When do you use a pony?

[SkimFisher]

I don't use a pony. I dive with a buddy. I've dived single tanks to 140 feet - with a buddy.

If I was solo diving, that might be another story.

Deco dives also - another story.

Is that a deco dive in your avatar?

 

[HowardE]

That's a rebreather. With an open circuit bail out.

This discussion is about open circuit.

 

[it_mike]

When the load is too heavy for the dog?

I think the basic answer is: anytime you feel you might want more air than what's on you back, or when you fear the risk of an OOA.

There's thousands of possible conditions that could lead back to one of these two drivers, but there they are.

 

[ScubaSloan]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will take an intro to tech class to get familiar with some basic deco in the event that I needed the pony for that. Is the use of the pony gas (say air) figured into the dive plan as a contingency? ie the effect of diving EAN30, then for some reason needing to switch to air at depth for the ascent? Or is it, make a reasonable ascent, maybe beef up your safety stop (gas permitting)?

 

[it_mike]

Sloan,

I generally consider a pony a bail-out bottle. This is very different from a staging bottle, which you would utilize for deco diving.

 

[RJP]

I think I will take an intro to tech class to get familiar with some basic deco in the event that I needed the pony for that.

Wrong class for deco theory, but right class for diving with doubles. IF you want deco theory take Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures or similar. But I'd do Intro to Tec first, because if you're not diving doubles, Advanced Nitrox and Deco procedures doesn't really make sense as you won't have enough gas.

Is the use of the pony gas (say air) figured into the dive plan as a contingency? ie the effect of diving EAN30, then for some reason needing to switch to air at depth for the ascent? Or is it, make a reasonable ascent, maybe beef up your safety stop (gas permitting)?

No - plan your dive as if you don't have the pony with you. Don't plan to use the pony; it's just there in case of O.S. situations.

 

[DCBC]

I only use a large pony as a bail-out bottle with surface supply (Air) above 200 ft. With SCUBA (OC, CCR) I use larger cylinders for deeper water bailout (up to 300 ft), or for travelers and deco. A CCR is used for deeper water or when working outside a bell during saturation for bail-out.

If I were you, I'd much rather have a larger cylinder(s) (back-air) with redundancy than spending the money on a smaller bottle. If you're diving deep enough on SCUBA which requires a redundant system, your gas management should be bang on, so why go small?

 

[drbill]

I have only used my pony once due to being low on air in my primary tank. I misjudged my deco hang (I generally extend my deco times X 2) after staying down to film a torpedo ray and needed to breathe off my pony to complete the stop. It's the only time I've had to use the pony in an OOA situation. I have dived long enough to know my profiles pretty accurately.

My pony is actually there primarily for unanticipated gear failure. That was the one time I really needed it and I didn't have it on because I planned a 40 ft dive, but descended to 75-80 ft following and filming a bat ray. My tank valve got a tiny piece of debris clogged in the dip or debris tube inside the tank and stopped delivering air abruptly.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will take an intro to tech class to get familiar with some basic deco in the event that I needed the pony for that. Is the use of the pony gas (say air) figured into the dive plan as a contingency? ie the effect of diving EAN30, then for some reason needing to switch to air at depth for the ascent? Or is it, make a reasonable ascent, maybe beef up your safety stop (gas permitting)?

You are confusing terms.

Which isn't surprising if you haven't pursued training yet.

A diver may sling a bottle (cylinder, tank, etc.) for different reasons, and the gas inside the bottle is planned for use differently for each separate reason. Defining terms helps prevent confusion.

While all the bottles are sling tanks, they can be --

* Bail out bottles - generally associated with rebreathers where failure may compromise the system. Bail out gas theoretically allows the diver to ascend safely. Solo divers also use these.

* Deco bottles have various gas mixes in them that the diver switches to at different points during the ascent, to ensure off-gassing occurs with maximum efficiency.

* Stage bottles are used at various points in a dive to extend the divers range (distance or time) for reasons that are specific to different types of diving. Stage bottles may either be slung on the diver or, for some diving (i.e. cave diving) may actually be "staged" on a line at various locations for future use.

While all the above are 'sling bottles', they serve different purposes and the gas inside them is planned for use in a variety of ways, depending on the dive.

One of the major flaws that some divers see with the use of pony bottles is that they are often used INSTEAD of gas planning, rather than AS A RESULT OF gas planning. Pony users occasionally adopt the attitude of "I don't need to do gas planning because I have a pony bottle - I'll just dive until I run out of gas and use my pony to ascend", or "who needs to plan their gas consumption? I've got my pony bottle - if I run low I'll just use it to ascend". Like everything else in life, its how you define terms that determines whether something is a helpful tool or an excuse.

And to address your key question above, the gas inside a 'pony bottle' is NOT planned for consumption during the dive. Assuming you're carrying the bottle to mitigate risk of some catastrophic failure at depth, it is a 'bail-out' bottle and contains the amount of gas you've calculated would be necessary to get you/and buddy to the surface from whatever depth and circumstances the dive entails. The bail-out gas is part of your gas plan, but as your contingency gas, not gas planned for use assuming all goes well.

Remember, though, that different divers define terms differently! Its always best to dive with a buddy, and to ensure you and your buddy create gas plans for your dives. Gas planning isn't difficult, and gas management can be critical to survival.

Dive safe,

Doc

 

[vladimir]

Where is that sticky located? I would like to read it.

Thanks

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