Rigging a stage/pony

[bradlw]

What is the bungee cord loop in this HOG kit for?

Also, why does one of the rubber bands have a tab and the other does not?


I picked up one of these at my local shop today, mainly out of laziness.
I was picking up my pony from hydro and wanted to rig it for clipping off. I used to have a DIY rig I made years ago that wasn't very "nice" and I didn't want to take the time to make up a new one.

Also, I'm wondering about orientation. Too many years since my tech training and I have no memory of this even being addressed, although I'm sure it was....
What is your preferred orientation? Strap on the regulator side for regulator-up...or strap on the back side for regulator-down?

 

[NothingClever]

I’m not sure what the purpose of the bungee is. Never seen one offered from the dominant brands and vendors. Somebody smarter than me will be along soon with helpful insight.

I use my bottles for decompression so understand I may arrange things a little bit differently than pony folks.

The lack of a tab on the second retention band seems like it was offered as a compromise for those who prefer no tab. I have a tab on both bands on both my AL40 deco bottles (and AL80 deco kits, too).

I rig my deco bottles with the DIN valve’s opening to the sky. This puts my valve knobs to port and outboard for easy manipulation by my left hand. This also puts my hoses on the skyward side of the bottle for easier deployment and stowage. My right hand is handling confirmation purge, hose extension and reg arrangement.

Good luck and enjoy your training journey!

 

[inquis]

Some will bungee the "face" of the 2nd stage at the valve so it doesn't slip down when you're not looking. Could also do the mouthpiece, but that seems less secure to me.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

My guess would be the hose retainer with the tab is for the top of the tank and the one without the tab is for the bottom of the tank. The one on top is most helpful when re-stowing the hose, although I prefer a tab on both retainers.

I agree with @inquis … the bungee is most likely to secure a second stage. I prefer using a simple octo holder attached to the hose and then around the mouthpiece of the stage 2nd stage. I don’t want my stage/pony 2nd stage held down too securely because I want to be able to get it out quickly. The octo mouthpiece holder is secure enough for me.

 

[bradlw]

I rig my deco bottles with the DIN valve’s opening to the sky. This puts my valve knobs to port and outboard f

ah yes...that refreshes my memory! I do recall thought around orienting the tank valve knobs for the deco bottles in a particular way....
Ugh, I just had the valve replaced on the pony with a DIN valve. I should have put thought into left handed vs right handed and into which side I'll sling it on instead of just taking what they had!

I used to dive a pony back mounted, and only slung it a few times...and that was a long time ago so I'm not sure about which side to sling it, etc.
With the new valve I have, it's set up for left sling if I rig it like you do - reg up...and left side is what I'm thinking makes more sense, to keep it away from my primary reg hoses
even though my gut feels like it should be on my right (I'm not sure but I think right seems more natural because that's the regulator hose side, and maybe also becasue I'm right handed)

I use my bottles for decompression so understand I may arrange things a little bit differently than pony folks.

I see it as the same thing, sort of. I'm slinging the pony in large part for use as a "deco bottle" for use in the event of an unplanned low gas situation for me or a fellow diver ... which if it's ever needed for real it would would be as a return, ascent, and/or safety stop bottle

 

[bradlw]

Some will bungee the "face" of the 2nd stage at the valve so it doesn't slip down when you're not looking. Could also do the mouthpiece, but that seems less secure to me.

hmmm. how would that look?
Makes sense though...keep it tucked in tight

 

[Divin'Papaw]

ah yes...that refreshes my memory! I do recall thought around orienting the tank valve knobs for the deco bottles in a particular way....
Ugh, I just had the valve replaced on the pony with a DIN valve. I should have put thought into left handed vs right handed and into which side I'll sling it on instead of just taking what they had!

I used to dive a pony back mounted, and only slung it a few times...and that was a long time ago so I'm not sure about which side to sling it, etc.
With the new valve I have, it's set up for left sling if I rig it like you do - reg up...and left side is what I'm thinking makes more sense, to keep it away from my primary reg hoses
even though my gut feels like it should be on my right (I'm not sure but I think right seems more natural because that's the regulator hose side, and maybe also becasue I'm right handed)


I see it as the same thing, sort of. I'm slinging the pony in large part for use as a "deco bottle" for use in the event of an unplanned low gas situation for me or a fellow diver ... which if it's ever needed for real it would would be as a return, ascent, and/or safety stop bottle

I sling a pony almost every dive. Left side always for me. I use a long hose and want my right side clear. I don’t care for a bottle on the right. I prefer to keep my dominant hand … right for me … clear.

 

[happy-diver]

HOW TO: SET UP A STAGE CYLINDER - PART 1: RIGGING KIT

This article is designed to allow the reader to make the perfect rigging kit for their stage/decompression cylinder. Although there are ma...

rectotec.blogspot.com

GETTING SIDEMOUNT TANKS TO BEHAVE THEMSELVES AND SIT WHERE THEY SHOULD

By Steve Lewis One of the least mysterious things about sidemount diving is how to rig a set of steel primary cylinders so they hang at divers sides as they are supposed to, rather than hanging pen…

decodoppler.wordpress.com

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I rig my deco bottles with the DIN valve’s opening to the sky. This puts my valve knobs to port and outboard for easy manipulation by my left hand. This also puts my hoses on the skyward side of the bottle for easier deployment and stowage. My right hand is handling confirmation purge, hose extension and reg arrangement.

+1

I do the same. I rig my pony just like a deco or stage bottle. That has allowed me to comfortably manage the bottle regardless of its use as a pony, deco or stage bottle. My muscle memory is always the same regardless of use.

 

[bradlw]

Thans @happy-diver
I especially found that second article interesting... the one about side mount rigging. That's not something I ever explored when I did my tech training. In hindsight though if I were to do it over again I'd strongly consider side mount....although most of my training tech dives had doubles on my back and large deco bottles one each side...not sure how four tanks would work side mount!

Anyway, back to the pony rig. I don't have my head wrapped around what the author was saying about cam bands and bungee loops...The bungees I assume are there to tuck the tank up closer and tighter than the clips alone, but I'm not familiar with cam bands used for slinging a tank. I suppose that the sidemount tanks are somehow more securely held than a deco bottle attached with a "loose sling"