DIR/pony regulator configuration

[salnykov]

Hi!

I have been diving with a regular PADI-style configuration using Aqualung Legend first, second and alternate.
I took a self-reliant diver course in January and bought an almost new Aqualung Core set to be used with a pony bottle.

I am also looking at reconfiguring my gear into GUI/DIR style hose configuration and can see three options I can configure regulators between main air source and pony bottle.

Option 1:
Main air source: Legend second on a long hose, Legend alternate on the neck
Pony: Core second or alternate
Pro: same regulator set on main source (not sure if it matters)
Cons: slightly less performing regulator on pony
Yellow legend alternate on the neck may be confusing for an inexperienced buddy in distress and s/he may try to grab it instead of long hose

Option 2:
Same as above, but replace Legend alternate face plate to black one. It still will have a yellow venturi lever, because replacing it with a black one requires changing additional components, but will look less flashy on the neck.
Pro: same regulator set on main source (not sure if it matters)
Cons: slightly less performing regulator on pony

Option 3:
Main air source: Legend second on a long hose, Core second on the neck
Pony: Legend alternate
Pro: good decent regulator on pony (that's what you rely on when you are in trouble)
no color confusion on the main
Cons: mix of different regulators on the main source (again, not sure if it matters)

It may be super-silly, but what do you guys think is the most reasonable configuration?

 

[tbone1004]

@salnykov
first and most important point. Pony bottles are not used in any GUE or DIR style diving. They are inconsistent with the DIR philosophy and all dives done by those divers where you would require a pony are either not done as they do not condone solo diving, or they would be done in doubles.

Option 1-color has not been shown to matter in OOA incidents so does not matter.
Option 2-see point about option 1
Option 3-doesn't really matter about mixing them

I would go with Option 1 of that mix personally, but it doesn't really matter. I would urge you to look at the loop bungee thread that I started about putting a loop bungee on a backplate since it makes carrying those single bottles much less clunky. You would still rig it like a DIR style stage/deco bottle, but have the loop to pull the valve up so it sits tight to your body

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You used GUE/DIR and Pony in the same post. I think you just might have opened a hole into another universe or something.

 

[salnykov]

tbone, Jim, thank you for your comments.

At this point I am not targeted at diving GUE/DIR style, I only meant hose configuration

 

[salnykov]

@salnykov
I would urge you to look at the loop bungee thread that I started about putting a loop bungee on a backplate since it makes carrying those single bottles much less clunky. You would still rig it like a DIR style stage/deco bottle, but have the loop to pull the valve up so it sits tight to your body

@tbone1004
can you elaborate on that please?

 

[tbone1004]

@tbone1004
can you elaborate on that please?

the search function on this forum is actually pretty good, easy search
Loop Bungees on backplates

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Personally I'd go with option 1. I'm not sure options 2 and 3 are worth the effort for minimal to no gain. I've found that in practice having a yellow reg on my necklace doesn't cause confusion. Your buddy is either going to have their wits about them and signal out of air and let you hand them an air source or they are going to lose their mind and attack you to grab the closest air source they can find.

 

[-JD-]

Maybe I'm, missing something - If I understand correctly, your Legend seconds have the same performance. How about just just completely swapping the legend seconds - yellow second onto the longhose and black onto the short?

A wrench and 2 minutes ...

 

[salnykov]

Maybe I'm, missing something - If I understand correctly, your Legend seconds have the same performance. How about just just completely swapping the legend seconds - yellow second onto the longhose and black onto the short?

A wrench and 2 minutes ...

@-JD-
I considered this option, but Aqualung decided to be creative and Legend secondary is not identical to the Legend secondary alternate. Legend secondary has a rotary venturi knob which is very responsive and min to max distance is quite large making it very easy to fine-tune. Legend secondary alternate features a lever which is much less responsive and has a short distance between min and max.

The knob on secondary is basically a ring with a small contact area with the regulator body. The lever on alternative has a tube that goes almost half-way inside the regulator body. Every once a while I am taking it apart to remove sand and lubricate.

A long story short: performance is the same, usability and tunability is different.

 

[halocline]

I'm looking forward to your next thread about the best split fins for DIR diving....

With regards to your question about hose configuration, I don't think there's any difference in your three options. They're all long hose/bungee alternate plus a pony. If you want to have a more substantive conversation about it, you might specify how long the hoses are, what kind of diving you're doing, and why exactly you are diving with a pony anyway. For example, if you are solo diving, there is not a good reason to bring an alternate 2nd stage; the pony is your back up. If you are team (buddy) diving in recreational settings, why do you need a pony? Is it for you, your buddy, etc....

Many divers (I'm not accusing you of this) dive with ponies in recreational settings because it makes them 'feel safer' but in fact there is zero evidence that it actually does increase safety. It is absolutely true that some divers take carrying a pony as a license to dive in an otherwise not-very-safe manner, like semi-solo diving or pushing recreational limits.

I personally like the 5ft hose for single tank recreational diving; I route it like the 7 ft hose except across my chest. It's much easier to manage and more streamlined than a 7ft hose for most divers. I use a 22" alternate on a bungee. I don't care what color the 2nd stages are. I do like to have an adjustable 2nd stage for the alternate, but it's not really necessary.

On the one dive in my life where I carried a pony, I think it was on a 28" hose, and I slung it. Now I use it for filling tires and sometimes soaking regulators.