A poll companion to the recent pony thread. Do you carry one?

[BlueTrin]

I can't post that I never use a pony bottle, however I don't like to tote a pony around so most times I use IDs instead. I consider IDs a good way to extend BT and increase the safety factor by having independent air supplies. The 2 rotator cuffs op on my right shoulder precludes my reaching manifolds, so regular doubles don't do it for me. To compound that fact I'm due for surgery on my left shoulder the end of the month. IDs forever I guess.

I am sorry to hear this.

I don’t know if that helps: one instructor at my club has had injuries preventing him to reach the manifolds so he dives with inverted tanks.

Don’t know if it is unsafe, I never saw him diving with manifolds so can’t comment.

 

[Gareth J]

I ticked the pony, with a normal single cylinder rig.

In truth I used to dive twins about 80-90% of the time. Then I switched to CCR. With CCR, I carry a stage about 95% of the time. I carry a stage on the shallow water dives, not really for me, but for my buddy - even though most are either on twinsets or carry pony's. (The onboard DIL would suffice on shallow dive for my bailout.)
I only really dive single cylinders on blue water holidays, or if I'm teaching new divers.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I can't fix my typo.

Can a Moderator please amend that line in brackets to read: 'a redundant air supply for emergencies, 'NOT' used to extend bottom time, etc.

youve been talking to maxbottomtime too much

 

[AfterDark]

I am sorry to hear this.

I don’t know if that helps: one instructor at my club has had injuries preventing him to reach the manifolds so he dives with inverted tanks.

Don’t know if it is unsafe, I never saw him diving with manifolds so can’t comment.

Thank you.
I have considered used inverted doubles. It's an old idea; Divator I believe marketed small sets of inverted doubles for years outside the USA.

The biggest obstacle I found was protecting the valves. Whatever is used adds weight to the total rig. I guess titanium or carbon fiber would be the way to go.

However at my age I'm only one doctor appointment away from my last dive so why bother changing now?

 

[Alucard]

I voted "I use another form of gas redundancy." because I always buddy dive in warm waters and they are my gas redundancy. Hope this was what was intended.

 

[kelemvor]

I voted "I use another form of gas redundancy." because I always buddy dive in warm waters and they are my gas redundancy. Hope this was what was intended.

I think that's intended to be for folks bringing another tank or tanks. i.e. doubles

No, it's not necessary for me ever. is I believe intended for the situation you describe.

 

[kelemvor]

Thank you.
I have considered used inverted doubles. It's an old idea; Divator I believe marketed small sets of inverted doubles for years outside the USA.

The biggest obstacle I found was protecting the valves. Whatever is used adds weight to the total rig. I guess titanium or carbon fiber would be the way to go.

However at my age I'm only one doctor appointment away from my last dive so why bother changing now?

Somewhere on the net I've seen instructions for a little protective piece that protects inverted valves. I'm sure there's a million ways to skin that cat if you really want to. I guess you could also mitigate the risk by doing in water don/doff of the bcd. In low seas, that is a really nice option regardless of the way your tanks are oriented.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think that's intended to be for folks bringing another tank or tanks. i.e. doubles

No, it's not necessary for me ever. is I believe intended for the situation you describe.

Well, then I made the same mistake in responding to the poll. I initially answered "No, it's not necessary for me ever," but after the OP added the option "I use another form of gas redundancy," I changed my answer to the latter.

 

[AfterDark]

Somewhere on the net I've seen instructions for a little protective piece that protects inverted valves. I'm sure there's a million ways to skin that cat if you really want to. I guess you could also mitigate the risk by doing in water don/doff of the bcd. In low seas, that is a really nice option regardless of the way your tanks are oriented.

Thanks, I've seen the different gizmos for protecting valves on inverted doubles. I do however really prefer IDs.
The ID config has other advantages I like; the tanks are singles when unmounted from the BCD and as such are easy to handle. The same tanks used for IDs can be used as single tanks. This cuts down on the added expense of owning single and double tanks. I know most don't but I consider a manifold as another failure point with it's joints and knobs. I've had only good experiences with the ID configuration since 1970something.

 

[Gareth J]

There are a number of divers in my club diving inverted twins.
They have a valve protector that is part of the twining bands, made of 5mm (0.25") thick 25mm (1") wide bar.
i.e. the load is transferred from the valve protector through to the twining bands. I've seen a twinset dropped off the harbour wall with this setup, it took a chunk out of the boat, but protected the valves.

The traditional, valve protector that mounts to the cylinder neck is useless. in fact worse than useless. It give the false impression that it will protect the valve.

It it was easier to drag and drop a picture into the post, I would try and find a picture and add it.