Do you actually see people diving with pony bottles?

[rek_diver]

I fly to most of my dive destinations so a pony bottle is not going to be an option for me.

Sure it is. I either stuff the 19cf pony in the carry on with my regs, computers, mask and lights or check it.

 

[northernone]

I missed where it was posted that they were breathing from unbalanced piston regulators?

You're right. It's not specified. I'm just at a loss to come up with another idea of how a reg could last 30+ years if it's balanced, empties the tank entirely, regularly being flooded with salt water every dive. Seems like a hassle. When I use to breathe a tank down to nothing when a tricky j-valve would bite me I was glad for the couple warning breathes. Just freshwater, but still saved me a ton of rebuilding. I just figured they might be similar to me in that way.

It's worth noting, on thread topic. I hope those carrying pony bottles have taken the time to understand the purpose and risks involved to having one. It's not all beneficial.

 

[Bob DBF]

..regularly being flooded with salt water every dive.

It won't be flooded. He runs out of air, air being about ambient pressure at depth, at which point he buddy breathes and surfaces, the air in his tank, say he starts at 80', will be around 40# at the surface. Since it is a demand reg with no demand the second stage will be closed, air will not be lost and no water will not be let into the reg, which is the only way to the tank.

Granted it is less pressure in the tank than I would want at the surface, but more than enough to keep water out. Because I dove with no SPG, or j-valve at times, OOA told me when to end the dive on more occasions than one, and I never had water get into the tank during those evolution's, that was with older regs than '80's vintage.


Bob

 

[uncfnp]

Slight off topic. But for what its worth, and its been debated before on SB, some of us can verify that it is possibly to feel a difference in breathing when a tank gets very low on gas even with modern, balanced regs.

I don’t find it remarkable that the guys tank would not have water intrusion. It’s not as easy as it would seem to get water into a tank. Even breathing a tank to “zero”there is still going to be some gas and pressure gradient to prevent this. And it would increase as the diver ascends from depth.

 

[Altamira]

Sure it is. I either stuff the 19cf pony in the carry on with my regs, computers, mask and lights or check it.

Yes and no. Yes you can carry a pony or scuba tank on a commercial aircraft, but TSA regulations require the tank to be unpressurized and the valve removed. For me, it is not an option because that process is too much of a PITA, especially since I have never needed one, or have seen anyone carry one in the environments I typically dive. I do not dive solo, so I consider my buddy's tank to be my "pony bottle" should an emergency occur.

 

[lermontov]

Though I'm getting away from the muscle memory argument these days.

can you elaborate?

 

[rek_diver]

Yes and no. Yes you can carry a pony or scuba tank on a commercial aircraft, but TSA regulations require the tank to be unpressurized and the valve removed. For me, it is not an option because that process is too much of a PITA, especially since I have never needed one, or have seen anyone carry one in the environments I typically dive. I do not dive solo, so I consider my buddy's tank to be my "pony bottle" should an emergency occur.

You say you don't use a pony bottle because you always have a buddy, and it's too difficult to carry one on a plane and you've never needed one. Those are all valid, yet also very debatable reasons that were discussed on this thread already so I'm not understanding the purpose of your posts.

It would be like me entering in the midst of a debate about drysuits and saying "I only dive in warm tropical waters and I never get cold so I don't use a drysuit".

 

[Dan]

I'm getting confused about the difference among pony, bailout, stage, deco bottles (oversize beer cans as @NWGratefulDiver calls them). I thought pony bottle was redundant air source, i.e., emergency bottle for the diver, not for his / her dive buddy. However, many post here talked about using it as extended airsource, even to the extent of having primary and secondary regulators on it, instead of only ONE octo with yellow hose on it for the emergency. So I went to the good old YouTube and found this video that seems to explain what those different oversize beer cans are for, including what sizes are available. Enjoy watching it!

 

[Dan]

19 Cubic Feet Pony bottle strapped on 80 Cubic Feet AL80 primary tank (notice only 1 yellow hose with octo coming out of the bottle)

 

[rek_diver]

That does NOT look like a 19 cf pony bottle.

13 cf at the most.