6cf or 13cf Pony

[Jim Lapenta]

19 but I also have a 40 in the wings I'm getting O2 cleaned.

 

[Jibeho]

My first (current) Pony bottle is a 19 CU foot. I would not even think of a smaller one!

I am almost convinced to look for a 30-40 cu foot one?

If you believe a 19 to be too large, I would highly suggest borrowing one, dive in a relatively shallow, benign environment (quarry or such) to get comfortable with it and see how easy it is to forget you are carrying it when at depth.

If you sling it, it is not cumbersome or a burden! Just have to make minor adjustments in weighting/trim.

Good Luck!

The main difference for me between the 19 and the 13 is size. Like I have said before I'm not TECH and I'm not anywhere near reaching my computers DNL, though I was down to 4 min last year on the Grove.

For me the 13 is much easier to carry to the boat, fits right in my dive bag. It is such a size that I don't mind carrying it on ALL my dives deeper the 30 feet. No if I had a larger rig I may think twice do i really want to carry this today. I may look at the others on the boat and say to myself "heck I'm the only guy here slinging a 19, 30 or a 40" "Maybe I don't need it this time" The 13 is a nice size for ME and it is not a PITA to pack and take on every dive.

You know the funny thing is on almost all the dives I have done this year I have only on one occasion seen other divers slinging any size ponys and they were on a Tech check out of some sort.

 

[ClayJar]

When I've been diving off Panama City, FL, I haven't seen a single pony, other than my 19. That has made absolutely no difference in my personal decision to carry my pony, which I do on every dive. I knew prior to picking up the pony that I would possibly be the only person packing a pony, but perceived peer pressure is no pain to me, and plenty of positives exist. I dive it for me, not for anyone else.

There has been but one dive (a shore dive) where I haven't had my pony, and that's because it was a 20' dive and I'd donated my pony's console (SPG and depth guage) to my buddy (they blew a high pressure hose right before the dive). Since then, I picked up a pony pressure gauge (button-style), so if I need to pull the pony console to swap with a bad primary, I can still dive the pony. (I'm going to get the pony reg converted to DIN soon, too, as the yoke screw occasionally gets in the way, especially when I'm goofing off and doing headstands. It's not a problem, but I like DIN better, especially for a pony, anyway.)

Incidentally, as I'd mentioned, I don't often see ponies on the boat, but I quite often field questions about what it is, what it does, and why I have it. A few people are now considering ponies, even, or considering getting theirs out and slinging it (I've heard a few who stopped carrying because they were too tippy with a pony tank-mounted).

 

[Tom Winters]

The 40 gets to be a pain sometimes - pop for a 19 or a 30. Anything smaller isn't worth the effort.

 

[Jibeho]

When I've been diving off Panama City, FL, I haven't seen a single pony, other than my 19. That has made absolutely no difference in my personal decision to carry my pony, which I do on every dive. I knew prior to picking up the pony that I would possibly be the only person packing a pony, but perceived peer pressure is no pain to me, and plenty of positives exist. I dive it for me, not for anyone else.

There has been but one dive (a shore dive) where I haven't had my pony, and that's because it was a 20' dive and I'd donated my pony's console (SPG and depth guage) to my buddy (they blew a high pressure hose right before the dive). Since then, I picked up a pony pressure gauge (button-style), so if I need to pull the pony console to swap with a bad primary, I can still dive the pony. (I'm going to get the pony reg converted to DIN soon, too, as the yoke screw occasionally gets in the way, especially when I'm goofing off and doing headstands. It's not a problem, but I like DIN better, especially for a pony, anyway.)


Incidentally, as I'd mentioned, I don't often see ponies on the boat, but I quite often field questions about what it is, what it does, and why I have it. A few people are now considering ponies, even, or considering getting theirs out and slinging it (I've heard a few who stopped carrying because they were too tippy with a pony tank-mounted).

I concur,

My previous post was just a scenario that could play out for someone growing tired of carrying a larger bottle. I also field questions on the boat. Most asked is "is it noticeable under water" With my setup I can say NO I never know it is there until I'm out of the water.