Regulator for Pony setup

[spthomas]

I'm assembling a redundant air supply just because. Not doing a lot of Tech diving or anything, just want the redundancy. I've looked at Spare Air, but not enough there. I also looked at an option from Odyssey that is a first and second stage that both mount on the bottle, with a swivel that connects them instead of a hose. But, I don't know how usable that'd be (I'd have to disconnect the pony, or carry it like a stage and still hold it to breathe, which seems ackward). I think I want a 13cf bottle with a standard regulator with a hose.

Any thoughts on which regulator? A primary, or an octo? And how to rig it?

=Steve=

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I agree that you want a minimum of 13 cu ft (19 cu ft is better, and 30 cu ft is better still but a little on the bulky side). I also agree that the idea of a second stage mounted on the bottle is a bad one. A conventional second stage and hose makes a lot more sense and is both much more normal to use and is hands free.

As for the regulator there are two schools of thought. You can go with something small, light and low drag like a Scubapro Mk 2 R380 possibly with a DIN valve for even more streamlining. Alternatively you can go with a reg on your pony that is equal in performance to your primary reg. Both ideas have merit and which way you go depends on the type of diving you do and the depths to which you normally dive. At a minimum your pony reg needs to deliver adequate air at the max depth you will be diving at.

A second stage that is not subject to free flowing is also a plus. Preferably this will be achieved with a diver adjustable feature rather than by detuning the reg.

Mounting is probably the most controversial topic. I like tank mounting the pony with one of the many pony brackets available. (I prefer the Aqua Explorer pony tamer as it is simple, durable and light weight yet mounts the tank quite solidly.)

Tank mounting the pony leaves it pretty much out of sight and out of mind and the second stage from the pony can be routed like a conventional octo. It is very easy for even a novice diver to transition to using a pony with this style of mounting and very no change in technique is required whether you donate your primary or your secondary.

On the negative side, a tank mounted pony potentially creates a line trap that the hard core tech folks will expound on at great lenght. But if you are not poking around wrecks, in kelp forests or other areas where entanglement is a big risk, it really is not an issue. Even then, I am not convinced it poses any more risk than a set of doubles.

The other alternative is to sling it like a stage bottle. This is reasonable with a small pony but gets more difficult as pony size and diameter increases. With a large pony you may have to shift some weight from side to side to maintain trim in the water. Rigging a pony this way also requires D-rings in the appropriate places on the BC and requires some additional skill and knowledge to properly rig and use the pony.

The pony is where you can see it but this is both a pro and a con as it is also potentially in the way and can restrict movement in some cases. On the plus side, you are able to untangle it if it snags something and you can shut the valve off if it free flows.

It offers the potential advantage of allowing you to hand the whole unit off to another diver if the need arises, but this is not as smooth an operation as it sounds if the other diver is at all nervous or panicking and if you donate your primary (a preferable technique in my opinion) then you are required to make another second stage switch once you transfer the pony.

Some divers will claim that stage rigging a pony is more streamlined than tank mounting but in fact it really offers no advantage in this position unless the diver is swimming in a slightly head up position which massively increases your frontal area anyway and blankets the pony. And in that situation a tank mounted pony enjoys the same degree of streamlining. In either position you will have a small increase in frontal area even with perfect body orientation but with proper hose routing the drag will be small.

In short, I think it is easier for a non tech diver and their non tech buddies to use a back mounted pony as the techniques and location of the second stages are basically identical as those used with a conventional octo.

 

[Atticus]

I would like to add one comment to DA's thoughtful post - if you mount your pony as a stage then you also get the benefit of easily being able to reach the valve. This lets you see if the gas escapes. Many people (myself included) prefer to dive with the pony/stage turned off, but in front of me. Turning the valve on is a very quick operation and prevents loss of gas from a free flow of the pony reg.

 

[redacted]

I'm using a Mk2/R190 (recycled my original reg) on a sling mount 13. The 13 and the 19 are a couple pounds negative so a light weight 1st helps. I use a 13 to simplify travel. I started with a back mount with a single strap BC. It worked OK but I had to detune the reg to control freeflows. When I went to a BP with 2 tank straps, the third strap for the pony was a real PITA. So I converted to a sling which I perfer. Only minor complaint is I would rather have the smaller R380 than the R190, but the price was right.

 

[PhilD]

I'm far from an expert, but this is what I use. I have a R290 on my pony, which is 17 cu ft. I also have a R290 as my octo on my main tank. I seem to be one of the few that likes the pony on my main tank, but I don't do any tech or overhead diving. I use a Quick Draw bracket and really like it. All my diving is OW, nearly all from a boat, and I just find it easier to have the pony strapped to my main tank.

 

[scubahorse]

with 200bar DIN is lighter

 

[DeepScuba]

IMO.....

I have tried the pony "sidemounted" and I think it's the most horendous setup I have ever seen. Not doffable if required, much hardrer to get at the valve (you basically have to turn it on and leave it on, all dive), and then there's the extra hassle of where to stow the second stage.

Clutzy to say the least.

Slung, stage-style, as all those DIR and tech guys do it is the way to go.

One more thing, since I've seen it here twice already, don't do it DIN for the sake of DIN, if your main reg set is yoke. Keep them all the same. It's yet another clutzy setup which reeks of "stroke" mentality.

Fire up the flamers boys!!!!

Hehheeh. Hey guys relax, I meant what I said, but it's not at all in a derogatory way. It's merely my opinion from experience, with some added humour.

Regards

 

[DeepScuba]

Oh yeah, the Odyssey.

More garbage, something new and shiney to sell to the gulible with limited, wait, NO future in it.

Probably costs just about as much as a pony and reg set to boot. Not to mention it couldn't configure at all into any future diving gear/plans.

Ditto for spare air, as you've noticed.

Reg set?? Heck, just about any cheap one would do just fine I'm sure.

Regards

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

PhilD once bubbled...
I'm far from an expert, but this is what I use. I have a R290 on my pony, which is 17 cu ft. I also have a R290 as my octo on my main tank. I seem to be one of the few that likes the pony on my main tank, but I don't do any tech or overhead diving. I use a Quick Draw bracket and really like it. All my diving is OW, nearly all from a boat, and I just find it easier to have the pony strapped to my main tank.

This used to be the way almost everyone mounted it. A lot of divers still do this.

You better be a relaxed, cool under fire diver, because your pony is shut off until you need it, and so you would need to reach back and turn it on if you needed it. Reaching back and finding it with gloves on is not that easy.

Thats why I recommend and use a slung pony, hung on the front of my B/C.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
One more thing, since I've seen it here twice already, don't do it DIN for the sake of DIN, if your main reg set is yoke. Keep them all the same. It's yet another clutzy setup which reeks of "stroke" mentality.

Fire up the flamers boys!!!!

Hehheeh. Hey guys relax, I meant what I said, but it's not at all in a derogatory way. It's merely my opinion from experience, with some added humour.

Regards

The problem with a yoke pony is that the air will be turned off until you need it. A yoke mount is not very firm until you turn on the air. A yoke mount could fall off a pony while it is turned off. Therefore a yoke mount is definitely not a good idea for a pony.