Back mount pony bottle

[Billsdiving2]

You will not get much love on this forum for pony bottles as most tend to believe that if you are concerned about such things you should be diving doubles which actually give you a properly redundant system. Marginal increase in weight but you don't have to have 3 tanks, only 2, don't have to worry about filling that 19cf bottle, and everything is working regularly so that is likely what you will see from everyone responding.

Edit: I will give the disclaimer that they are obviously used in the commercial/PSD world when diving with FFM's and make use of switch blocks and what not so the diver doesn't have to share air and remove the mask due to concerns with contaminated water and what not. This is outside the scope of recreational diving and while I think FFM's should also be outside of the scope of recreational diving people seem to like them. To me they are just a necessary evil when I have to talk to people either in-water or at the surface.

Pony’s have their place as do bailouts ( larger pony’s) if you are an instructor and not offering a variety of options to the divers you work with I would suggest more contemplative thinking

 

[34109411]

Pony’s have their place as do bailouts ( larger pony’s) if you are an instructor and not offering a variety of options to the divers you work with I would suggest more contemplative thinking

Someone might not need double for a variety of reason and prefer a pony bottle. I use a 30 CF tank that i put on my left side. It does the job and it s an independent air source. Totally safe also. All depend of the diving you intend to do.

 

[34109411]

Someone might not need double for a variety of reason and prefer a pony bottle. I use a 30 CF tank that i put on my left side. It does the job and it s an independent air source. Totally safe also. All depend of the diving you intend to do.

 

[tbone1004]

Pony’s have their place as do bailouts ( larger pony’s) if you are an instructor and not offering a variety of options to the divers you work with I would suggest more contemplative thinking

generally with more contemplative thinking the diver will determine that a pony bottle is not necessary, and if it is, then they go to a true redundant system.

 

[grf88]

generally with more contemplative thinking the diver will determine that a pony bottle is not necessary, and if it is, then they go to a true redundant system.

What is truly redundant with manifolded doubles which have the possibility of isolation valve failure. I know it is very rare but if it is a possibility then manifolded doubles are not as fully redundant as a pony and are a lot harder on the back.

 

[Boarderguy]

Redundant like these fellas? I dove a 133 with my pony and we all surfaced within 1 minute of eachother. Cold was the limiting factor after 80 minutes in 47/48° and not finding.