Is there a valid reason for a pony bottle

[tarponchik]

Data, or speculation?

Data, for auto tires. Must work the same way for hoses.

 

[doctormike]

Data, for auto tires. Must work the same way for hoses.

People fill their tires with nitrox? If you are going on a really long trip, do you need to use trimix?

 

[JohnnyC]

People fill their tires with nitrox? If you are going on a really long trip, do you need to use trimix?

No, but if you live at high altitude you need it when you drive down to sea level.

 

[Tony1964]

I have carried a pony for the best part of 30 years, never had a failure that has needed me to use it but dive kit can & does fail so I’ll keep carrying it.
I don’t necesarly expect my 200bar 3lt pony to get me all the way to the surface through any deco I need, but it will make the ascent & transition to my buddies octopus far less stressful for us both

 

[tursiops]

Data, for auto tires. Must work the same way for hoses.

Auto tires are pressurized 24x7x365=61320 hours each year. Scuba hoses are pressurized maybe 100 hours a year. Do you think that might be relevant?

 

[Caveeagle]

Data, for auto tires. Must work the same way for hoses.

Are you sure? There are a lot of different rubber compounds.

 

[txgoose]

Auto tires are pressurized 24x7x365=61320 hours each year.

As a card carrying member of the CUC (cinder block user community) and hillbilly from Arkansas, I would like to challenge the scientific validity of this statement.

 

[tursiops]

As a card carrying member of the CUC (cinder block user community) and hillbilly from Arkansas, I would like to challenge the scientific validity of this statement.

Fair enough. I see no reason to argue math or science with a professed hillbilly from Arkansas!

 

[Diving Dubai]

Data, for auto tires. Must work the same way for hoses.

I can't say say for sure this is incorrect, as a combination of both Oxygen and heat can cause hardening of rubber compounds.

However atmospheric pollutants such as NOx SOx and O3 all degrade rubbers. When smog was an issue in California silicone was added to car tyres to offset this degradation.

Maybe this is where the "data" came from

Most of us here in the Middle East find it prudent to change hoses after 3 - 4 years because of the likely damage from heat and UV.

Indeed by law no car tyres are allowed to be used once they're 4 years old because of the degradation of UV and especially road heat in the summer

 

[rjack321]

I just wonder if anyone else has this bizarre rule yet doesn't advertise it on their reservations page, and I'll show up for a dive in the midst of a vacation and be told "sorry you cannot use that potentially life saving and dive extending equipment because once a diver used it wrong" and here I will be last minute having to conform to stupid rules or be out one or more dives.

You can't bring your pony on my personal boat either. If you feel it's required then any invites past or present are rescinded, I will 'refund' your deposit. Best of luck finding a charter to take you to the sites I choose to dive.

Let's take it one step further. The deceased diver's next of kin does an investigation including reading posts here on SB where they find written proof that the boat captain refused to allow the diver to take his pony bottle because of some stupid reason and the death would have been avoided completely? How's that for liability?

Keep digging! You are making scuba friends like crazy at this rate