Best method to carry a 13 cu ft pony with reg

[hroark2112]

I use the Zeagle straps to put the 19' pony on my back and run the reg to a octo holder on my left waist. It's out of the way and easy to rig up.

 

[dshorwich]

I sling a 13 on the left, as others have described. Not being much of a DIY type, I bought a stage strap kit from Dive Gear Express, the X-Small, which is listed as suitable for 13s and 19s. I found it a little too big for my 13 and had to cut it down a bit (so much for avoiding DIY), and I also swapped out the SS snaps it came with for a pair of smaller brass snaps - the SS snaps seemed a tad overpowered for my little pony.

 

[kwinter]

Going against the trend here. I don't recommend slinging a pony for most newbie divers. When you read the posts about side slinging, they are mostly from tech divers or advanced divers who might be carrying stages or deco bottles on other dives. So on a simple puddle splash, they take a pony in the same configuration. Most newbie divers will not be manipulating the pony during the dive. It will be turned on and forgotten about until the dive is over and it won't be passed to someone else. For all these reasons, I think the safest and easiest way is to mount it to the primary behind you and run the second stage on the right, clipped off just like an octo would be. As the diver progresses much further, the pony will develop into stages or deco or maybe the concern for passing it off. But a 13 is not likely to fit that bill. Newbies don't need to be confused by something else in front of them. Very experienced divers who are just new to carrying a pony might choose either way.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doctormike]

Most newbie divers will not be manipulating the pony during the dive.

Right, but if/when they do, it will be in an incredibly stressful situation, where having it right in front of them would be a big advantage, and not have to rely on deploying from the back of their tank.

I think the safest and easiest way is to mount it to the primary behind you and run the second stage on the right, clipped off just like an octo would be.

You mean instead of an octo (backup second stage off the primary gas source), or in addition to the octo? If you mean "instead", then you have lost the ability to share gas from your main tank, and if we are talking about something tiny like a 13 CUF tank, then that's a bit of a disadvantage in a rescue situation. It also means that if you have a primary second stage failure, then you have no option other than to switch to your pony (with its smaller gas supply). If you mean "in addition", then you have three second stages with hoses in front of you, not a great configuration.

Finally, if (when) the clipped off pony regulator comes loose accidentally, it's harder to retrieve if it's coming from a small tank strapped to the back of your main tank then if it's coming from your first stage on your primary tank.

As the diver progresses much further, the pony will develop into stages or deco or maybe the concern for passing it off. But a 13 is not likely to fit that bill. Newbies don't need to be confused by something else in front of them.

Well, I guess that would make sense if slinging a pony was very confusing, but in my experience it just isn't. Having an extra tank means extra gear no matter where you carry it, and I always found that a slung pony (even a 40) pretty much "disappeared" underwater, but that strapped on tank made it harder to rack the tank on the deck, and affected my trim underwater.

 

[kwinter]

Right, but if/when they do, it will be in an incredibly stressful situation, where having it right in front of them would be a big advantage, and not have to rely on deploying from the back of their tank.

We're talking about newbies and week-a-year-vacation divers. They are not going to be "deploying" anything. The pony is there for redundancy and emergencies. I wouldn't expect a diver like that to be able to hand off a tank even if it was right in front of him. And he doesn't need that kind of stress.

You mean instead of an octo (backup second stage off the primary gas source), or in addition to the octo? If you mean "instead", then you have lost the ability to share gas from your main tank, and if we are talking about something tiny like a 13 CUF tank, then that's a bit of a disadvantage in a rescue situation. It also means that if you have a primary second stage failure, then you have no option other than to switch to your pony (with its smaller gas supply). If you mean "in addition", then you have three second stages with hoses in front of you, not a great configuration.

Either way. In addition to a standard octo, the pony second can be clipped off in a different area. Not talking about bungee necklaces here. Or some newbies prefer an integrated octo/inflator. Remember that an OOG diver is going to grab the one from your mouth, not the one clipped off on your right, so having 2 there isn't confusion for anyone else. And I wouldn't expect the kind of diver we're talking about to be very involved in a "rescue situation."

Finally, if (when) the clipped off pony regulator comes loose accidentally, it's harder to retrieve if it's coming from a small tank strapped to the back of your main tank then if it's coming from your first stage on your primary tank.

I'll grant you that one, but the standard regulator recovery procedure would still work. And having to deploy a second stage from bands around the pony like standard stage rigging could be a nightmare. Putting it back if it came out would be much more difficult than retrieving a lost pony reg that is back mounted. I'm not even sure there is enough length on a 13 to adequately stow a second.

Well, I guess that would make sense if slinging a pony was very confusing, but in my experience it just isn't. Having an extra tank means extra gear no matter where you carry it, and I always found that a slung pony (even a 40) pretty much "disappeared" underwater, but that strapped on tank made it harder to rack the tank on the deck, and affected my trim underwater.

That's because you are an experienced diver. Just picture some of the boneheads you've probably seen on vacation with dangling gauges and vertical trim, hand sculling and kicking the crap out of the reef and other divers. You seriously want to put something in front of them? I still think it's better to keep it away from them as much as possible. Just the second stage clipped off in front.

Sticking to my guns here.

 

[socaljohn]

Seen several divers carry small (13) pony in just the manner the OP mentioned. Works for them....

 

[doctormike]

We're talking about newbies and week-a-year-vacation divers. They are not going to be "deploying" anything. The pony is there for redundancy and emergencies. I wouldn't expect a diver like that to be able to hand off a tank even if it was right in front of him. And he doesn't need that kind of stress.

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear. By "deploying", I meant breathing from it in an emergency. It's a lot easier to grab a regulator that is right in front of you.

Remember that an OOG diver is going to grab the one from your mouth, not the one clipped off on your right, so having 2 there isn't confusion for anyone else.

Yeah, I guess. I just think that three gas hoses in front is a bit confusing and a setup for entanglement and difficulty with switching, etc...

 

[Mustard Dave]

Going against the trend here. I don't recommend slinging a pony for most newbie divers. When you read the posts about side slinging, they are mostly from tech divers or advanced divers who might be carrying stages or deco bottles on other dives. So on a simple puddle splash, they take a pony in the same configuration. Most newbie divers will not be manipulating the pony during the dive. It will be turned on and forgotten about until the dive is over and it won't be passed to someone else. For all these reasons, I think the safest and easiest way is to mount it to the primary behind you and run the second stage on the right, clipped off just like an octo would be. As the diver progresses much further, the pony will develop into stages or deco or maybe the concern for passing it off. But a 13 is not likely to fit that bill. Newbies don't need to be confused by something else in front of them. Very experienced divers who are just new to carrying a pony might choose either way.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some use 'pony' as an acronym of 'Piss off - not yours!' and recommend if wearing the pony on your back, you should bungee it around your neck so it is clear where that reg comes from. The danger of having the pony reg like an octo is the OOG diver can take that and suck it dry, thinking the donor's contents gauge for the main cylinder is the one they are breathing.

I don't think a side slung pony is confusing at all, and if they come to use as their diving progresses, they will be familiar with the configuration.

 

[uncfnp]

Going against the trend here. I don't recommend slinging a pony for most newbie divers. When you read the posts about side slinging, they are mostly from tech divers or advanced divers who might be carrying stages or deco bottles on other dives. So on a simple puddle splash, they take a pony in the same configuration. Most newbie divers will not be manipulating the pony during the dive. It will be turned on and forgotten about until the dive is over and it won't be passed to someone else. For all these reasons, I think the safest and easiest way is to mount it to the primary behind you and run the second stage on the right, clipped off just like an octo would be. As the diver progresses much further, the pony will develop into stages or deco or maybe the concern for passing it off. But a 13 is not likely to fit that bill. Newbies don't need to be confused by something else in front of them. Very experienced divers who are just new to carrying a pony might choose either way.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I see your point but anyone so new or infrequent a diver that can't manage a slung tank probably doesn't need to be carrying a pony at all but instead concentrating on learning to dive.

 

[CT-Rich]

We're talking about newbies and week-a-year-vacation divers. They are not going to be "deploying" anything. The pony is there for redundancy and emergencies. I wouldn't expect a diver like that to be able to hand off a tank even if it was right in front of him. And he doesn't need that kind of stress.







Either way. In addition to a standard octo, the pony second can be clipped off in a different area. Not talking about bungee necklaces here. Or some newbies prefer an integrated octo/inflator. Remember that an OOG diver is going to grab the one from your mouth, not the one clipped off on your right, so having 2 there isn't confusion for anyone else. And I wouldn't expect the kind of diver we're talking about to be very involved in a "rescue situation."



I'll grant you that one, but the standard regulator recovery procedure would still work. And having to deploy a second stage from bands around the pony like standard stage rigging could be a nightmare. Putting it back if it came out would be much more difficult than retrieving a lost pony reg that is back mounted. I'm not even sure there is enough length on a 13 to adequately stow a second.






That's because you are an experienced diver. Just picture some of the boneheads you've probably seen on vacation with dangling gauges and vertical trim, hand sculling and kicking the crap out of the reef and other divers. You seriously want to put something in front of them? I still think it's better to keep it away from them as much as possible. Just the second stage clipped off in front.

Sticking to my guns here.

For starters, we aren't really talking Newbies, first, this is also the advanced forum, the OP was asking about slinging a 13. Most people who are going to sling a pony are going to be divers who have been around a bit and are interested in committing to a more advanced rig or solo diving.

As far as the ease of deployment or putting it on a necklace, I like the reg bungeed to the bottle. As a stage bottle the PONY acronym would definitely apply because you need the stage gas to get to the surface safely. As a back up, if you need to share, this you can hand it off and keep your primary air.

When it comes to ease of use, a pony attached behind your back can't be said to be newbie friendly, you can't see if it has leak, you either have another SPG on a hose or you have no idea how much air it has. And if you get a line hooked over a back mounted pony, you are going to have to free yourself blind.

I have set up my rig so that I can dive with or without the pony. Instead of an octo, I have an AIR II on my BCD and then the 13' slung on the left for when I want to solo.