Halcyon BP/W Information Please

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You were right. But not because of your philosophy on the subject, but because you really didn't answer my question regarding if any wings are set up for pony bottles, or any are set up better than others for pony bottles.

Not knowing *exactly* how a pony would attach to a single tank (like what angle, how far off the tank, etc) I would venture a pretty good guess that no wing will have anything like an appropriate shape to "wrap around" both a single tank and a pony. I would think you'd do well with a very streamlined single wing and mount the pony so that it doesn't interfere with the wing if possible. If the pony is on the middle of the tank (not off to one side or the other) almost any singles wing would work fine. Of course you could get a large hybrid-style wing like the dive rite trek wing or some OMS small doubles wing and just let it engulf everything.

If you're carrying a bailout bottle, I would really think you'd want it slung for access. You're only using the thing in a hypothetical emergency, right? Don't you want it where you can easily reach it?
 
Strapping a "pony" along side a single tank creates any number of problems.

Aside from the obvious entanglement and valve access issues, the imbalance, non symmetrical drag, and impacts on wing inflations are all concerns.

If I carry a bottle I sling it. Doing so does not require a special wing.

Tobin


Right now I am using a HP119 w/ a 19 cu ft pony. My pony is mounted to the side of my tank on the cam band with an X bracket Reef Scuba X-Bracket Pony Tamer from LeisurePro.com I have a Scubapro glide plus (jacket style) BC. I do not feel any imbalance or any problems at all in the water in the last 102 dives using this set up. I understand the DIR philosophy on pony bottles, but I like to have that just in case air on me. I never use it to extend bottom time. With an X bracket I would think I could attach it to any cam band on the Halcyon, Deep sea supply, Dive Rite, Oxy Cheq BP/W set ups correct? An added bonus would be that with the weight of my tank plus pony I really wouldn't need any extra weight. I currently use two pounds diving my current set up with a 3mm full suit.
 
With an X bracket I would think I could attach it to any cam band on the Halcyon, Deep sea supply, Dive Rite, Oxy Cheq BP/W set ups correct? An added bonus would be that with the weight of my tank plus pony I really wouldn't need any extra weight. I currently use two pounds diving my current set up with a 3mm full suit.

I can answer for DSS only, but I would expect there to be similar problems with other brands.

Well designed single tank wings feature a narrow center panel. DSS wings have a 3 inch wide center panel. These leaves little room for a side mounted pony.

As mentioned above pony secured to the side of a single tank will impact how a narrow single wing inflates.

Tobin
 
I have been wanting to get rid of my jacket style BC for some time now and want to go to a back inflate BC. I also want to get rid of excess bulk and streamline my equipment. I have been looking at the Halcyon Eclipse set up and like what I see. I have heard that the wing is very important to keep from getting the dreaded "taco" or folding of the wing around the tank and the eclipse wing looks compact and would suit my HP 119 and 19 cu ft pony just fine. I would like to hear from some current owers of the eclipse of the pros and cons and if there is anyone who thinks there is a similar but better set up out there please feel free to comment.

I've been diving a Eclipse rig for a year or so now and it just gets "more better" Halcyon gear is excellent gear. It's built well and lots of thought, engineering and dives go into each piece of Halcyon equipment before it's avaible to the public. I highly recommend it. Now, can you get a plate and wing setup cheaper than Halcyon? Sure you can. Is it better? Maybe, maybe not, probably not. I considered DSS when I got ready to purchase a plate and wing. My evaluation of DSS and Halcyon was that they were very close in quality, service and reputation, so I decided on Halcyon because it's closer to me. Did I want to deal with a vendor on the left coast or a vendor two hours up the road from Tampa? The answer is a no brainer. All things being equal, Halcyon was the best choice for me. Maybe this will help you in your decision. I would forget the pony bottle. If you need anything, buy a 30cf tank and sling it. Much better than a pony bottle. :palmtree: Bob
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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