD's D-ring.

1) I keep going back and forth on this. I'm leaning towards off-but-charged because in an emergency, having to fiddle with the valve (while having a breath in the hose) is a preferable obstacle to finding an empty tank. I admit that it seems unlikely that I wouldn't notice a leak or a freeflow from the pony reg. I'm genuinely wavering on this point.

2) Excellent observation. I don't think I'll have a choice with the rental pony, but when I setup my own, I'll follow your lead.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I’m another pony always on. I’ve had to turn to mine a couple of times. Trust me you want to shove the reg in and breath. I’ll haul mine into silly current on a dive and it won’t free flow (I do leave my reg in predive though). Each to their own though.

Get comfy with your pony, when you are, practice unclipping and moving it underwater, and then on the surface. I personally don’t change my weight for a pony. I know that even if it’s empty I can hold a stop (should I chose or need too). If it is used for real and you have the situation under control, best not to be getting stressed by being light.

After that, play with deployment of your long hose and pony so you know what works.

Once you’re really, really happy, try slinging an 80 for the fun of it. The reason being, if your somewhere where you can’t get a 40 etc an 80 might be the only choice you have, it’s also fun knowing you can if you want too.

Have fun and enjoy

 

[Chris H]

I'd dive with the 40 charged and turned off. The necklace reg is your go to reg. The 40 is a back up, back up.

 

[The Chairman]

I admit that it seems unlikely that I wouldn't notice a leak or a freeflow from the pony reg.

Actually, that is almost guaranteed, especially in a current. Charge and turn off.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Actually, that is almost guaranteed, especially in a current. Charge and turn off.

Sorry Pete, totally disagree. We hook on and hang out in current, so strong you can't push through it on a good DPV, yet we never get freeflows on our ponies.

We do turn down the venturi adjustment or the dive pre/dive into pre dive, but that's it.

All of my circle of divers dive with valve on.

It's a personal choice of how people want to dive of course. My cooment are only based from practical experience.