Do you actually see people diving with pony bottles?

[Wookie]

I have 150's. The boat did not. The boat supplied 80's. And we didn't allow ponies to be used to extend a dive. We allowed you to bring a pony (up to 40). We allowed you to bring any size cylinder you liked.

So, what is the difference between carrying one cylinder or a completely redundant system? Really? I'm not trying to be obtuse, but have you read this thread?

 

[ljpm]

I was referring to him already emptied his AL80 & sucking on his pony bottle. This is a case of an air hog diver on warm-water recreational diving single AL80 with a pony bottle to extend his dive with his wife who is also on a single AL80 w/o pony bottle.

You are making assumptions. Who said I would be emptying my back tank first?

 

[ljpm]

I have 150's. The boat did not. The boat supplied 80's. And we didn't allow ponies to be used to extend a dive. We allowed you to bring a pony (up to 40). We allowed you to bring any size cylinder you liked.

So, what is the difference between carrying one cylinder or a completely redundant system? Really? I'm not trying to be obtuse, but have you read this thread?

Yes I have and no one has actually answered why having a completely redundant system is bad in recreational diving but more than acceptable, in fact required, in cave or wreck diving. I use 133's at home. I can't travel with them. It is just not worth the expense when I can sling a second tank.

 

[Dan]

You are making assumptions. Who said I would be emptying my back tank first?

You didn't. I Ass-U-me you would. My bad. My apology. Slinging AL80 would be a good idea to me, if the diveshop or liveaboard let you.

I do check with the liveaboard / dive shop, where my dive group would be going to, for providing bigger tanks for some of my air hog dive buddies.

 

[ljpm]

Nomenclature:

Pony - small cylinder used in addition to primary gas supply regardless of purpose
Bailout - gas reserved for emergency purposes
Stage - cylinder other than the primary one that is intended to be used for a particular stage of the dive

I think this is the key. You may consider the tank I sling a pony or bailout whereas my dive plan considers it a stage bottle. Without asking the diver the purpose of the secondary tank you are making assumptions.

Is this a pony bottle or a stage bottle.

 

[Wookie]

Yes I have and no one has actually answered why having a completely redundant system is bad in recreational diving but more than acceptable, in fact required, in cave or wreck diving. I use 133's at home. I can't travel with them. It is just not worth the expense when I can sling a second tank.

I use them on every dive, regardless of depth or overhead.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

If maintaining gear, being aware, and knowing how much air you have are the solutions to the problems that exist in diving, then why is redundancy taught/required in the deep diver specialty and solo course?

$$$. Why are there solo courses? What changes when you are by yourself or near another diver? Does your gear act differently? Do the physics of water change? The only thing I do differently when diving solo is not think about where my buddy is. Every other aspect is the same. I check my gear, I descend and look for subjects to photograph/study and when I reach my rock bottom pressure I begin my ascent. I don't stay down until I suddenly run out of air and need a spare bottle of air. Do you carry a gas can around with you in your car or do you watch your fuel gauge?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Is this a pony bottle or a stage bottle.
View attachment 430433

... it's an oversize beer can ... but I do get your point. Some of my buddies in the Red Sea did the same thing when they wanted to extend their dives on some of the deeper wrecks we were diving ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[uncfnp]

Yes I have and no one has actually answered why having a completely redundant system is bad in recreational diving but more than acceptable, in fact required, in cave or wreck diving. I use 133's at home. I can't travel with them. It is just not worth the expense when I can sling a second tank.

For some reason that I have never figured out pony threads are almost always controversial and often contentious.

To try and answer your question, part of it is semantics. Is it a pony, a stage, a bailout? Is it emergency redundancy or is it to provide extra bottom gas.

Part of the problem is that you are posting in a pony bottle thread. That generally means emergency redundency. In this case the goal is to never use the bottle and if you do it means something went south in your dive. Hence the boat or dive op looking at this negatively. But you are wanting both, emergency redundancy and more bottom gas. There is the rub.

Yes, if the dive op allows and you have access to 80’s, you can do both, just as described upthread. Better yet you could also take sidemount and get. the training and gear to manage it and potential problems correctly. You are essentially diving independent doubles without the training.

 

[ReefHound]

I can't speak for the reasons behind Fling policy but the policy is that emergency equipment is to be used for emergencies. We fill your pony once at the beginning but not between dives. Any exceptions are the captain's call. If you're air leaked out accidentally or you used it legimately you'll probably get an exception.

My observation is that most divers are carrying a 13cf or 19cf pony in case they run out of air, not a slung 80 as part of their gas plan. It may be a matter of applying rules to fit the majority. One reason many boats don't like to mix rec and tech is because the rec divers see the tech divers doing something and then try to do the same thing and get themselves in trouble, because they don't have the training and knowledge.