6CF Pony Bottle Mounting
- Thread starter Romantic
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Dr. Lecter
Contributor
Stick it in your pocket, it's small enough.
jbomb001
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TigerGear Corporation - Revolutionizing the way we think about "Gearing up"
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Sent from my galaxy S5 Active.
dumpsterDiver
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I use a 13 or a 6 cu-ft pony bottle. I ran "out" on a high exertion, solo dive in 130 a few years ago (operator error). I was extremely winded and did not realize my predicament until it was getting hard to breath. I was using a 6 cu-ft pony and immediately started an ascent.. 15 feet off the the bottom - I dropped a piece of gear.. I watched it sink away as I cussed myself for not using a 13 cu-ft bottle which would have allowed me to chase it.. it was lost.
On the ascent, I tried to use the buoyancy of the BC, refrained from kicking and tried to slow my breathing rate as much as possible. I probably ascended at 60 FPM and when I got to 30 feet, I stopped, switched to the primary (steel tank) and did my 3 minute stop from 30 to 10 feet.
I am comfortable using a 6 cu-ft to about 100 feet, but the reality of the matter is that you MUST begin the ascent immediately. If you want to "dick around" on the bottom for a minute or more - then you want a bigger pony.
If you are willing to ascend immediately and at an initial rate of maybe 60 feet per minute, then a 6 cu-ft tank should get you out of trouble. If you are diving at 100 feet, one minute should put you at a depth of around 40 feet, and from there you can slow/suspend the ascent and try to avoid getting the bends. I am perfectly willing to dive with those constraints (at depths of around 100 ft); also I know I can make a free ascent from 40 feet if I am even slightly buoyant.
The important thing is to do the math for yourself. Make mathematical/situation assumptions that you are willing to bet your life on. Also, as illustrated in my stupid human trick described above... if you simply run low on air at depth- if you switch to a pony and then make it to 20 or 30 feet and you are calm.. then you can sip that "MT" tank for quite a long time. If you blow a hose or lose all your air - well then that scenario is no longer a relevant assumption.
Which concludes my off topic rant.. if you want to back mount the pony.. this is the BEST way that I know.. cheap too.
[video=youtube_share;j0sdSL-ng-g]http://youtu.be/j0sdSL-ng-g[/video]
On the ascent, I tried to use the buoyancy of the BC, refrained from kicking and tried to slow my breathing rate as much as possible. I probably ascended at 60 FPM and when I got to 30 feet, I stopped, switched to the primary (steel tank) and did my 3 minute stop from 30 to 10 feet.
I am comfortable using a 6 cu-ft to about 100 feet, but the reality of the matter is that you MUST begin the ascent immediately. If you want to "dick around" on the bottom for a minute or more - then you want a bigger pony.
If you are willing to ascend immediately and at an initial rate of maybe 60 feet per minute, then a 6 cu-ft tank should get you out of trouble. If you are diving at 100 feet, one minute should put you at a depth of around 40 feet, and from there you can slow/suspend the ascent and try to avoid getting the bends. I am perfectly willing to dive with those constraints (at depths of around 100 ft); also I know I can make a free ascent from 40 feet if I am even slightly buoyant.
The important thing is to do the math for yourself. Make mathematical/situation assumptions that you are willing to bet your life on. Also, as illustrated in my stupid human trick described above... if you simply run low on air at depth- if you switch to a pony and then make it to 20 or 30 feet and you are calm.. then you can sip that "MT" tank for quite a long time. If you blow a hose or lose all your air - well then that scenario is no longer a relevant assumption.
Which concludes my off topic rant.. if you want to back mount the pony.. this is the BEST way that I know.. cheap too.
[video=youtube_share;j0sdSL-ng-g]http://youtu.be/j0sdSL-ng-g[/video]
I solo a lot and use a pony for a redundant backup. I started off with a 40cf mounted on my back tank (130 usually) with a quikdraw, but didn't like the feel much, so just started slinging it diagonal under my left pec. This worked better, but I still wasn't crazy about it, so I bought a 13cf to try. I sling it the same…diagonal under my left pec. I really like this setup the most so far. Small, light and really easy to remove and/or pass off if needed. Yea, it's just 13cf, but just remember that and figure it into your diving.
Roman_66
Contributor
Unfortunately most boat operators doesn't have pony for rent and weight is going to be the issue than traveling, especially that I have 30cu pony. Sometimes they agree to bring additional AL80, which I connect on left side on my backplate as pony. Agree that any additional air better than nothing, but 6cf gives you some safety feeling, which is actually not so on depths more than 60ft.
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