Thanks for this exerpt. I'll remember that if I ever want to travel with a stage bottle.
Still flying with my Pony - the best buddy I ever had!!
- Thread starter DandyDon
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Allison Finch
Contributor
Don, I'm with you! I travel far and wide and often would rather solo than buddy with an unknown. How do you hang/attach your pony? Since I rarely see them offered on liveaboards and they allow me to solo (they've known me a long time and thoroughly trust my skills), I am going to take a pony with me next time. Since my equip is at the max allowed weight, I'll have to leave one of my many lights and some of my batteries behind for the bottle. Oh, well......
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Allison Finch:
I used to just hang mine upright from my main bottle, but I was always afraid I'd fail it turn it on fully. Now, I hang it upside down on the right, so I can turn it on, or off. This required a longer hose, and I don't know yet what that cost me, as it's important, and I trust my Tech, so I just got it.
Of the times I've used it so far - it's been when sharing air from my main tank drew it down so quickly that I needed the Pony air to allow the airhog what was left in my main.
Even with the best buddy, I'd still carry it, but I will not carry it on a handoff sling. I paid a few hundred bucks to make sure I can always have it.
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Snowbear:
Yes, Ma'am - thank you, but mine is fine. It's the yokels I get to dive with at times.
Well Don, I realize you always dive with a pony. As such, and based on this comment, you are probably counting that as part of the rock bottom calculation that many of us leave as a minimum in our back tank(s). This rock bottom concept has been discussed quite a bit here on SB. But to simplify it - it's the amount of gas you need to have in your tank at the maximum point of your dive to get both you and your buddy to the surface and still leave whatever minimum reserve you believe in.DandyDon:Yes, Ma'am - thank you, but mine is fine. It's the yokels I get to dive with at times.
p.s. I still think "That's a bummer" when I see the title of this thread - and I'm not talking about flying with a pony bottle.
quimby
Contributor
. (period) nuff said Dandydon and Drbill and others I hear ya and agree with ya. What works for us works and
Thanks for the info and appreciate your posting it
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Snowbear:
Okay, so I have a sad life.
As a diver here on the West Texas High Desert, 2 or 3 plane rides from good diving, where most people see a vacation as a car trip to Dallas and San Antonio or a fight to Vegas, and most divers see diving as a Once-a-Year trip, I find I must go alone for most diving.
When I sign on a charter, or even if I join a group, I still don't know much about my new buddies, and I certainly have not had any chance to team up with them in the past. So, while I will try to be a good buddy to them, often backing up possible DM in helping others - even carrying extra 1# clip on weights on my BC I can pass off to divers who are too light for a safety stop, I'm not counting on them to have air for me when I may find I need it. I could discuss air management with them before the first dive, but I wouldn't count on them paying attention to the talk or being as good of a diver as I'd hope.
I try to be selfsufficient, then - be a good buddy. :11ztongue
Don... you need to move. Any where nearer water would be better than dirt diving.
ClassAction
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I can't understand why there is so many pony nazi's (i.e. anti-pony) on this board. I just bought one, too. And I conced that doubles are safer. But I think a pony is better than nothing.
I know, I know -- nothing can replace good buddy skills. So assuming you're diving with the greatest buddy in the world, you shouldn't need a pony (which is arguably another entanglement hazard). And I concede that a pony isn't the solution for poor gas management (i.e. bad SAC or someone who can't monitor his tank pressure properly). BUT: If you're not using it for extra air, and if you're likely to be diving with a buddy you don't know (i.e. on vacation), I think it adds an extra margin of safety.
When I was in Aruba last year, I got assigned to an idiot on the boat. I was pretty new to diving and didn't know the signs of an idiot (big mouth, etc.). The guy was constantly leaving me. I spent the whole dive watching his every move to follow him, or else he would lose me (couldn't even take a moment to look at something or he'd be gone). Now what if something happened to my reg/tank/valve/o-ring while he was swimming away? Hopefully, I'd catch him. But if not, I simply switch to my pony... And before anyone starts in with the "you should have talked to him about buddy skills pre-dive" -- I did. He just ignored our plan as soon as we got to the bottom.
Now if this happens again, I'd call the dive and ask for a new buddy. But last time, I was new to this and very nervous and didn't know what to do...
So bottom line -- I don't see anything wrong with bringing a pony along on vacation... And around here (NJ), you need one (or doubles) to get on a charter boat. Are all of the pony nazis suggesting that every intermediate diver go into doubles? I think I'm a long way from heavy doubles, especially since I still dive wet.
Just my 2 cents...
I know, I know -- nothing can replace good buddy skills. So assuming you're diving with the greatest buddy in the world, you shouldn't need a pony (which is arguably another entanglement hazard). And I concede that a pony isn't the solution for poor gas management (i.e. bad SAC or someone who can't monitor his tank pressure properly). BUT: If you're not using it for extra air, and if you're likely to be diving with a buddy you don't know (i.e. on vacation), I think it adds an extra margin of safety.
When I was in Aruba last year, I got assigned to an idiot on the boat. I was pretty new to diving and didn't know the signs of an idiot (big mouth, etc.). The guy was constantly leaving me. I spent the whole dive watching his every move to follow him, or else he would lose me (couldn't even take a moment to look at something or he'd be gone). Now what if something happened to my reg/tank/valve/o-ring while he was swimming away? Hopefully, I'd catch him. But if not, I simply switch to my pony... And before anyone starts in with the "you should have talked to him about buddy skills pre-dive" -- I did. He just ignored our plan as soon as we got to the bottom.
Now if this happens again, I'd call the dive and ask for a new buddy. But last time, I was new to this and very nervous and didn't know what to do...
So bottom line -- I don't see anything wrong with bringing a pony along on vacation... And around here (NJ), you need one (or doubles) to get on a charter boat. Are all of the pony nazis suggesting that every intermediate diver go into doubles? I think I'm a long way from heavy doubles, especially since I still dive wet.
Just my 2 cents...
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