Pony Questions

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imwright1985

Contributor
Messages
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Location
West Palm Beach, FLorida
# of dives
25 - 49
Have been diving with AL80's but went to HP120's and got a 30cf pony bottle with the Zeagle Razor Envoy Reg. 2 questions:


Was wondering the best way to mount the pony bottle so i can remove in water easily ( we have a closed transom boat and are stuck passing gear over gunnel from in the water so want to keep light) I spearfish so want it out of the way too.

what weight difference would i be looking at by adding the pony and a 3mm full
 
Re-posted from http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/tanks-valves-bands/372271-pony-redundant-set-up-2.html .

At least PADI and NAUI teach that there is a place for a redundant air supply (i.e., a pony) in diving, especially with deep dives. The choice is really up to you.

Personally, I like the idea of a redundant air supply but at this stage in my diving I am not into doubles. I therefore opt for a pony on some dives. Dives on which I believe that a pony is reasonable are: deep, cold, solo, or any combination thereof. I may well have missed something.

There was an excellent link at: Rock Bottom and Gas Management for Recreational Divers | Spherical Chicken which shows that, if you want to go deeper but within recreational limits, a 19 is a good size, and 13 is a tad too small.

The best advice that I can offer is that, if you choose to dive with a pony, practice deploying it and stowing it regularly. Since a pony has a small capacity it will run down quickly. I top mine off from my main tanks with a device such as this: Tank to Tank Equalizer With Gauge discounts on sale IST.

I find that surface-swimming face-down with one mounted on your back is a pain. You might consider a stage/deco straps such as those indicated in Stage/Deco Straps and Hose Retainers by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express rather than a mounting bracket.

I sling mine like this: DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging. The only objection that I have heard to slinging a bottle is that it might get in the way if you are lobster hunting. I would stress that, if you dive with a pony, deploy it regularly so that it is second nature.

I prefer to sling my pony for the following reasons:

1. I can put the pony on or take it off in seconds - no tools, no hassle. I suppose that I could "hand it off" to someone underwater, but I don't think that this will realistically be necessary;
2. I can always see my pony tank and the reg. I can see if my reg is free-flowing, or if there appears to be a leak from the O-ring. If it snags on something, I can see what it snagged and fix the situation;
3. My basic gear configuration is unchanged - I use a primary and a bungee'd octo/secondary necklace. The pony reg is bungee'd to the pony bottle, far from my other two regs, and therefore will not be confused with them; and
4. I can consult the pressure gauge on my pony - this gauge is obviously connected to the pony and therefore will not be confused with my main tank pressure.

As a final note, many tech divers will pressurize their stage bottle then turn the valve off to prevent inadvertent gas loss during a dive. Perhaps one day I will do this, but so far, my pony is pressurized and the valve stays open during the dive. This might not be great if I had to rely on that gas for a deco obligation, but I believe that I am likely to see a leak in the pony and I don't do deco dives.

Safe diving.
 
I would sling it . Do a search in the DIY section ther is a how to make your oun . I did mine that way under $10:0O
Crush has some good in fo there . this is the one I used to make my sling http://dir-diver.com/en/equipment/stagebottle_rigging.html
 
If my back is good enough for my main tank, it's good enough for my pony. I use a Pony Tamer and hook it up next to my HP120.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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