KidK9
Contributor
So can you back mount a 30cf to an AL80 on your back instead of slinging it? If so, what brackets should I get??
Can you mount a 30 cf PB on your back next to an 80cf?
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Sure you can.
Of course your rig will be off balance, it will create a line trapper between the tanks and the PB will need to be left on (with chance of gas leaking out) unless you can reach the valve.
Of course your rig will be off balance, it will create a line trapper between the tanks and the PB will need to be left on (with chance of gas leaking out) unless you can reach the valve.
OP
KidK9
Contributor
Yeah, I was thinking of mounting it upside down so I can better reach the valve.
That way you would be able to turn it on and charge the second stage and then turn it off for the dive unless you needed to use it.
Of course in an emergency you would have to find the correct second stage and get it in your mouth while at the same time reaching back with the other hand to turn the pony on.
You would also still have the line trapper between the tanks and the off balance issue.
What problem were you trying to solve with the pony back mounted?
Of course in an emergency you would have to find the correct second stage and get it in your mouth while at the same time reaching back with the other hand to turn the pony on.
You would also still have the line trapper between the tanks and the off balance issue.
What problem were you trying to solve with the pony back mounted?
OP
KidK9
Contributor
Well, in accordance with my other posts, I'm trying to add some redundancy before I head to NC to do some diving. My g/f will not be diving with me, and I don't want to get stuck with some schlep as my dive buddy, and then have something drastic occur. I'm trying to decide which would be a better choice - the 30 or the 19. So that is basically my question.
Sorry Kid... I forgot about your other posts.
Well, good luck... if something drastic happens like an entanglement and you don't have a reliable dive buddy.
You know... I had a post around some where about what kind of rig I would use if I were to dive solo... let me see if I can find it...
Ahh... here it is... from a different board:
I would eliminate as many failure points as practical in my breathing gas supply:
All of my breathing gas would be in a single tank with one first stage, one second stage, one SPG, one lp wing inflation hose and one suit inflation hose (if diving dry.)
I wouldn't split the gas I was carrying up into multiple bottles with mutliple 0-rings, second stages, hoses and spgs to fail. In other words... no ponys, doubles, spare airs.
I would split the gas up through planning and set aside enough gas to make a controlled assent from what ever depth/time I was at in the event of a failure in any component. This amount of set-aside gas would change during the dive as the depth/time evolved.
IF I were solo diving my depth would be such that a single cylinder would be sufficient... doubles would not be necessary.
Doubles are not without their downsides and I would want to eliminate as many potential downsides as possible.
One important issue would be the necessity of self extrication from entanglement. Beyond the greater potential for entanglement with doubles is the difficulty they would pose in doffing the rig to disentangle them.
With my set of doubles I would not be wearing enough weight (none in the case of my steel 104s) to remain neutral with the rig off. Taking the doubles off UW to disentangle them would pose an unacceptable risk as the tendency would be for them to go down while I went up.
Such is not the case with a single. I could doff and don a single without becoming adversly buoyant.
*Unexpected events* should be planned for. Gas management limits the depth/time/psi to allow for a safe ascent in worse case failure modes.
There are failure modes specific to carrying extra gear and dividing your gas supply up into multiple cylinders. If you have never experienced these and practiced working through them nor are even willing to acknowledge that these failure modes exist then they will be unexpected, unforeseen and unplanned for.
***************
But then you weren't talking about solo diving. Diving with the BoC (buddy of circumstance) adds a whole other layer of liability.
Well, good luck... if something drastic happens like an entanglement and you don't have a reliable dive buddy.
You know... I had a post around some where about what kind of rig I would use if I were to dive solo... let me see if I can find it...
Ahh... here it is... from a different board:
I would eliminate as many failure points as practical in my breathing gas supply:
All of my breathing gas would be in a single tank with one first stage, one second stage, one SPG, one lp wing inflation hose and one suit inflation hose (if diving dry.)
I wouldn't split the gas I was carrying up into multiple bottles with mutliple 0-rings, second stages, hoses and spgs to fail. In other words... no ponys, doubles, spare airs.
I would split the gas up through planning and set aside enough gas to make a controlled assent from what ever depth/time I was at in the event of a failure in any component. This amount of set-aside gas would change during the dive as the depth/time evolved.
IF I were solo diving my depth would be such that a single cylinder would be sufficient... doubles would not be necessary.
Doubles are not without their downsides and I would want to eliminate as many potential downsides as possible.
One important issue would be the necessity of self extrication from entanglement. Beyond the greater potential for entanglement with doubles is the difficulty they would pose in doffing the rig to disentangle them.
With my set of doubles I would not be wearing enough weight (none in the case of my steel 104s) to remain neutral with the rig off. Taking the doubles off UW to disentangle them would pose an unacceptable risk as the tendency would be for them to go down while I went up.
Such is not the case with a single. I could doff and don a single without becoming adversly buoyant.
*Unexpected events* should be planned for. Gas management limits the depth/time/psi to allow for a safe ascent in worse case failure modes.
There are failure modes specific to carrying extra gear and dividing your gas supply up into multiple cylinders. If you have never experienced these and practiced working through them nor are even willing to acknowledge that these failure modes exist then they will be unexpected, unforeseen and unplanned for.
***************
But then you weren't talking about solo diving. Diving with the BoC (buddy of circumstance) adds a whole other layer of liability.
OP
KidK9
Contributor
Thanks Pug for your post. No, I didn't expect you to remember my other posts, I jsut didn't want you to think I was rephrasing the question to add another post that's all. But thanks. I understand your viewpoint and agree with..well some of it in terms of adding extra gear. And I don't want to get into a debate...but that's like saying cave and wreck diving are asking for all kinds of trouble b/c they use doubles, stages, many reels, many lights,..etc etc. All I'm talking about is adding a single 30, and plan on using it in the quarry multiple times before I just plummet down to 130 and experience a problem.
Good Kid... and I wasn't trying to start an argument with you at all... just trying to get you to think it through.
Last summer we had a promising young man floating on the surface dead after running out of air in his main tank. He had gone on his third dive of the day with a partial fill but had a pony. I don't know that it was the pony that made him think he was covered or not but it certainly seems possible. Any way from what I understand the pony was still full but the reg was caught behind him.
Take care.
Last summer we had a promising young man floating on the surface dead after running out of air in his main tank. He had gone on his third dive of the day with a partial fill but had a pony. I don't know that it was the pony that made him think he was covered or not but it certainly seems possible. Any way from what I understand the pony was still full but the reg was caught behind him.
Take care.
I did a dive today where the agreed upon plan was for me to continue the dive alone after the other 2 divers began their ascent. The boat owner offered the remainder of his O2 deco tank as a redundant gas supply :11: He quickly realized this was not really a feasible option. I assured him I would not run out of gas and the dive went as planned, except I got cold and returned 11 minutes earlier than the deadline 
I used to drag along a 30cf pony backmounted on every dive (solo or not) for just the reasons you stated. I usually didn't have too much trouble with it rolling me sideways, except when it did and I would give up and swim in that goofy position (hard to keep an eye on your buddy, though). I only got entangled in kelp a couple of times (obviously I was able to free myself). I didn't plan on ever using it, but it was there when I did get too close to sucking a vaccum on my main tank
I suppose if I was diving in NJ and the boaties said I needed a pony or I don't get to dive, I could do so, but it would not be back-mounted. On the other hand, maybe I would look for a boat that would let me pick my own gear instead. I've also learned how to figure out when to turn a dive so as not to run out gas, even if my buddy needs some of it at the absolute last moment we were to turn anyhow. Or if WOB (without buddy), I can hopefully get to the surface on whatever's left during the "whaddif" free-flows, blown O-rings, sliced hoses, etc.... If not, well, guess it's time to meet my Maker
I used to drag along a 30cf pony backmounted on every dive (solo or not) for just the reasons you stated. I usually didn't have too much trouble with it rolling me sideways, except when it did and I would give up and swim in that goofy position (hard to keep an eye on your buddy, though). I only got entangled in kelp a couple of times (obviously I was able to free myself). I didn't plan on ever using it, but it was there when I did get too close to sucking a vaccum on my main tank
I suppose if I was diving in NJ and the boaties said I needed a pony or I don't get to dive, I could do so, but it would not be back-mounted. On the other hand, maybe I would look for a boat that would let me pick my own gear instead. I've also learned how to figure out when to turn a dive so as not to run out gas, even if my buddy needs some of it at the absolute last moment we were to turn anyhow. Or if WOB (without buddy), I can hopefully get to the surface on whatever's left during the "whaddif" free-flows, blown O-rings, sliced hoses, etc.... If not, well, guess it's time to meet my Maker
OP
KidK9
Contributor
Ok, I guess I now realize that most people that feel like posting are against pony's. But I'm gonna use one. Yes, I have plenty of training (Divemaster) and dives to realize how to plan a dive and execute it. But the point is, I'm going to use one, and I wish someone could offer the correct set of brackets to mount this thing to an 80 or a 104. I don't plan on using it as a way to squeeze another 10 minutes out of my dive. I plan on using it IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. Thank you.
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