Use of pony bottle

[walke121]

I use a 40 cf pony bottle mounted to my 119's or my 130's (singles) when spearfishing. The only problem is I normally use 40% EAN in it to breathe off of during my safety stop. At the depths I usually spear in that puts my PO2 way too high. I usually don't dive with a buddy by my side per say, we usually go down in pairs but don't really stay together. The dives are anywhere from 60-180fsw. They are very quick, 5 min bottom time at most usually less than 2 min. I have a H-valve on all of my tanks though for some sort of redundancy.

 

[ffbailey39]

is your team using line or wireless comms? the tender hopefully can keep the primary calm , ascertain the problem and air supply left. either you need extra cylinder now or you dont. when the backup has got to the primary he can always call for it without having to go to the surface and have someone else bring it.

Matt

 

[jfa_16]

The pony cylinders that we use are for the diver who's wearing it. Period. That's why every diver wears one on every dive no matter what.

 

[bridgediver]

The pony cylinders that we use are for the diver who's wearing it. Period. That's why every diver wears one on every dive no matter what.

I don't think you get it...

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I'm not clear if this is a commercial forum, but since I've done a little of both...

If it's a working dive, I don't want a tank dangling from my harness in front of me while I'm trying to work. If it's a tech dive, then yes, being able to hand-off the tank is an asset, and I generally don't want a permanently mounted tank that's beyond my reach getting tangled in line.

 

[bridgediver]

Your thought process is in line with what I'm talking about. The problem is PSD is neither commercial or tech. I've done a fair amount of tech myself and can say with certainty that PSD is nothing like it. Slinging for PSD is not a good idea as you said so back mounting is really the only way. Also, as you said, it does no good back there if its hard mounted and you have to share gas and potentially seperate again. The solution for most of us is a back mount with a quick release system (that the other diver manipulates).

Those that are quick to dismiss the idea probably haven't been in the game long enough to understand real contingency procedures.

 

[PSD-LT22]

The way our team is set up is that our Pony's are completly sepereate air supplies. We run with the LGS PSD BC which has a pouch on the back for the pony and the bottle is held in place with a velco strap that both secures it, but is easy to find and remove it if we do have to pass it off. If our primary sends a 3+3+3 our back up goes down to see what the problem is (we also have comm lines, but I prefer to train without them so we don't become dependent on them). If he is already on his own pony (because of entanglement and he can't surface)the back up passes his off so he will still have air in his. Then resurfaces for the contingency tank. If the back up gets entangled on his way up for the tank (anything could happen) then the 90 is sent down with the contingency tank to assist the primary, get him freed, the assist the entangled back up or we would have sent a fourth diver to assist the back up.