Coldwater_Canuck
Contributor
Hey everyone, I'm a relatively new diver looking to purchase some equipment in the near future. Although I always dive with a buddy, I would prefer to be as self-reliant as possible, so am thinking a pony bottle would be a good investment. I've tried to research them but have been incredibly confused by conflicting information, so have a ton of questions:
I'll number my questions to make it a bit more clear:
1.) Does a pony bottle replace the need for a backup second stage from your main tank?
2.) I see a lot of stuff about pony bottles being attached to a BCD, or turning them on only when needed, and all this stuff. I always thought that a pony bottle was attached to a tank and turned on for the entire dive? Are they just different options, or how do people usually use them?
3.) When purchasing, what size would be preferable (assuming the possibility of deep diving in the future - up to 130 feet)? Also, is it generally best to buy a pre-configured system or just buy a tank and regulator yourself? Are they generally easy to switch between tanks (I plan to continue renting my main tanks)?
4.) Would you generally fill a pony bottle with air or nitrox? Do pony bottles need a PSI gage to tell how much air is remaining?
5.) Any recommendations or at least give a rough idea of how much I should be planning to spend?
Thanks for your help,
Graeme
I'll number my questions to make it a bit more clear:
1.) Does a pony bottle replace the need for a backup second stage from your main tank?
2.) I see a lot of stuff about pony bottles being attached to a BCD, or turning them on only when needed, and all this stuff. I always thought that a pony bottle was attached to a tank and turned on for the entire dive? Are they just different options, or how do people usually use them?
3.) When purchasing, what size would be preferable (assuming the possibility of deep diving in the future - up to 130 feet)? Also, is it generally best to buy a pre-configured system or just buy a tank and regulator yourself? Are they generally easy to switch between tanks (I plan to continue renting my main tanks)?
4.) Would you generally fill a pony bottle with air or nitrox? Do pony bottles need a PSI gage to tell how much air is remaining?
5.) Any recommendations or at least give a rough idea of how much I should be planning to spend?
Thanks for your help,
Graeme