Do you actually see people diving with pony bottles?

[Wookie]

Is their concern really redundancy, or is it having enough gas? Why is scuba gear more likely to fail off the coast of New Jersey than elsewhere? If the concern is that NJ diving is deep, low-vis, etc., then that sounds more like the idea is to prod divers to ensure they have enough gas to get back.

It's redundancy. Scuba gear is no more likely to fail in 10 feet of visibility in New Jersey than in 100 feet of Caribbean Goodness, but you're more likely not to have a dive leader or even someone close enough to see you in trouble...

 

[lowviz]

Is their concern really redundancy, or is it having enough gas? ...//...

Your run-time is based on your back gas. If you get into trouble, your redundancy is supposed to keep you alive until a seriously pissed mate comes down to find you.

 

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

It's redundancy. Scuba gear is no more likely to fail in 10 feet of visibility in New Jersey than in 100 feet of Caribbean Goodness, but you're more likely not to have a dive leader or even someone close enough to see you in trouble...

I suspect it's also a matter of cold vs. warm water and the corresponding increase in potential for free-flow.

 

[Diver-Drex]

In NJ every boat I have ever been on requires redundant gas, a pony or doubles. It’s a pretty even split between the two. It is also common to be in the water without a buddy. Whether that is agreed upon by an ‘insta buddy’ pair before splashing or getting separated due to vis and/or current. Entanglement is also a real concern.
When I did my first dives in NC it was with a group of NJ divers and all had either doubles or ponies. It was a tech oriented trip. I was a bit surprised when I went out with a ‘recreational’ boat down there and they did not require redundant gas for 100fsw dives.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I suspect it's also a matter of cold vs. warm water and the corresponding increase in potential for free-flow.

Okay, I'll buy that one, though NJ water isn't all that cold in the summer months.

It's redundancy. Scuba gear is no more likely to fail in 10 feet of visibility in New Jersey than in 100 feet of Caribbean Goodness, but you're more likely not to have a dive leader or even someone close enough to see you in trouble...

But doesn't that go back to buddy diving as opposed to solo diving? So they don't put much faith in buddy diving in NJ, either?

I'd be happy to bring doubles, but in my mind it would be for the gas, not redundancy. My buddy is my redundancy on rec dives. (Now THAT's redundant, as a number of us have said it many times throughout this thread.)

 

[Wookie]

Okay, I'll buy that one, though NJ water isn't all that cold in the summer months.



But doesn't that go back to buddy diving as opposed to solo diving? So they don't put much faith in buddy diving in NJ, either?

Does anyone?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Does anyone?

DIR?

 

[Diver-Drex]

Is it DIR to argue against a redundant gas source?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Is it DIR to argue against a redundant gas source?

I dive doubles, but I really haven't been trained yet to diagnose failures and shut down valves. At my level, GUE still considers me a rec diver, and as a rec diver I'm trained to rely on my teammate to donate gas to me in the event I need it, and we're to then call the dive and ascend--for which we presumably have planned to have enough gas. So I find it odd that a dive boat would say that as an alternative to a pony I can use doubles to provide redundancy. No, my buddy is my redundancy, per my training, and it doesn't matter whether we're diving doubles or singles. As far as I'm concerned, my doubles serve as one big tank. And no, I'm not going to bring a pony along with the doubles.

 

[Dan]

I'm reserving judgement until we post another 67 pages on this topic.

Won’t be long. It’s already on page 69 just for today

So much to talk about just for a pony bottle. LOL