NC Wreck Diver
Contributor
My buddy slings a 30 with his rebreather.
Pony Bottles on NJ Charters?
- Thread starter Rainer
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My buddy slings a 30 with his rebreather.
MB104
Contributor
Yes, they have the same requirements. Their redundency? How about slinging a 30 or 40 cf bailout bottle on the side, like all of my dive buddies who dive rebreathers.
Maybe it's because I'm still somewhat new [only been diving a couple years], but when diving off NJ, I feel a LOT better when I can look down and see my nice slung AL40 smiling at me. Conditions get pretty crazy down there. Maybe as I get more experienced I'll be more comfortable with that.
Sure, the chances of my 119/first stage/hose/etc failing are small, and even though the viz can go from 50ft to 1ft in seconds I still try to stay with my buddy -- but still, I just feel a lot calmer knowing that I have a completely separate system slung right in front of me, and no matter what craziness happens, I'll be able to at least breathe while I figure things out. And feeling calmer/reassured leads to me being able to focus more on the dive, and just enjoying myself.
Am I Doing It Right? I suppose not. But it feels great to me, and the 40 is little hassle when wearing it anyway.
The local boats requiring redundancy [so far] haven't bothered me, as I carry it anyway. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.
As for whomever mentioned Solo diving [I stopped reading after the fighting started], a lot of the local boats allow solo divers, on a more informal basis - if you've been diving with them for awhile, obviously know what you're doing, being safe, etc. I've seen it firsthand. These guys often go down with a rebreather and TWO slung bailouts, and stay down for what seems like [and probably is] hours.
Of course it depends on the dive. When I am at 40 feet at Dutch Springs, I'm fine with my single.
Then again, I'm the FNG in the thread. Dead horse has been kicked one more time.
Sure, the chances of my 119/first stage/hose/etc failing are small, and even though the viz can go from 50ft to 1ft in seconds I still try to stay with my buddy -- but still, I just feel a lot calmer knowing that I have a completely separate system slung right in front of me, and no matter what craziness happens, I'll be able to at least breathe while I figure things out. And feeling calmer/reassured leads to me being able to focus more on the dive, and just enjoying myself.
Am I Doing It Right? I suppose not. But it feels great to me, and the 40 is little hassle when wearing it anyway.
The local boats requiring redundancy [so far] haven't bothered me, as I carry it anyway. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.
As for whomever mentioned Solo diving [I stopped reading after the fighting started], a lot of the local boats allow solo divers, on a more informal basis - if you've been diving with them for awhile, obviously know what you're doing, being safe, etc. I've seen it firsthand. These guys often go down with a rebreather and TWO slung bailouts, and stay down for what seems like [and probably is] hours.
Of course it depends on the dive. When I am at 40 feet at Dutch Springs, I'm fine with my single.
Then again, I'm the FNG in the thread. Dead horse has been kicked one more time.
Every NJ boat I've dived from has required a redundant air source in their waiver. Note that an H-valve is considered acceptable.
Based on my observations, ponies on NJ boats are rare. I see divers primarily using doubles, as a distant second you'll see a pair of divers each wearing a single tank. Finally, you might see a solo diver or one of a buddy pair diving with a pony. I've never seen a buddy pair where each had a pony. Like I said, based on my observations, it is rare to have pony. Most divers just seem to opt for doubles. On a boat of 6 divers there may be 0 or 1 person using a pony.
And, yes, I would say that I see more solo divers than I do paired divers.
Based on my observations, ponies on NJ boats are rare. I see divers primarily using doubles, as a distant second you'll see a pair of divers each wearing a single tank. Finally, you might see a solo diver or one of a buddy pair diving with a pony. I've never seen a buddy pair where each had a pony. Like I said, based on my observations, it is rare to have pony. Most divers just seem to opt for doubles. On a boat of 6 divers there may be 0 or 1 person using a pony.
And, yes, I would say that I see more solo divers than I do paired divers.
wrybosome
Contributor
ScubaFeenD
Contributor
From what I understand, this is a requirement that is unique to jersey boats. Surely the jersey coast doesn't have THE WORST conditions ever. IMO its a silly requirement implemented to try and make up for a lack of real dive preparation, gas planning and management, skill, and buddy/situational awareness.
Oh, yes, thats correct. Redundant gas supplies are clearly for divers who cannot properly plan a dive, gas, etc.
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