Slinging and sidemounting are different, although sidemounting doesn't usually apply to a pony bottle. But I guess if the pony bottle is 30 or 40 cf, it can apply. Slinging involves front mounting by using top and bottom clips to a chest and waist D-ring. The bottle rides underneath the diver, but should not be hanging down. Sidemounting involves rigging a bottle to be on the side, in line with the body and tucked in tightly. It generally involves the use of a butt plate for the bottom clip and bungees for the top of the bottle to hold it high on the diver's side under the armpit.
Is that what you were looking for?
Yes, thank you.
Hmmmm, if I were to sidemount a pony bottle, it would need to be an Alu 40, which would ride in a similar manner as one of my Alu 72s.
That's the cylinder I have in mind.
Done properly, the pony would ride more in parallel to my torso, and would be more streamlined. Side slung tanks ride valve down and butt up because of the way they are clipped to the harness.
This is what I'm really trying to get at: which configuration is more streamlined. I plan to carry a pony as an emergency backup on deeper dives (~30m+), and I want it as tucked away as possible.
A sidemounting friend told me that slinging would be preferable because an aluminum tank that is attached to a butt plate tends to go bottom-light as it empties, and turn its valve downward. Should this be of concern to me if I don't plan to use that air unless I'm aborting a dive anyway?
Now the question for the OP is what kind of harness will you be using? Is there a way of using a loop of bungee to pull the tank up and back toward your armpit?
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I have a standard bpw with a continuous harness, so I could use a bungee loop through my backplate. Would there be an advantage to using a choker over a bungee?
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