Pony bottles/spare air

[GrumpyOldGuy]

You and I are reading tho post differently. The way Im reading it is that in a cold situation by doubling the gas draw (giving your buddy the octo) you double the flow through the first stage and thats an ingredient for a first stage freeze. So give the buddy your pony so draw through the first stage doesn't change

You are reading it correctly. I am being picky on wording. Using a pony in frigid cold water makes sense and reduces the chance of a freeze on the main tank. Removing the octo from the main tank however does not reduce the chance of a free flow by itself. They are not mutually exclusive. To demonstrate the idea, think about buddy breathing off the same primary, you inherit the same increased possibility of a freeze on the main tanks 1st stage without an octo. Removing the extra octo does reduce your hose clutter which might be important to some and not to others. Balance this again the size of pony and the flexibility desired.


---------- Post Merged at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:15 AM ----------

I guess the tidiest way would be to have the pony hose clipped to the primary second stage hose (using open mouth clips) from first stage to just short of the second stage then have the pony second stage hang off a necklace.
Hey guys Im happy to be cut down here. -Im just sorting the whole pony bottle situation in my head

There are almost an many opinions on pony's as posters on SB. No matter what you do, someone will bitch and claim your gonna die. Think about the size you are using. Rig it so you don't get confused and everything is in the same place every dive (my reason I leave the octo on the main tank). Practice, practice and practice a little bit more.

 

[tomfcrist]

Hey thanks guys.i wasn't thinking of reg freeflow more a simple ooa when I posted.
I can see how a decent pony setup can offer a bunch of options to someone with a reg freeflow issue.or damage to other parts of the main rig.Or a buddy with issues with their gear.

If you are looking for an "oh ****" system with some backup gas, your idea sounds a lot like an old J valve

 

[Frosty]

If you are looking for an "oh ****" system with some backup gas, your idea sounds a lot like an old J valve

Yea ahh naah ahh yea -I thought of first stage freeze and OOA in MY gear -I'd forgotten about the other reasons you need a pony.-eeejut me
But by rigging the pony hose so its clipped to the primary hose my thinking hose wise its as tidy as not having a pony but has the pony second stage right there easy to get to and if my buddy needs it it will pop out of the clips easilly.
My only real reason for thinking about it is seeing what looks like a big ol rats nest of hoses on some divers rigs.

 

[GillScales]

OP sounds like he's describing a gas switching block. I have one from omniswivel I use with my FFM.

 

[DevonDiver]

My only real reason for thinking about it is seeing what looks like a big ol rats nest of hoses on some divers rigs.

Address the issue with the solution. Keep it simple.

If the problem is hose routing and control, then the answer is hose management.

- Some logical thought and problem-solving applied to the issue of hose length, routing and methods for securing them in a streamlined and accessible manner.

- Gas switching blocks and other complicated 'equipment based solutions' are neither simple nor necessary.

With particular regards to pony regulators and hoses, the ability to secure regulator hoses through simple use of bungee on the cylinder is the most obvious and simple solution. If the pony is stage-slung, rather than back-mounted, then the ability to mount a 6" HP hose for the SPG is also practicable.

 

[Searcaigh]

As DD says above, keep it simple and use a bungee to secure the pony hose

 

[Tortuga68]

With the pony, the octo on primary is not useful at all. The SDI Solo course recommends this as well. One less thing to fail (octo on main primary)..

Reducing failure points in series is a good idea but since the octo is a redundant system in parallel, the potential negative impact of it failing is zero in this situation

 

[DevonDiver]

Same here. With the pony, the octo on primary is not useful at all. The SDI Solo course recommends this as well. One less thing to fail (octo on main primary) and one less hose to tangle/be in the way.

This causes a major shift in role.

Without a primary AAS, the Pony system ceases to be redundant alternate air and becomes the initial recourse to an air-supply problem. In solo diving, that has debateable pros and cons. However, for buddy/team diving, it reduces options substantially, with little benefit.

 

[tdtaylor]

How is the mere presence of an octo on your main tank going to increase the risk of a 1st stage freeze?

If you give you OOG buddy the pony, your gas flow through the main 1st stage is going to remain constant regardless on how many seconds you have mounted.

Must of stated it incorrectly. I was trying to say that both of us breathing off the main tank reg, through the secondary reg and oct, would have increased the flow dramatically through the primary, especially in a stressful situation, which could very easily lead to it freezing up. Since he was breathing off my pony, the only increase was due to a stressful situation. I believe we agree- my apologies for possibly poorly wording my comment.

---------- Post Merged at 11:21 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:15 AM ----------

There are almost an many opinions on pony's as posters on SB. No matter what you do, someone will bitch and claim your gonna die. Think about the size you are using. Rig it so you don't get confused and everything is in the same place every dive (my reason I leave the octo on the main tank). Practice, practice and practice a little bit more.

I absolutely agree. I only use my pony about half the time, but the octo is always the same color/brand and in the same location on the BC whether the Pony is in use or not.

 

[tempoffroad]

I sling a 40 on occasion and if I do I still have my octo and I will make sure that in ooa the octo gets used unless its a first stage problem or a free flow. Hoses are not a problem I uses bungies and its always on my left.