Pony, Octo, or both?

[mike_s]

Waiting for the water to warm before the first OW dive, I have some concerns about equipment to buy. Mainly, I am thinking about the secondary air.

This is your first open water dive? you profile says "not certified yet".


so I'll assume you don't have any open water dives under your belt.


For that reason, you don't need to add "task loading" of having a pony slung and having to deal with it. They won't be teaching that in your OW class. They will be teaching "how to dive with the Octo attached to your first stage".

So, don't over confuse yourself, overload yourself, etc. Just dive with the Octo like they are teaching in the class. You won't be diving in any depths that you can't save reach the surface or not reach your buddy in the event of an emergency.

simple as that.



After you get some dives under your belt and some experience and want to take some more classes, you can worry about slinging a pony then.

 

[SkimFisher]

I am of the opinion that they offer a false sense of security. But...

To put it frankly, if you're going to use one - I think it is r-e-t-a-r-d-e-d to dive one or the other and not both. Why limit the access to the gas on your back? Why also only have 13 or 19cuft of gas to donate from a pony to an OOA diver when you could have 60 left in the tank on your back plus another reserve in your pony?

A pony should not replace an octo. It is there "in addition" not "instead of".

 

[senseiern]

Mike, once I get my OW cert, I plan on diving every week, or every other week. I will even dive on the spur of the moment during the week after work. I won't plan on diving past my training nor comfort zone, but I do plan on diving a lot. I expect it will take the place of my weekends at the cigar shop. (the cost of a day's rented equipment will be about the same as a couple fine cigars)

You are right about me not having any open water dives, yet. The water here is just above freezing and the dive shop won't certify until May 6-7, and I cannot get rented tanks until then. The dives I have done so far are all pool dives.

 

[a22shady]

I have my Primary on 7' Long hose and my Octo on a Bungee around my Neck. I then Have a Luxfer 40' that I Sling as a Pony bottle. In case I have an emergency or some else does. If space is an issue the 7' hose is nice. If it's not a panicked situation handing of the 40' to the other diver is even nicer.

I have yet to need to do this mostly it is just practice switching between them, And practice handing off the 40 and clippin it to buddy. There is nothing wrong with being safe and in the event your down at depth and have something go wrong as stated above "1st stage failure,Out of air, PSI guage wrong, Etc... It's nice to have your own back-ups and use buddy when needed. Cause when your down there anything can happen. The best person to be sure to be there for you is yourself.

As for starters though best thing is to get certified Use primary/Octo after you have completed your training and a few dives and feel comfortable in the water and what your doing slowly add your gear. But I would never add one to replace the other. I think if you did this it would make for a not so ideal situation. Not be a smart one

 

[scarefaceDM]

you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.

Having said that. It is ok to do some research. But in all honesty. The pony is a major crutch for new divers. It gives a false sense of security. You do not need any other redundant air source unless you are going to do more challenging dives. And when you get to that point you need to know better gas management and have top notch skills before getting down to the deep end of the pool. For Open water divers fresh out of school...redundant air sources are not your answer to safety. Nor for better diving or improving ones SAC rate. There are far better things to do to improve your diving and diving confidence - than a pony.

Your best preparation is better training and diving as much as possible. Then you can move forward an consider a redundant air source.
There are safety in numbers. Having good buddies, I know it is difficult. But for a new diver it is essential to dive with one or two or more buddies that are more experienced than they are.

My advise is - to not go with anything but your primary tank set up as air source and a good buddy. Plus dive within your capabilities. Get better advanced training as you progress in your diving.
You will gain the experience with training, diving and more diving with experienced buddies.

Spend your money on the best gear you can afford. Get the best training you can find. Mentors are a fantastic source for training aids, ..find one.

Cheers

 

[Dr Wu]

Dr. Wu, I'm not trying to be a douche, but how does slinging another tank on your back as a back up air source not make a diver safer? And I would think that diving like most other somewhat dangerous sports is made much safer when a person feels safe and is much less likely to panic in a given situation?

The OP is not even certified yet and is considering adding a secondary air source that adds drag, confusion and task loading. (and yet some are already bringing up doubles.)

The octo and buddy system has proven effective for new divers for decades. Pony bottles are just another thing to confuse them and delay taking a proper response in the event of an emergency. There are countless ways a pony can harm yet few an octo can.

Also, an untrained and inexperienced diver that "feels" confidant is no more likely to do the correct thing to solve a problem. It is simply a placebo effect. The bottle and attitude do not replace experience and training.

This pony bottle madness has become fashionable over the past few years and has to stop. There is simply too much emphasis being placed on a piece of gear (a piece of gear most don't even understand) over proper dive technique and practice.

 

[Rockhead]

Sorry for the hijack, but this isn't ENTIRELY off topic:
Any comments on SpareAir?
When I started diving in '89, I didn't have an octo. At that point, we were all taught buddy breathing as part of OW cert. I commonly heard the idea that octos were something that instructors had, but that wasn't required for every diver.
So after about a year, I got a SpareAir, because I was single and doing a lot of buddying up on the boat ride to the site-- I wanted some more self sufficiency. I never really had to use it, and it is long since sold. But I am curious as to the general opinion here on SB.

 

[Dr Wu]

Sorry for the hijack, but this isn't ENTIRELY off topic:
Any comments on SpareAir?...
......... But I am curious as to the general opinion here on SB.

Funny. I cannot recall it ever coming up.

 

[muddiver]

Any comments on SpareAir?

Having read your member name I find it difficult to take your question seriously.

 

[Rockhead]

Having read your member name I find it difficult to take your question seriously.

Seeing your Marine bumper sticker, I find it difficult to think that you don't recognize a callsign when you see one.
Semper Fi, Bro!