barth
Contributor
That's like saying you don't need seat belts and airbags because you are a good driver. There are external forces in this world, completely outside your control, that can f*#k you up big time. A pony is the airbag of diving singe tank, just as the manifold is for doubles.
Carrying a pony has nothing to do with poor dive planning and bad gas management; they are mutually exclusive. Carrying a pony didn't make your buddy have to go on your long hose, crap diving did.
Very few people on this board would recommend using a buddy line.
I think it is not a good idea for a beginner who has not exceed 35 feet to use a Pony tank.
A pony tank at singletank is not just as manifold for doubles.
- At doubles you don't have to switch regulator when you are using more gas than planned. (Only when you closed the valve of the regultor breathing from)
- At doubles regulators are always. pressurised. When you switch to a pony you open the valve, at that moment there can be a o-ring failure. When you dive with a pony tank and open valve it can be empty when you need is.
- When you dive doubles and your buddy is out of gas it is possible for both of you to use all the gas. That is not possible with a pony tank. Or at least you have to share a regulator when backgas is empty.