Do you actually see people diving with pony bottles?

[dhaines429]

Interesting comment from Fling Charters
"We do allow pony tanks up to 30cf. Pony tanks are for emergency use only and will not be refilled without the permission of the Captain."

Apparently some divers there had been using the pony bottle as an air-tank extension in the past & the operator put a stop on this bad practice.

View attachment 430362

Definitely a good policy. I've always been told that the pony is there for emergency and not to extend bottom time. I use mine occasionally at shallow depth to practice emergency scenarios and to empty when it's due for visual as I don't like to just waste the air.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Not going to plow through 20 pages, but I see tank mounted ponies used by hunters, 13's, 19's, or H valves. Otherwise one or two rec divers per boat with a slung 19. Considering these are drift dives in the 60' to 90' range, I am always a little surprised.
I sling a 13

 

[Dan]

....So that leads to the question: Why don't I see pony rigs on the rental list of most shops I visit? Are they an irritant when regular tanks are lined up on the boat?

I already have a "rent-free" redundant air source, my dive buddy. So, why complicate myself with another gear on top of my camera rig? I'm on vacation after all, not on a dive class.

 

[CuzzA]

I already have a "rent-free" redundant air source, my dive buddy. So, why complicate myself with another gear on top of my camera rig? I'm on vacation after all, not on a dive class.

I assume your *rent free buddy is your spouse, right? Not all of us are fortunate enough to have the same reliable buddy on every dive.



* If my assumption is correct in reality you probably pay a high premium for that same buddy.

 

[Lorenzoid]

That seems like overkill for a NDL recreational dive.

Not that you suggested such, but I wouldn't dive to 130 ft on an Al 80, even as a bounce dive. One person's overkill is another's conservatism, I suppose. I need enough of a safety margin to get me and my buddy to the surface in a controlled manner from any point in the dive, a volume sometimes referred to as "rock bottom" or "minimum gas." For me, that means a bigger single tank or double tanks for anything more than a bounce dive to 130 ft. A pony seems like a reasonable option, too, but I have simply chosen not to go the pony route. I think a pony adds unnecessary complexity. If a dive is do-able on a single tank with nothing else, then I choose that option because the minimalism is part of the enjoyment factor for me. A single tank on my back (as small as will do the job) and no extraneous gear is one of the joys of scuba. I try to keep more or less the same gear configuration on all dives, and I practice with that configuration to build it into muscle memory. The idea of taking a pony on some dives but not others doesn't sit well with me.

 

[rek_diver]

When I dive single tank I never use a pony.

That I don’t use a pony bottle doesn’t mean that I rely on an error prone human or prayer.

When I dive to 130ft/39m I would use doubles + deco stage and my buddy would have also doubles + deco stage.

How would you handle that if you're flying on a plane to a remote tropical destination where doubles aren't typically available?

 

[Lorenzoid]

How would you handle that if you're flying on a plane to a remote tropical destination where doubles aren't typically available?

Then I don't dive to 130 ft.

 

[CuzzA]

Not that you suggested such, but I wouldn't dive to 130 ft on an Al 80, even as a bounce dive. One person's overkill is another's conservatism, I suppose. I need enough of a safety margin to get me and my buddy to the surface in a controlled manner from any point in the dive, a volume sometimes referred to as "rock bottom" or "minimum gas." For me, that means a bigger single tank or double tanks for anything more than a bounce dive to 130 ft. A pony seems like a reasonable option, too, but I have simply chosen not to go the pony route. I think a pony adds unnecessary complexity. If a dive is do-able on a single tank with nothing else, then I choose that option because the minimalism is part of the enjoyment factor for me. A single tank on my back (as small as will do the job) and no extraneous gear is one of the joys of scuba. I try to keep more or less the same gear configuration on all dives, and I practice with that configuration to build it into muscle memory. The idea of taking a pony on some dives but not others doesn't sit well with me.

I was being facetious with that reply and expected an opportunity to follow up, which I did. I agree with your points. Though I'm getting away from the muscle memory argument these days.

I think for a new diver it's a good practice, but with more and more experience I think it may be good to be a proficient diver and that means you can make any configuration work like driving any vehicle, for example.

I have a singles rig and a doubles rig. They are not the same, but I'm proficient with both because I practice and dive both. Does this make sense?

 

[rek_diver]

Then I don't dive to 130 ft.

Would you dive to 129'? If not, what's your limit on a single AL80 at a dive destination where you can't use doubles?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

130 feet is not a NDL/rec dive for me. It is to deep for a single tank for me.

I could use a use a single tank and pony bottle. The pony bottle would just be for safety.That would give me 5 minutes bottomtime when using air or 10 minutes bottomtime for ean28.

That wouldn’t worth diving. I would take doubles and a deco stage and have 30-40 minutes of bottomtime.

... by the standards of your agency you wouldn't be diving ean28 at 130 feet ... you'd be diving 21/35. GUE doesn't condone going below 100 feet without helium ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)