Pony, doubles and cam bands for travel

[DandyDon]

I'm still amazed that most of y'all will dive to 100 ft without a pony. I'm still amazed that I used to.

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This off-topic discussion has been split off from another thread in Near Misses and Lessons Learnped, related to a bent diver who misread his computer. The original thread can be found here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...0-dcs-due-reading-computer-wrong-i-think.html

Marg, ScubaBoard Senior Moderator.

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[PeterNBiddle]

I'm still amazed that most of y'all will dive to 100 ft without a pony. I'm still amazed that I used to.

This thread and a few others (the "tank half filled with water"!) may have converted me. Just ordered a 20 setup from DRIS. Planning on slinging left side/front. Is that how you run yours?

 

[DandyDon]

This thread and a few others (the "tank half filled with water"!) may have converted me. Just ordered a 20 setup from DRIS. Planning on slinging left side/front. Is that how you run yours?

Yep. I don't know that I'm a good example, but it works. I like being able to see my valve & spg.

 

[halocline]

I'm still amazed that most of y'all will dive to 100 ft without a pony. I'm still amazed that I used to.

I kind of wish you hadn't brought this up, and I also kind of wish I had the self-discipline to refrain from posting on yet another pony comment. Ponies are not buddies, and if you need a bailout bottle for recreational diving, and/or simply carrying one allows you to dive in a way that you otherwise would not, you're probably not diving in the safest manner. (I'm guilty of that as well, so don't take it personally) If it makes you feel better, fine, but I would not assume it adds any significant safety on it's own. I've used them, and it does give you a nice warm/fuzzy feeling to have something right there in case your regulator explodes or you get mugged by a werewolf/zombie/Elvis Presley or some other "high probability" (hehe) problem. Too bad it doesn't help with stuff like navigation problems, sickness, entanglement, loss of buoyancy, accidental water ingestion, etc.....you know, the stuff that NEVER happens....

Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now. I guess since this is a thread about risky dive behavior, it's not too badly off topic.

 

[DandyDon]

Ponies are not buddies

I'd like to watch you and your buddy air share from 50 meters. I'd shoot video but I wouldn't want to ascend nearly that fast. I'll keep lugging my frady-cat bottle...

 

[InTheDrink]

I kind of wish you hadn't brought this up, and I also kind of wish I had the self-discipline to refrain from posting on yet another pony comment. Ponies are not buddies, and if you need a bailout bottle for recreational diving, and/or simply carrying one allows you to dive in a way that you otherwise would not, you're probably not diving in the safest manner. (I'm guilty of that as well, so don't take it personally) If it makes you feel better, fine, but I would not assume it adds any significant safety on it's own. I've used them, and it does give you a nice warm/fuzzy feeling to have something right there in case your regulator explodes or you get mugged by a werewolf/zombie/Elvis Presley or some other "high probability" (hehe) problem. Too bad it doesn't help with stuff like navigation problems, sickness, entanglement, loss of buoyancy, accidental water ingestion, etc.....you know, the stuff that NEVER happens....

Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now. I guess since this is a thread about risky dive behavior, it's not too badly off topic.

I'd not underestimate that cozy feeling. And most of the other problems you allude to at least might be helped with a redundant gas source. It's no panacea for sure but its an important tool in the box and for me now for pretty much all dives. Mainly as a comfort blanket. Call me stupid and i'll agree with you but prolly for difference reasons

J

 

[616fun]

I'd like to watch you and your buddy air share from 50 meters. I'd shoot video but I wouldn't want to ascend nearly that fast. I'll keep lugging my frady-cat bottle...

Actually you've just made yourself really look silly. Those of us doing these dives drill and practice for such events. We even do so without masks and other factors to ensure that you are ready when the brown hits the fan. To make a statement saying these ascents would e out of control shows exactly how ill prepared you are for such an event.

So carry your pony and feel better. I'll keep planning my dives with buddy teams in mind and practice for the day it hits the fan.

---------- Post added February 19th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ----------

One other thought. I'm not bashing redundant gas supplies. I'm bashing the perception that a 19, 30, or 40 ft3 bottle slung on an ill prepared diver offers assistance.

 

[eelnoraa]

I'd like to watch you and your buddy air share from 50 meters. I'd shoot video but I wouldn't want to ascend nearly that fast. I'll keep lugging my frady-cat bottle...

I think whoever can't do control ascent while air share shouldn't be diving to 50m at all.

 

[DandyDon]

Actually you've just made yourself really look silly. Those of us doing these dives drill and practice for such events. We even do so without masks and other factors to ensure that you are ready when the brown hits the fan. To make a statement saying these ascents would e out of control shows exactly how ill prepared you are for such an event.

So carry your pony and feel better. I'll keep planning my dives with buddy teams in mind and practice for the day it hits the fan.

---------- Post added February 19th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ----------

One other thought. I'm not bashing redundant gas supplies. I'm bashing the perception that a 19, 30, or 40 ft3 bottle slung on an ill prepared diver offers assistance.

Doesn't bother me to look silly; see my avatar. I'm the one who wears a snorkel vest on a moving boat. I just don't get to dive with the same buddy often on my trips, don't enjoy the opportunity to practice & drill with them, and frankly don't depend on them. It's great that you can dive in buddy teams, but I can't do that here on the high plains or my trips.

Yes, I was thinking that 2 divers sharing from one tank from 50 meters on remaining back gas could get dicey. You dive singles that deep and drill on that, late in the dive plan? Cool. I'd be happy to help anyone LOA/OOA from 50 meters, but I'd donate my pony and be watching 2 Spgs - and hoping we can make all the stops I'd planned.

I think whoever can't do control ascent while air share shouldn't be diving to 50m at all.

No argument there. But then I think that brush can paint most divers anyway.

Now we are going to run to risk of a Mod separating this discussing into yet another pony vs not argument, whereas I prefer to consider it within the context of this dive. I'd dive to 50 meters in some case, and have, but not without my bailout bottle. I won't go below 20 meters on a single alone.

 

[616fun]

Doesn't bother me to look silly; see my avatar. I'm the one who wears a snorkel vest on a moving boat. I just don't get to dive with the same buddy often on my trips, don't enjoy the opportunity to practice & drill with them, and frankly don't depend on them. It's great that you can dive in buddy teams, but I can't do that here on the high plains or my trips.

Yes, I was thinking that 2 divers sharing from one tank from 50 meters on remaining back gas could get dicey. You dive singles that deep and drill on that, late in the dive plan? Cool. I'd be happy to help anyone LOA/OOA from 50 meters, but I'd donate my pony and be watching 2 Spgs - and hoping we can make all the stops I'd planned.


No argument there. But then I think that brush can paint most divers anyway.

Now we are going to run to risk of a Mod separating this discussing into yet another pony vs not argument, whereas I prefer to consider it within the context of this dive. I'd dive to 50 meters in some case, and have, but not without my bailout bottle. I won't go below 20 meters on a single alone.

Well. Here's the flaw. I wouldn't do a dive like that on a single tank. I also would treat it as ano decompression situation. I would be diving air or mix. I would have one or two deco mixes. And my buddy would have the same. We would have had conversation around gas planning, understanding each persons consumption rates (I like to know 3 rates, non working, working, and the 'oh sh*t' rate). Then we would have explicitly planned the dive. Who leads, who calls, what our objective are etc.

I know from our gas planning that at any point in my bottom time I have enough gas to get my buddy and I to our next gas switch safely and effectively. Its the training you're drilled on in a technical course. Again, you post on a subject you don't understand. To say 'add a pony' isn't helping the diver.

You go ahead and do 170' dives with your 'pony' and false sense of security.