Gear configuration question

[Mr. Dooley]

First post on SB so here it goes!

I got OW certified last year, really dug it. Diving took a bit of a pause with COVID but recently got back into it now that I've found an LDS (Portland) that's still operational.

Anyway I now own all my own kit - regs, BC, exposure system, etc. In my eagerness to get my own stuff I pretty much purchased along the lines of what my LDS recommended. Having had a bit more experience now with my own kit and done some more research, there a some tweaks I'm considering making to my gear.

My philosophy when adding / changing gear is that I want to incorporate elements that I'll be able to grow into as I progress with diving - ultimately technical diving being of interest to me. With that in mind I like the following set up - I think I want the regulator / hose configuration where the primary goes under the right arm and incorporates a swivel / elbow joint, and the octo is on a short hose with a necklace. Seems like this is a good, streamlined set up that's suited for more advanced diving (caverns?) as I continue my training.

A couple quick questions about this set up -

- SSI training for deep dives now incorporates a mandatory bail out bottle training component. I've already completed this part in the pool, and noticed the bailout bottle's regulator used the necklace. Where I'm going is with my desired set up listed above combined with a bailout bottle I'd have two necklaces in my system . . . is that an issue? Like if I have to switch to my bailout reg but I'm already wearing a necklace with my octo - is there a way to deal with that? Depth does have an allure to me (controversial I know), I've been to 111 feet and would like to do additional deep dives in the future so the bailout bottle may become a regular part of my kit and I want to make sure my desired primary / octo setup and routing is suitable with its use.

- Is having the octo around your neck cumbersome? Do you feel / notice it in the water or pretty much forget it's there? I'm basically trying to make sure that with an octo around my neck, the area doesn't get too cluttered with gear and that I'll be able to readily use my compass / SPG which are both on D-rings near either shoulder.

Lastly! If anyone can recommend an Octo that's well suited for what I've described, I'd love to hear it. I'm currently using an Apeks XL4+ first stage. Again, I figure I may as well get an Octo that's robust and works well in cold water, minimal free-flow issues, etc. Since I'm serious about diving I see no reason to get a more entry-level unit to save money now, only to want to replace it as I get more advanced.

Thank you for your input!

 

[Marie13]

You don’t wear pony reg on a necklace. Sure way to get confused with two necklaces.

Pony second stage/hose is held against tank with hose retainer bands.

Also, I don’t know SSI but bail out bottle is confusing terminology. Bail out bottles are what a rebreather diver’s open circuit back up cylinders are called.

Pony is emergency redundant air for single tank divers.

 

[loosenit2]

Best option is to rig it as a stage bottle. Stage bottle is rigged to be attached to your BC and regulator and hose are held to side of tank with elastic band. You would then have primary either under arm or around back of head and secondary on Necklace.

There are other configurations for solo diving where you eliminate the octo on your main tank and use pony bottle as redundant air source for secondary.

 

[Mr. Dooley]

Marie13 - duly noted. The instructor at my LDS hates the term pony bottle apparently, so we've been calling 'em bail out bottles. Not sure if that's an SSI thing or just a personal idiosyncrasy.

The spare bottle that I pool trained with was attached to my BC via D-ring by my hip. It's 2nd stage regulator had a necklace on it. The sequence I was trained on would be as follows - remove the second stage in your mouth, unbundle the hose / reg from the pony bottle on your hip, don the necklace attached to the pony's second stage, start breathing out of that second stage.

For whatever reason that made me then wonder if it was "standard" to set up pony bottle second stages with a necklace.

 

[Mr. Dooley]

You don’t wear pony reg on a necklace. Sure way to get confused with two necklaces.

Sorry I should have clarified - the pony's reg / hose were bundled against the pony - but when I needed to actually use the pony's reg i'd unbundle it all and then don the pony reg's necklace before use.

 

[stretchthepenn]

For whatever reason that made me then wonder if it was "standard" to set up pony bottle second stages with a necklace.

I've never heard of putting a necklace on a pony bottle's 2nd stage. It sounds like a bad idea; the necklace is gonna be flopping around unless it's tightly stowed, and stowing it tightly sounds like a real pain.

 

[lexvil]

You may call the bottle anything you wish to call it but if you call it a pony everyone will know what you’re talking about, even the guy who hates the term.

Right now deep 6 has some second stages at a great price, piranha has some great deals on HOG, these are very similar to your Apeks in overall design and would make a nice companion to you existing, I use a HOG second on my Elephant (see you can call it anything)

 

[MaxBottomtime]

If your ultimate goal is technical diving, you won't be carrying a pony bottle. You will use doubles, whether side-mounted or with a manifold or a rebreather.

 

[Mr. Dooley]

If your ultimate goal is technical diving, you won't be carrying a pony bottle. You will use doubles, whether side-mounted or with a manifold or a rebreather.

Fair enough - I was thinking primarily about the regulator / routing configuration (primary hose under right arm, octo on necklace) as being more technically oriented, not the pony bottle itself. Just curious if the aforementioned setup routing is compatible with a pony bottle, since I may be using one for deeper dives in the meantime.

But since it sounds like I may have been trained on a "weird" pony bottle (in that it's reg had a necklace, all of which was bundled on the bottle itself until use), I'm getting the impression that my desired techi-inspired setup shouldn't preclude the use of a pony bottle, as long as the pony's reg forgoes the necklace.

 

[loosenit2]

If your ultimate goal is technical diving, you won't be carrying a pony bottle. You will use doubles, whether side-mounted or with a manifold or a rebreather.

but you may carry a stage bottle and building muscle memory now is not incompatible with your goal.