captain
Contributor
I am a minimalist, I don't wear a helmet unless the law forces me to and I don't carry a pony or any other alternate air source. To each his own.
Why Don't you Have a Pony yet?...or ever
- Thread starter Cacia
- Start date
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dumpsterDiver
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I have been using a pony for all dives over 60 feet for like 15-20 years. I honestly can not feel comfortable at 80 ft without a pony, I just feel guilty, sorta like I'm driving my truck after having 4 beers or something. I know both activities are less than responsible, however neither is really "unsafe".
I generally use a 13 cu-ft for all dives, and I commonly do solo deco dives to 200 feet. I try to keep my deco under 6-7 minutes which is basically what I hope I could do on my pony if my primary tank failed.
A 13 cu-ft tank is large enough to get you up from 130 feet and do a little deco if you have no problem on the bottom. A 19 is only a little heavier and longer and probably doesn't have any more drag. A 30 cu-ft tank is way too heavy and a pain to take and I have seen many people that buy them don't use them because they are just too much for normal recreational open water dives.
Get a Pony! We can argue later how to rig it best. H-valves are more expensive, especially if you have more than a few tanks and they really do not provide complete redundancy.
My wife rarely dives over 100 feet and I got her a 6 cu-ft tank. Even this tiny bottle will get you up safely from 100 feet, although you might not have enough air to do a safety stop. If you are worried about drag, the 6 cu-ft tank will have negligible affect in the water.
I generally use a 13 cu-ft for all dives, and I commonly do solo deco dives to 200 feet. I try to keep my deco under 6-7 minutes which is basically what I hope I could do on my pony if my primary tank failed.
A 13 cu-ft tank is large enough to get you up from 130 feet and do a little deco if you have no problem on the bottom. A 19 is only a little heavier and longer and probably doesn't have any more drag. A 30 cu-ft tank is way too heavy and a pain to take and I have seen many people that buy them don't use them because they are just too much for normal recreational open water dives.
Get a Pony! We can argue later how to rig it best. H-valves are more expensive, especially if you have more than a few tanks and they really do not provide complete redundancy.
My wife rarely dives over 100 feet and I got her a 6 cu-ft tank. Even this tiny bottle will get you up safely from 100 feet, although you might not have enough air to do a safety stop. If you are worried about drag, the 6 cu-ft tank will have negligible affect in the water.
PaulChristenson
Contributor
catherine96821:
I use a 13...
Here's some sizes vs times for ponies...
Bottom of the page...
http://www.scubadiscount.com/page35.html
catherine96821:
Good luck seperating the wheat from the chaff.
OP
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Paul, yea, 3-6 minutes would be fine at my depths. Should I have a seperate reg or switch it as dennis is planning? thanks I will now have no ditchable weight, and may be overweighted. what do you think about no weight?
d, why do you say that?....I process well, remember?
d, why do you say that?....I process well, remember?
Diver Dennis
Contributor
Catherine, I told you I have a separate reg. What do you mean by switch it?
Diver Dennis
Contributor
PaulChristenson:I use a 13...
Here's some sizes vs times for ponies...
Bottom of the page...
http://www.scubadiscount.com/page35.html
Did you see the chart Paul? They used an SAC of .75 for a "calm experienced diver". Awful high, even for a new diver.
Diver Dennis
Contributor
catherine96821:
I think what we talked about was the fact you can easily disconnect the pony with that bracket.
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