Diving with a Pony

[rockjock3]

I don't dive with a pony, but I do dive doubles a lot. As far as redundant air, I have my buddy, and I don't dive more than once with anybody that wanders off. We maintain contact, that is just how I dive and insist anybody I dive with dives (at least why they are with me).

I isn't looked down on that I know of. What is laughed at is when people pay upwards and over $200 for things like the spare air. The problem there is not that they are diving with a redundant air supply, the problem is that they are doing so with no knowledge of what they are doing. They simply bought the hype and figure that it will save their life. Problem is that 6CF is not a whole lot if you get very deep.

I would suggest that if you are going to go through the trouble of buying and carrying a redundant air source then do a little research based on your type of diving and try to figure out how much air you are going to need to do a normal/safe ascent and any stops from the deepest that you will be diving with it. I, myself, would probably just clip on a al40 for myself, if I was to carry one. I have 5 or 6 of those standing around and I would rather have to much air than to little if I was carrying a redundant source. Also, they balance out nicely with my rig.

 

[coffeesine]

I dive doubles and carry a pony, Where you dive should be how you dive, If you think that the dive has no known hazzards ie: overhead,wire,fishing nets silt then a pony will be a burden to you.
I have had the misfortune to need to use my pony in an out of air freeflow of a diver that had happened to dive the same cave as I was in. There wasn;t room for an air share of my octo,

 

[TheScubaBOB]

I've only had to use my Pony Bottle (30cuft) once and I'm sure glad I had it and was always practicing using it.

On a wreck at a depth of 70ft my instructor sent us to the wrong end of the wreck to ascend so we now had to swim the length of the wreck again. before we got to the other (correct) end of the wreck my back gas was down to 300psi! I calmly switch to my pony & was able to get back to the surface safely.

Neither of us planned for me to need the pony, we didn't push any limits. I was just a stressful dive so I consumed my air faster than anticipated and there was one mistake that caused us to take longer to get to the proper ascent point.

Other options: Use the instructor's octo, ascend at the wrong end of the wreck and wait for the dive boat to pick us up (of course we both had surface signaling devices - at least 2 each in fact).

I'll keep my Pony for dives below 60ft or when penetrating a wreck.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I dive with a pony 13 or 6 almost all the time. It is NOT for running out of air...It is for a scuba failure. Being responsible and watching your air does not mean you will never find yourself 100 ft down with nothing to breath.

 

[DevonDiver]

A lot of these "should I carry redundant air" answers might best be seen through the lens of location: cold or warm water?

Admittedly, my single OOA 'emergency' was a drastic free-flow caused by diving cold water.... but... there are many more potential failures than just 1st stage icing.

I would recommend a suitably sized pony for any dives in the 30-40m range.... as it would be extremely demanding to CESA from those depths.

Also, bear in mind that Pony cylinders deserve some specific training and consideration.

I know of at least one diver who died because they had not applied their brain to the use of a pony. It was a senseless, needless death.

The basic outline is that the diver concerned hadn't thought about differentiating his second stages, and began a deep dive accidentally breathing from his pony, not his back (main) gas. When the pony expired at depth, the diver panicked and ascended quickly.

He died on ascent... with a full cylinder of air on his back and a working regulator just inches from his mouth.

 

[shoredivr]

I know of at least one diver who died because they had not applied their brain to the use of a pony. It was a senseless, needless death.

The basic outline is that the diver concerned hadn't thought about differentiating his second stages, and began a deep dive accidentally breathing from his pony, not his back (main) gas. When the pony expired at depth, the diver panicked and ascended quickly.

He died on ascent... with a full cylinder of air on his back and a working regulator just inches from his mouth.

Agree about the brain part. Just wondering, Devon Diver, was this a back mounted or slung pony tank?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

... is it really that bad or looked down apon if someone dove with a pony (13cf or 19cf pony in my case if i get one) for that "just incase" or "there's always the chance" that something happens senarios. does it make you look inexperienced or look like you dont plan your dive? i dont plan on running out of air, but just like when you get in an aircraft; there's always that chance.

i guess i just want to know what people think.

i hope this makes sence

thank you!

I understand why this topic was moved to the solo section (to get more responces), but this was not a "solo" question.... anyway here is another take on the "pony thing"

1.) For Buddy Dives: I'd take a hard look at why you feel you need a pony on recreational dives. It does not mean that you can't or shouldn't take one, or that there will never be a situation where a pony is a good idea... but on a typical recreational dive your buddy has your "pony" strapped to his/her back Stay close to your buddy, develop good buddy skills, learn how to plan & monitor your gas consumption, understand the concept of "rock bottom" (do a search for that term on this board).

2.) Solo Dives: I'm probably in the minority of solo divers, but I think you need to take an even harder look at why you feel you really need a pony for a dive you are planning to do solo. The way I look at a pony is as extra time to solve a problem underwater. What are the potential problems that can occur on the dive you've planned that having an extra ____ minutes of time would make a difference? How deep are you planning to dive, will you be going into deco, are there any overheads (real like a cave or wreck, or virtual like boat traffic), are freeflows a potential problem? Would you still do the dive if you left the pony at home? For me, if the answer is a resounding no, then that is a dive I will not do solo.

I'm not anti-pony (I have an Al30 I somtimes sling for certain dives), but I do wonder how often a pony provides a false sense of security....There are good reasons to carry a pony, but make sure you understand what those reasons are, and don't use the pony to compensate for a "skills issue".

And on a recreational buddy dive, if the answer is "no, I won't dive without a pony", I'd need to step back and reconsider my own buddy skills and those of my partner.

Just food for thought.

Best wishes.

 

[jscott099]

When I am diving here off the NC coast it is either in doubles (so no pony) or sometimes singles (then I sling my 13 cf pony). It is there for emergencies (mostly for someone else). So far I have been fortunate enough never to need it for myself or someone else.

 

[irishsquid]

I dive with a pony 13 or 6 almost all the time. It is NOT for running out of air...It is for a scuba failure. Being responsible and watching your air does not mean you will never find yourself 100 ft down with nothing to breath.

Yep, I dont plan to use up my air till I need a backup. I'll run out of air because of a failure of equipment. I maintain my equipment, but in the real world, nothing is perfect. Even the pony could potentially fail at the same time, but my chances are better that it won't.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Yep, I dont plan to use up my air till I need a backup. I'll run out of air because of a failure of equipment. I maintain my equipment, but in the real world, nothing is perfect. Even the pony could potentially fail at the same time, but my chances are better that it won't.

Yes, both independent systems could fail, but the chances of getting killed on the freeway are much higher than simultaneous failures of independent scuba units. Every diver should make a personal risk/benefit analysis and choose the level of redundancy they can live (or die with).

I choose a pony bottle as accident insurance not as a crutch for careless diving. I'm just not comfortable diving below 60 feet, solo without some redundancy. I relax and enjoy my dive much more if I know I have a viable plan B.