Is there a valid reason for a pony bottle

[markmud]

The same thing happened to Henry Cook, an experienced diver at the oil rigs last year.

Hi Max,

May I assume Henry Cook did not do a breathing test of his primary second stage while watching his SPG before he splashed? Training and experience is a good thing, especially when it does not cost you your life.

The wrong experience and bad assumptions can easily cost you your life.

markm

 

[Esprise Me]

HI Esprise Me,

I am assuming that this "fairly new diver" was solo diving; therefore, his buddy was not available to help him/her. Solo diver training is available and really a good idea before trying this stuff on ones own. Experience and training is valuable.

markm

IIRC, his buddy was his newly-certified son, but he was effectively diving solo because he chose to stay well above and behind his son, who was preoccupied with the wreck they were exploring. I read the story in either the Lessons for Life archives or the book Diver Down, which was adapted from that column.

 

[markmud]

IIRC, his buddy was his newly-certified son, but he was effectively diving solo because he chose to stay well above and behind his son, who was preoccupied with the wreck they were exploring. I read the story in either the Lessons for Life archives or the book Diver Down, which was adapted from that column.

Esprise Me,

Thanks for the information. Sad story. We can definitely assume that this accident was the result of two divers not taking their training seriously. I can think of so many failures that probably occurred in order for this to happen.

markm

 

[tarponchik]

A simple answer might be that running out of breathing gas is the leading 'trigger' in dive incidents resulting in diver fatalities - in 41% of diver fatalities in a DAN summary

This includes cave divers, who won't be saved by ponies.

 

[markmud]

This includes cave divers, who won't be saved by ponies.

Hi tarponchik,

Tung-n-cheek maybe?

I hope cave divers are not using pony bottles... I hope cave divers are not solo diving. I hope they have stage bottles and doubles, or rebreathers. Or, I hope they are sidemount.

I can be slow on the uptake, so what did you mean?

markm

 

[Caveeagle]

This includes cave divers, who won't be saved by ponies.

Typically not. But trained cave divers will always already have fully redundant gas supply. They also often carry a stage & deco bottle to be dropped at strategic points.

And, slinging an AL80 or AL72 as a “buddy bottle” is a fairly common practice for solo cave divers. I personally prefer to sling an AL72 when diving backmount LP108s, and will carry throughout the dive when diving with a new first time buddy in caves. In most of the caves Indive, I can easily make it to nearest surface exit on 80cft of gas. Once in the water, I barely notice it’s there.
*I feel compelled to add that gas planning for overhead diving can be complex. Don’t take anything you read here as a substitute for proper training.

 

[Centrals]

This includes cave divers, who won't be saved by ponies.

I really can't see why cave diving has anything to do with "Basic Diving Discussion".

Back to the question:
There is NO right or wrong to bring a pony to a recreational dive. This is entirely a personal decision.
Nobody dies from having too much breathing gas in scuba diving.

 

[caruso]

There is NO right or wrong to bring a pony to a recreational dive. This is entirely a personal decision..

Not if you're diving off a boat that prohibits pony bottles.

 

[Caveeagle]

I really can't see why cave diving has anything to do with "Basic Diving Discussion".
.

Since we are going way into the weeds of when, why and how to use a redundant gas supply, one might at least reflect on types of diving where this is common, or even required.

At the end of the day, we are talking about gear and gas management.

 

[Centrals]

Not if you're diving off a boat that prohibits pony bottles.

Unless that particular boat has absolute monopoly on the site, there will be others available.