A beginner asks: why slung?

[texdiveguy]

Well if I am solo then I would prefer mounted. Im never going to hand it off to someone and its easyer to kit up by myself as there is no one else there to hand it to me when I have entered the water. I think slung is a bit arkward when doing a back roll entry or donning BC while in the water which are the two methods I would use when diving on my boat.
When diving with someone else then slung maybe a better mounting option.

Like most things in life there is very rarely one right way to do things.

I see,,,,I guess I am so used to handling deco bottles and started with a slung pony,,,I kit it dry,,,back-roll/giant stride/tec drop....all the same to me...but you are right--'rarely one right way to do things'.

 

[Packhorse]

Oh and there is always the "I dive with a pony straped to my main tank. Its a 100cf too" quote

 

[Jibeho]

Thanks so far! Another question: Does a slung bottle "get in the way"? Do they actually swing around? Do they have a higher incidence of snagging?

No my 13 does not get in the way. I invert looking under ledges and never feel it. Some time when I'm in close I instinctively want to reach and pull it up but it is never in the way . I actually know some one that has a camera that works under water so here is a photo.

 

[Artimas]

Thanks for the replies and the photo. In the photo it looks like it would be in the way, but apparantly not based on the replies.

It's still not entirely clear to me...Do you have it clipped in front of, behind, or under your shoulder?

I was gonna get a 19, but my new dive buddy convinced me to go for a 30. He's in the "in an emergency, more air is better" camp, and it's worth the slight inconvenience of the bigger bottle. I can't find any fault in that logic. He has his mounted and is happy with that.

FYI- I'm a pretty inexperienced diver, about 25 dives, almost all warm water Caribbean. I did a couple of N. Atlantic dives this summer anp plan on doing more. Big difference. I was comfortable with an octopus in the Caribbean, but that's clearly a poor option for the Atlantic dives.

 

[PerroneFord]

In a slung config, the neck of the tank clips to the d-ring at your left shoulder. The clip near the bottom of the tank clips to your left waist. When you are horizontal in the water, it just hangs off your left side. It's barely noticable. It kinds sits under your armpit, and out of the way. You want it close to the body so it doesn't have much drag.

 

[spectrum]

I was gonna get a 19, but my new dive buddy convinced me to go for a 30. He's in the "in an emergency, more air is better" camp, and it's worth the slight inconvenience of the bigger bottle. I can't find any fault in that logic.

It may be failsafe logic but it would be nice to understand how the cylinder size relates to the dive with a little gas planning. Check out this old post and reflect on what sorts of dives you are gearing up for.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1590880&postcount=4

Pete

 

[markfm]

There's also the ease of use factor. My 19 is small enough to take on vacation, fits in my dive bag with other gear. I actually do carry and use it. The 30 is a fair chunk larger. A friend who bought a 30 ends up rarely having it with him -- a pain in the butt for him.
What you need depends on what you plan on doing. I have zero desire to do tech now or for the forseeable future. A 19 CF is equivalent to 750 psi in an AL80 -- that works for me, budgetting a bit of debug time.
If a first stage blows under water, the 19 is right there -- for me, for my own use. If someone else is OOA, they get my safe second (or primary).

 

[Artimas]

Thanks all! Very helpful info.

 

[lamont]

With a slung pony you can also see leaks from the second stage, first stage, pressure gauges or tank neck -- which should be of benefit to solo divers since they can easily bubble check their gear on every dive and stay ahead of maintenance issues before they blow an o-ring out. And if the second stage freeflows you'll be able to feel the bubbles near your armpit and be more likely to hear them (although a backmounted pony with a neclace reg fixes this problem as well).

 

[Jake]

Thanks so far! Another question: Does a slung bottle "get in the way"? Do they actually swing around? Do they have a higher incidence of snagging?

As others have said, slung properly they're not an issue. The only time I ever have to touch my 19 underwater is if I'm having to move through a small opening (like some wreck hatches tend to be). I simply hug it up a little closer to me real quick and swim through.