Pony regulator recomendations

[parrothead600]

I just picked up a 19 cu. ft. pony bottle. I need to get a regulator for it. What would you recommend for use in cold water?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

A good quality, proven, dependable regulator that is either environmentally sealed or proven to work well in cold water. I went with an Oceanic GT3/CDX-5 because (1) it is solid, dependable, proven in cold water and (2) I got a great deal on it!

 

[Web Monkey]

I just picked up a 19 cu. ft. pony bottle. I need to get a regulator for it. What would you recommend for use in cold water?

An Atomic Z1 with the environmental seal added would work nicely.

There are other cold-water regs, but I've only used Atomics, so I can't be much help with the other brands.

Terry

 

[TXFIREDIVER]

I am using a Delta 2/DX4 on my 13 ft bottle. Again a proven reg that performs well. A cheap reg isn't such a good deal if it won't perform when it's needed!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The Scubapro Mk 2 is small in size and weight. Despite being an unsealed design it is very reliable in cold wate and many divers in this area use them for ice diving. A major advantage of an unbalanced piston first stage like the Mk 2 is that it is extremely simple and extremely reliable - very good traits for a pony regulator.

In addition, with an unbalanced design, the inhalation resistance will increase noticeable when the pressure in the pony bottle falls below about 300 psi. This is a very nice feature for a pony as it allows you to ascend to your safety stop and then remain there as long as possible before ascending the last 15 feet to the surface. In contrast, with a balanced first stage, you would get little or no warning that your pony is empty and could find yourself having to do an emergency swimming ascent the last 10-15 feet from your safety stop unless you spend the additional money and accept the additional clutter and hose associated with a full size SPG.

The Scubapro Mk 17 is a sealed diaphragm design and it is currently the most freeze resistant first stage available anywhere. It is also compact and is not much larger or heavier than a Mk 2.

A compact second stage like the R295 is an affordable option for either first stage and would work well as a pony regulator.

I am not a big fan of full size SPG's on a pony reg as they add weight, expense and clutter to what is strictly an emergency system. You need to check the pressure of the pony on the surface prior to the dive, but knowing what you have during an ascent will not help as if you need it you will immediately begin your ascent and knowing what you have left makes no difference at that point. The only place where it is handy to have an SPG is at your safety stop to ensure you have enough left to ascend from the stop to the surface and that is better managed by having an unbalanced first stage.

My preference is to use a button SPG in the first stage HP port. It allows a quick check that the pony is full at the surface but does not add much bulk, weight or expense.

 

[Web Monkey]

My preference is to use a button SPG in the first stage HP port. It allows a quick check that the pony is full at the surface but does not add much bulk, weight or expense.

You must have good eyes.

I could stick wad of used chewing-gum on my first stage and have it be equally as effective as the small button gauge.

Terry

 

[Scottri]

Sherwood makes some inexpensive regs that handle the cold well.

 

[parrothead600]

Sherwood makes some inexpensive regs that handle the cold well.

I currently use a Sherwood Blizzard, but I don't feel that a Sherwood reg would be a good choice for a pony as I feel that the "Dry Bleed" system would not be desirable.

 

[parrothead600]

The Scubapro Mk 2 is small in size and weight. Despite being an unsealed design it is very reliable in cold wate and many divers in this area use them for ice diving. A major advantage of an unbalanced piston first stage like the Mk 2 is that it is extremely simple and extremely reliable - very good traits for a pony regulator.

In addition, with an unbalanced design, the inhalation resistance will increase noticeable when the pressure in the pony bottle falls below about 300 psi. This is a very nice feature for a pony as it allows you to ascend to your safety stop and then remain there as long as possible before ascending the last 15 feet to the surface. In contrast, with a balanced first stage, you would get little or no warning that your pony is empty and could find yourself having to do an emergency swimming ascent the last 10-15 feet from your safety stop unless you spend the additional money and accept the additional clutter and hose associated with a full size SPG.

The Scubapro Mk 17 is a sealed diaphragm design and it is currently the most freeze resistant first stage available anywhere. It is also compact and is not much larger or heavier than a Mk 2.

A compact second stage like the R295 is an affordable option for either first stage and would work well as a pony regulator.

I am not a big fan of full size SPG's on a pony reg as they add weight, expense and clutter to what is strictly an emergency system. You need to check the pressure of the pony on the surface prior to the dive, but knowing what you have during an ascent will not help as if you need it you will immediately begin your ascent and knowing what you have left makes no difference at that point. The only place where it is handy to have an SPG is at your safety stop to ensure you have enough left to ascend from the stop to the surface and that is better managed by having an unbalanced first stage.

My preference is to use a button SPG in the first stage HP port. It allows a quick check that the pony is full at the surface but does not add much bulk, weight or expense.

DA, you made some very good points. As you stated, I would like to keep the clutter to a minimum. I also never considered using an unbalanced first stage, but I can see the benefits on a pony. I do have the button guage to install on the HP port, so it would be nice to have a warning before the tank is empty.
I don't plan on using the pony system on a regular basis, so price is an issue, but as TXFIREDIVER stated, A cheap reg isn't such a good deal if it won't perform when it's needed!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I don't plan on using the pony system on a regular basis, so price is an issue, but as TXFIREDIVER stated, A cheap reg isn't such a good deal if it won't perform when it's needed!

I use Scubapro MK 3 and Mk 200 first stages on my deco bottles.

If you are interested, I have a extra Mk 3 (basically the predecessor to the Mk 2 Plus with a slightly smaller piston head and 1 less low pressure port) available for sale in excellent condition that I can pair with a mint condition looks like it has never been dove R295 second stage that I took in trade.

It would make a great pony reg as it would be very reliable, light weight, compact and offer more than enough performance to 130 ft. Parts and service are also easy to find. I'd sell it for $175, freshly serviced.