How to back mount a pony?

[doctormike]

Wow, a guy posts a question about back mounting a small pony and you start in about slinging a couple of 40 cf deco tanks for tech diving. There are plenty of folks who prefer slinging a pony, while others prefer backmounting. Plenty who want a 30 or 40 cf tank, while others are happy with a 6 or 13. There is a lot of personal choice involved in all kinds of equipment decisions. I'm sure I could look at your configuration and point out a lot of things that could or should be done differently. For you to tell someone that it is a "bad way to go" or about what he will want in the long run is amazingly arrogant.

I routinely sling (sidemount) as many as 4 large cylinders when diving with a rebreather. But when my kids learned to dive, I equipped them with backmounted 13s as pony bottles. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that configuration for recreational diving, despite what experts like you have to say.

I don't feel that equipment decisions are personal decisions, that all work equally well, or that any posts suggesting the advantage of one method or another are inappropriate.

I see this sort of meta-critique a lot here. This is a forum for discussing scuba diving. Therefore, many of us like to make a case for doing things one way or another, because that's the purpose of this forum. I never did understand that idea of the precise terms of the OP being sacred - lots of times, people ask about doing things one way when there is an alternative that they might not have considered. Most discussions (online or in person) meander to some degree because that's the way conversations flow. It's not a legal deposition.

If you think that backmount is as good as or better than slinging, that's a perfectly reasonable position, that you should argue by telling us why. But I don't see the point of implying that we are wrong to present and explain our own preferences to the OP.

 

[kwinter]

I don't feel that equipment decisions are personal decisions, that all work equally well, or that any posts suggesting the advantage of one method or another are inappropriate.

I see this sort of meta-critique a lot here. This is a forum for discussing scuba diving. Therefore, many of us like to make a case for doing things one way or another, because that's the purpose of this forum. I never did understand that idea of the precise terms of the OP being sacred - lots of times, people ask about doing things one way when there is an alternative that they might not have considered. Most discussions (online or in person) meander to some degree because that's the way conversations flow. It's not a legal deposition.

If you think that backmount is as good as or better than slinging, that's a perfectly reasonable position, that you should argue by telling us why. But I don't see the point of implying that we are wrong to present and explain our own preferences to the OP.

Preferences are one thing. Saying someone is wrong for doing it a different way than you like is arrogant. I prefer to answer the question asked without judgement, and then make alternative suggestions. But too many people think there is a "right" way to configure equipment. Yet I would bet those very same folks have changed their choices over the years and felt just as strongly about their old configuration.

I just don't think it is appropriate to answer someone asking about backmounting a small pony bottle by telling them their choice is wrong, and they should be slinging a 40 cf tank because that's what they are going to need for tech diving. Call me crazy.

 

[doctormike]

Preferences are one thing. Saying someone is wrong for doing it a different way than you like is arrogant. I prefer to answer the question asked without judgement, and then make alternative suggestions. But too many people think there is a "right" way to configure equipment. Yet I would bet those very same folks have changed their choices over the years and felt just as strongly about their old configuration.

I just don't think it is appropriate to answer someone asking about backmounting a small pony bottle by telling them their choice is wrong, and they should be slinging a 40 cf tank because that's what they are going to need for tech diving. Call me crazy.

You are not crazy!

I guess we are really just talking semantics here... when people have a discussion and hold differing views about anything, they are likely to believe that their view is right. It would be pretty unusual for any discussion to involve a phrase like "OK, the debate is between X and Y. I believe that X is right, but of course that doesn't mean that Y is just as good".

I don't understand how I would communicate that in my opinion slinging is better than back mounting without somehow implying that back mounting isn't as good as slinging. I mean, if every approach is equally good, and nothing is wrong, then what's the point of the discussion?

Of course, you are right if you mean the type of posters (frequently lampooned here) who say things like "if you use split fins, you're gonna die!".

Also, the argument for slinging a larger tank isn't solely because of tech diving. All things being equal (and I do believe that there isn't much difference between slinging a 40 and slinging a smaller tank), in an emergency it is ALWAYS better to have as much gas as possible. Proponents of larger ponies just believe that in a real emergency, one should expect everyone's training and skills to be significantly downgraded. If you can do one easy thing to make everything easier (allow for a safe ascent with a safety stop, even from relatively deeper depths), it is to carry more gas. Calculating a bare minimum and picking a pony volume based on doesn't seem to be as good a choice.

 

[sheeper]

take a look at the Pony Tamer. I've been using this and have been more than happy with it. Pony Bottle Brackets from reefscuba.com The Pony Tamer and The X Bracket

 

[Tigerman]

Howcome nobody has suggested just sidemounting two al80s yet?
That shoulda come up like 15 posts ago..

 

[eelnoraa]

I don't use pony myself but if I was to use one, I will not choose back mount. Reasons are back mount bracket I saw mention in this thread, you have no way to operate the valve. So you have to turn it on before you don. Now, underwater, if the pony reg free flow, you can't shut it off. If it has a leak in the valve area, you can't see. How do you know it will have air when you need it the most?? What if your forget to turn it on??

I will choose to sling a pony as well. It will be in my sight, I can operate the valve if needed. And I can pass it to someone if necessary.

 

[84CJ7]

Here are some ramblings from a non tech level diver:

I got a 19 cf myself and seeing as how I have a Zeagle BCD I went with the Zeagle double band back mount option, $58 free shipped made it cheaper than any of the other fancy metal jobs and I had no interest in slinging it. I can jump up and down and shake around even on land and it doesn't go anywhere and it doesn't pull or cause issues if I lean fully forwards. In the water its not even there.
Interestingly I could use these bands with another strap if I ever did want to sling a tank and they can do anything from a 13 to a 40.

I am glad I got talked into the 19 over a smaller size pony as its the max size that you don't notice is back there. The extra length over a 13 doesn't make any difference back mounted (actually helps make the valve really easy to reach) but the extra 6cf over the 13 is critical.

If you are diving a single tank with a 30 or 40 pony slung you have come up with an awkward way to dive doubles in my opinion. Needing a pony that big suggests you should be wearing a backplate and wing and diving standard doubles, easier redundancy and likely more capacity.

I would never include handing off my pony bottle as part of my rigging decision, I am far too selfish a diver for that (at least I'm honest) and expect everyone to consider self rescue option #1 and riding to the surface on my octo a last resort.

EDIT: Just to clarify I can easily reach the pony tank valve and I have a standard pressure gauge on it so I can monitor the tank pressure from in front.

 

[mscott556]

I recently switched from slinging a 19 to back mounting with the shark bracket. The pony bottle is mounted upside down and it's easy to grab the reg or valve if necessary. I'll try to remember to get a pic this weekend with everything setup. I doubt I'll go back to slinging.
Pony bottle mounting - pony tank mount-pony bottle-shark mfg

 

[BoltSnap]

I recently switched from slinging a 19 to back mounting with the shark bracket. The pony bottle is mounted upside down and it's easy to grab the reg or valve if necessary. I'll try to remember to get a pic this weekend with everything setup. I doubt I'll go back to slinging.
Pony bottle mounting - pony tank mount-pony bottle-shark mfg

Interesting, please do show a picture of this setup. I am also curious why do you think it is better than slinging the pony.

 

[Nemrod]

Here are some ramblings from a non tech level diver:

I got a 19 cf myself

If you are diving a single tank with a 30 or 40 pony slung you have come up with an awkward way to dive doubles in my opinion. Needing a pony that big suggests you should be wearing a backplate and wing and diving standard doubles, easier redundancy and likely more capacity.

I tend to agree. I was recently questioned in my solo course why I was "only" using a 19 cf instead of a 30. So, I explained that my typical solo tank for beach/shore diving was either a steel LP 72 (which is about 66 cf) or an aluminum 64. The Rule of Thirds so often preached in the solo world is approximately 20 cf and a bit for either of those tanks and the 19 cf pony is roughly equal to 1/3 of the back gas. Makes sense to me, a 30 cf being overkill. Beyond that I would switch to my independent steel 72s. I guess I can see myself using my LP 85 and a 30 cf pony as a balanced rig but in terms of carry weight it does not save much over the twin 72s.

I have back mounted pony tanks in the past, I currently sling if diving a single (which I usually do not carry a pony anyway slung or back mounted). I do not like having anything in front of me and the slung pony does find itself in my way sometimes but all in all I find it simpler, easier, less obtrusive, more minimal and better streamlining and there is the option of unhooking the slung pony in some weird scenario we could invent.

But back mounted it is completely out of my way and I can run the regulator hose around and necklace it instead of leaving it bundled to the pony as I do when slinging.

I do not carry a octopus/safe second when solo. My pony or independent 72s each have a regulator and are fully redundant.


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