H2Odessey Pony

[mike_s]

With the H2Odyssey regulator gadget on a larger bottle (say, a 19cf), the "not enough air" argument would indeed be moot, but I would wonder about the usability.

It seems obvious to me that you wouldn't just sit there with a 19cf bottle dangling from your mouthpiece, so you'd end up having to hug the bottle all the way up. Still, that leaves one arm free to vent as you ascend. If you need to watch a computer or depth gauge, I imagine it would be a bit more difficult, too. With my pony, it's clipped off to me. If I need to use it, there's no practical difference between that and using any other second stage; the hose just routes a different way.

I thought the same thing. A 19cf pony "hanging" by a mouthpiece would be hard to manage. Especially to look around, check gauges, computer, etc. Of course you'd want to make sure it was clipped on also just in case your teeth lost grip. It would really suck to watch your pony bottle fall to the ocean floor when you 'really needed it'.

On the other hand, having a tank-integrated first stage could be a significant advantage compared to a yoke valve and first stage. I've found, at times, the yoke screw on my pony's reg gets in the way. It's not a big deal, but it *is* a small annoyance. (Of course, I'm having the problem eliminated next spring, as I'm going to convert it to DIN when I bring it in for its annual.)

that ZEAGLE regulator looks like a good solution to this problem. It does away with the valve and the first stage screws directly into the tank. Makes the first stage connection a much lower profile. Seems like a pretty good idea. The only negative is that it's not as easily usable on another tank, but I don't see that as much of a problem as people know that when they buy it.

 

[ClayJar]

that ZEAGLE regulator looks like a good solution to this problem. It does away with the valve and the first stage screws directly into the tank. Makes the first stage connection a much lower profile. Seems like a pretty good idea. The only negative is that it's not as easily usable on another tank, but I don't see that as much of a problem as people know that when they buy it.

When I'm using my pony, the yoke screw is pointed toward me. It's the only part that gets in the way, really. DIN would make the reg stick out just a bit more away from me, but it would eliminate anything nearer me than the valve itself.

Of course the nice thing about having a little AL Titan on the valve is that I can have the hoses routed directly down along the bottle. I don't have any hoses "sticking out" from the top of the bottle. With the Envoy RaZor, the hoses come out perpendicular to the axis of the bottle, which is just about the worst direction for the way I sling the bottle and bungee the hoses.

I suppose it's all based on how you want it configured, of course. That said, even once I switch my pony to DIN, I can use it as a full reg set if ever the need arises (I'd just have to pull an LP inflator hose, an octo, and maybe a yoke adapter out of my save-a-dive stash).

 

[mike_s]

With the Envoy RaZor, the hoses come out perpendicular to the axis of the bottle, which is just about the worst direction for the way I sling the bottle and bungee the hoses.

I think that could be solved by adding a swivel on the LP port of the 1st stage to turn the hose down the axis.

(or a 90 degree turn. The swivel I think would be a better solution as it allows the hose to move more freely when the 2nd stage is deployed).


Anyone used a swivel like above on a pony bottle setup to optomize hose routing?

I suppose it's all based on how you want it configured, of course. That said, even once I switch my pony to DIN, I can use it as a full reg set if ever the need arises (I'd just have to pull an LP inflator hose, an octo, and maybe a yoke adapter out of my save-a-dive stash).

That is a plus over the H2odyssey and the Zeagle Razor.

 

[Diveral]

I've always liked the H2O Odyssey as a bail out bottle. 6 cu ft will be enough to get you to the surface from most recreational depths. I've always thought the spare airs were too small. Beats an ESA though. For wreck penetration or cavern diving it's not enough. There I've always felt a 19 cu. ft. was about the minimum size pony that you would need. If you are doing deep penetrations a 30 or 40 is better but now you are increasing size and weight. So it's a trade off.

The Zeagle Razor looks great but it's >$250. A little much for me and my budget for a non-primary regulator. I'm about to upgrade my primary regulator and I'll retire my old and trusty sherwood magnum to pony duty. I borrowed Mike_S's old regulator and set it up as a single hose regulator on a 19 cu. ft. pony for my North Carolina trip this summer. I was doing wreck penetrations at 120 ft and it gave me enough capacity to exit the wreck and get to the surface for every profile I dove. I bungeed the reg to the pony. Had it set up for a quick draw. The 33" hose was a little short though. I'd go with a longer hose if this were a permanent set-up.

Mike's suggestion for the thimble pressure gage is a good one. Can't really use it under water but it's good up top so you can verify your tank pressure before the dive. The key is to go onto the Pony before you exhaust your back gas. That way if you suck the pony dry you can go back to the back gas and finish the ascent.

AL

 

[RMC]

I have an H2o on my 17Al but the secondary stage is connected via a standard length primary hose attached to the primary stage using a quick disconnect.
This unit has worked like a dream, breaths almost as well as my AtomicT. I received a killer deal 125usd for H20 Odyssey and 55usd for pony came O2 clean, I currently run 50% for all ascents.