40cf too big for pony?

[caruso]

I'm the Captain and owner of the boat. My boat, my rules. I've seen too many divers using a pony to extend dives and others not watching their SPGs knowing they have a pony to fall back on. I prefer to dive with those who don't allow themselves to get in a situation where a pony is needed.

You're taking the bad behaviors of some divers and generalizing them to all divers.

Any piece of dive gear can be misused. There are a lot of incompetent, lazy, careless and stupid divers out there.

But not every diver is like that.

Your boat, your rules for sure. And as a diver/customer I choose not to dive with a boat that tells me what equipment to bring on a dive and how to use it.

Happy boating

 

[Bob DBF]

You're wrong by the way, having the pony bottle is a true extra measure of safety. It provides more gas and a redundant breathing supply which will ALWAYS be safer than diving with a single tank.

A pony bottle is not an extra measure of safety if not used properly. Breathing down a pony to extend your bottom time negates it's purpose as a safety device.

Your boat, your rules for sure. And as a diver/customer I choose not to dive with a boat that tells me what equipment to bring on a dive and how to use it.

It's a private boat, by invitation only.


Bob

 

[caruso]

A pony bottle is not an extra measure of safety if not used properly. Breathing down a pony to extend your bottom time negates it's purpose as a safety device.

Agreed. I did not in any way shape or forum suggest that I do that as a general rule. I consider it a backup to my main tank- which I do allow to draw lower than a typical reserve since I have the (full) pony as a reserve.

There have been about 3 times I did actually use the pony to extend a more interesting relatively shallow dive- and when I switched to the pony the main tank became my reserve and I switched before the main tank dropped below a healthy reserve. Another time I was in a deep wreck and was having trouble keeping up with the DM and my buddy who took off ahead of me and was thinking I was going to abort the dive as I was breathing a bit heavy and gas was getting low- again I switched to the pony knowing I had at least 1000 psi in my main tank as the reserve, and a third time I used the pony on a shore dive to stay below the surface when I miscalculated the outgoing current and had to work to get back to shore- I had a snorkel but the pony allowed me to stay under the surface where there was less current and wave action.

For the other 100s of dives, the time the pony remained full and unused.

It's a private boat, by invitation only.Bob

This is about an overly restrictive boat policy where a captain dictates how a diver dives and how they use their gear, based on observed behaviors of a handful of divers that do not necessarily represent the diving population as a whole, it's not about who gets invited.

 

[doctormike]

Breathing down a pony to extend your bottom time negates it's purpose as a safety device.

Right. But it's perfectly acceptable to call it a stage bottle instead of a pony, and to use it to extend your bottom time on dives where a redundant gas supply isn't necessary. Just think of it as sidemount diving where one tank is smaller than the other. Same thing.

 

[sh0ck1999]

Worked good didn't hardly feel it was there did two quarry dives today. Was alittle busy on my left side with inflator pressure gauge and pony but I got used to it. The only think I forgot to account for was the wieght being top heavy. Threw my trim off alittle face down.ill maybe try moving my main tank down a couple inches next time to see if that levels me out.

 

[Bob DBF]

Right. But it's perfectly acceptable to call it a stage bottle instead of a pony, and to use it to extend your bottom time on dives where a redundant gas supply isn't necessary. Just think of it as sidemount diving where one tank is smaller than the other. Same thing.

I have no problem with taking two bottles on as dive and burning them both, if that was the plan, but if a buddy started a dive with a pony and decided it was a stage during the dive I would not be happy. Call it what it is going to be on the dive during the dive planning so I can make an informed decision whether I want to go along.


Bob

 

[caruso]

I have no problem with taking two bottles on as dive and burning them both, if that was the plan, but if a buddy started a dive with a pony and decided it was a stage during the dive I would not be happy. Call it what it is going to be on the dive during the dive planning so I can make an informed decision whether I want to go along.

What if the plan is to start the dive using the pony as a backup with the plan being that if the dive is uneventful the pony bottle is to be used as a dive extender at the end of the dive?

 

[Cyborg Pirate]

That’s an unsafe diver. Plan the dive dive the plan. Follow the rules of the vessel and it’s captain. Follow the industry guidelines. If you want to be a cowboy. That’s fine. I don’t want to dive with squirrely shady people. There is an element of trust that goes into a dive with buddies or a dive team. If I cannot trust that you will dive the plan as intended to keep your self safe and the team I don’t want you part of the team. Period.

Nope not telling you or anyone else how to dive. My team and my rec buddies would only dive with someone with that mindset one time. And never again.

 

[Bob DBF]

What if the plan is to start the dive using the pony as a backup with the plan being that if the dive is uneventful the pony bottle is to be used as a dive extender at the end of the dive?

Not a problem. My judgement has been called into question on numerous occasions over the decades, but I do dive the plan when with a buddy. @Cyborg Pirate summed it up while I was typing.

Plan the dive dive the plan. Follow the rules of the vessel and it’s captain. Follow the industry guidelines. If you want to be a cowboy. That’s fine. I don’t want to dive with squirrely shady people. There is an element of trust that goes into a dive with buddies or a dive team. If I cannot trust that you will dive the plan as intended to keep your self safe and the team I don’t want

Trust is the key, supprises are not your friend.

When I dive outside industry guidelines or otherwise acting like a cowboy, I dive solo or with a small number of trusted buddies. Even in those cirmstances, diving the plan is what will get one back safe.


Bob

 

[caruso]

I don’t want to dive with squirrely shady people. If I cannot trust that you will dive the plan as intended to keep your self safe and the team I don’t want you part of the team. My team and my rec buddies would only dive with someone with that mindset one time. And never again.

You act like diving with you and your "team" is some sort of privilege. No one cares.