How Do You Do Pony?

[Angelo Farina]

Because they can be taken onboard a plane and strapped to a rental tank at a distant dive location and supply the same redundancy and a backup (albeit smaller but sufficient for recreational depths) as a separate full size tank.

And the rig is considerably lighter and less bulky with a pony as compared to 2 full size tanks. For those of us with back issues, it matters.

My experience is that a tank (large or small, it does not matter) is hardly welcome onboard an aircraft. They start complaining of so many issues, and charging absurd additional costs, requiring the valve to be removed, etc.
It is easier and cheaper to leave it at home.
Depending on the location and dive op, you can arrange other solutions, such as two small tanks in side mount, a compact twin tank (my preferred) or a single large tank with dual valves and possibly with reserve. The latter has been what I managed to obtain more often, here in the Mediterranean the standard tank is a 15 liters steel tank with double valves (DIN convertible), which provides plenty of gas and a reasonably good redundancy.
Two full size tanks are definitely too bulky and too heavy also for me! That cannot be a solution for recreational diving...
Please note that the compact 7+7 liters twin tanks I am recommending are more compact, more streamlined and much more practical than a standard single tank. They have nothing to do with the large twin tanks used by so-called "technical" divers.
Something like this:

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

www.momodive.it

 

[undrwater]

My experience is that a tank (large or small, it does not matter) is hardly welcome onboard an aircraft. They start complaining of so many issues, and charging absurd additional costs, requiring the valve to be removed, etc.
It is easier and cheaper to leave it at home.
Depending on the location and dive op, you can arrange other solutions, such as two small tanks in side mount, a compact twin tank (my preferred) or a single large tank with dual valves and possibly with reserve. The latter has been what I managed to obtain more often, here in the Mediterranean the standard tank is a 15 liters steel tank with double valves (DIN convertible), which provides plenty of gas and a reasonably good redundancy.
Two full size tanks are definitely too bulky and too heavy also for me! That cannot be a solution for recreational diving...
Please note that the compact 7+7 liters twin tanks I am recommending are more compact, more streamlined and much more practical than a standard single tank. They have nothing to do with the large twin tanks used by so-called "technical" divers.
Something like this:

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

www.momodive.it

Beautiful, but spendy.

 

[MarkA]

Beautiful, but spendy.

They are beautiful. They also sit nicely on your back and are well balanced. More pleasant than a 12l or 15l single with a pony.

But spendy? This twinset is not cheap, but let’s compare it to a single cylinder and pony.
Regulators. Twinset, 2 x first stage, 2 x second stage. Single and pony, 2 x first stage, 3 x second stage.
Cylinders. Twinset, 2 x 7l, twinning bands, twinset manifold. Single and pony, 1 x 12l, 1 x 3l, 2 x cylinder valves.
Mounting hardware. Twinset, no additional hardware. Single and pony, stage kit or mounting kit to main cylinder.
Backplate and wing. Twinset, backplate & harness, twinset wing. Single and pony, backplate & harness, single cylinder wing, single tank adaptor & cam bands.
The single cylinder and pony is significantly cheaper than the twinset. But is balanced by the additional costs of the more expensive single cylinder backplate & wing, the pony cylinder mounting hardware, and additional second stage.

Servicing. In the UK cylinders are hydraulically tested every 5 years and visually inspected every 2 1/2 years. There are 2 cylinders in each case. The twinset will have additional costs dealing with the bands and manifold. The single and pony will have additional costs with servicing the additional second stage.

Maybe the twinset isn’t as spendy as first appears.

 

[undrwater]

But spendy? This twinset is not cheap, but let’s compare it to a single cylinder and pony.

But I already have the single cylinder and pony.

I was seriously looking into tiny double in the past, and was saving bottle caps and pocket lint to grab them.

Then I saw The Kraken!

Sigh.

 

[SlugLife]

Why bother with a crap pony tank?

Weight, convivence, and hauling gear. Even though I dive SideMount, which is naturally 2x AL80s (or bigger), if I'm doing casual 30ft single-tank dives (because my dive-buddy is single-tank), it's often just easier and faster to roll with an AL80 + AL19.

Also for travel or charters; getting 2 tanks or asking for 2 tanks may turn some heads, and result in some argument with the boat captain.

This is the issue I have with the term "pony tank" and why I never use the term. If you were to swap out the term "pony" to "bailout" everyone would know exactly what you mean

I think most people understand "pony" to mean "bailout." However, I like precise language.

And the rig is considerably lighter and less bulky with a pony as compared to 2 full size tanks. For those of us with back issues, it matters.

Plus dragging 2x tanks up a boat ladder in the waves.

My experience is that a tank (large or small, it does not matter) is hardly welcome onboard an aircraft. They start complaining of so many issues, and charging absurd additional costs, requiring the valve to be removed, etc.

I already have a "travel tank", which I don't mind removing the valve, and a transfill setup. I understand the complexities if you don't have that, but installing or removing a tank-valve is almost like doing the same with a DIN-regulator.

Regulators. Twinset, 2 x first stage, 2 x second stage. Single and pony, 2 x first stage, 3 x second stage.

I ditch the octo, when using a bailout.

 

[PBcatfish]

My experience is that a tank (large or small, it does not matter) is hardly welcome onboard an aircraft. They start complaining of so many issues, and charging absurd additional costs, requiring the valve to be removed, etc.
It is easier and cheaper to leave it at home.
Depending on the location and dive op, you can arrange other solutions, such as two small tanks in side mount, a compact twin tank (my preferred) or a single large tank with dual valves and possibly with reserve. The latter has been what I managed to obtain more often, here in the Mediterranean the standard tank is a 15 liters steel tank with double valves (DIN convertible), which provides plenty of gas and a reasonably good redundancy.
Two full size tanks are definitely too bulky and too heavy also for me! That cannot be a solution for recreational diving...
Please note that the compact 7+7 liters twin tanks I am recommending are more compact, more streamlined and much more practical than a standard single tank. They have nothing to do with the large twin tanks used by so-called "technical" divers.
Something like this:

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

www.momodive.it

My experience is that after removing the valve, there is no problem taking a tank on a plane, aside from weight & size. For a small pony tank, this is not an issue. The tank I have traveled with the most was a spare air. I only bring that as a back up when I plan to rent equipment at my destination. In that case, I want one rig that I know the maintenance history of, so that I can be confident that I will get to the surface in the case of a main equipment failure. A spare air is marginal to fill that need , but It packs easily. I carry spare o-rings for it when I travel with it. It is easy to bring & it is much better than nothing.

Those mini doubles are something that I have been planning to try for a long time. I have a pair of the long thin AL30's that I plan to use for that purpose when I get around it it. They weigh little & will fit close to my back.

In the distant past, I used some old USD triples that were very small in diameter. They let me get into very tight places. They were nice to use.

 

[Jcp2]

My experience is that a tank (large or small, it does not matter) is hardly welcome onboard an aircraft. They start complaining of so many issues, and charging absurd additional costs, requiring the valve to be removed, etc.
It is easier and cheaper to leave it at home.
Depending on the location and dive op, you can arrange other solutions, such as two small tanks in side mount, a compact twin tank (my preferred) or a single large tank with dual valves and possibly with reserve. The latter has been what I managed to obtain more often, here in the Mediterranean the standard tank is a 15 liters steel tank with double valves (DIN convertible), which provides plenty of gas and a reasonably good redundancy.
Two full size tanks are definitely too bulky and too heavy also for me! That cannot be a solution for recreational diving...
Please note that the compact 7+7 liters twin tanks I am recommending are more compact, more streamlined and much more practical than a standard single tank. They have nothing to do with the large twin tanks used by so-called "technical" divers.
Something like this:

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

DOUBLE TANK 7 + 7 LT 232 DIR STYLE STANDARD EUROCYLINDER IN STEEL ROUND BOTTOM

www.momodive.it

Not easily found when vacation diving in Caribbean.

 

[rexman24]

When I enquired about taking a cylinder through the US it was a surcharge of US$200 on entry and again on exit. Cheaper to buy one at my destination and trash it before coming home.

? I brought my 19 with me from US to SE Asia in my checked bag. No fees. No issues. Multiple countries.

 

[MarkA]

But I already have the single cylinder and pony.

I was seriously looking into tiny double in the past, and was saving bottle caps and pocket lint to grab them.

Then I saw The Kraken!

Sigh.

Ah. The money has already been spent. That changes the equation.

The Kraken does look nice with its red hoses.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Ah. The money has already been spent. That changes the equation.

The Kraken does look nice with its red hoses.

A Kraken on the center post (manifold) of an old-style compact twin set, with reserve on one cylinder and a second post and valve on the other cylinder for maximum redundancy!
That would be the best....