This is a good thread. I see my post awhile back on having ponies available for rent stirred things up a bit, that's good. The reason I thought it would be a good idea is that I travel solo. Even though I plan a dive with a buddy I sometimes end up diving "solo" whether I want to or not. For me, just having a redundant system available, considering the odds are better for me to end up "solo" diving, sounds like a good idea. I did NOT suggest it as a solution for a hoover to extend bottom time. When I was a newbie and "hooving" I ended my dives sooner. Yeah it sucked, but that was the deal. I do agree with PUG, that if one were properly trained, then using a tank as a stage would be OK. But by the time a newbie got to that level then having another (or larger) tank may not be required as their SAC rate would increase by then. That's why I have not used one yet although I have one here under my desk. I'll use it when I'm ready. I may do some Cavern training, ice dives etc. and I also dive wrecks. I think I'm ready soon for another bottle but I won't use it unless it's "IN MY PLAN" so to speak. Using a pony at the END of a dive to EXTEND bottom time is a NO NO. I think most of us would agree on that? We know a small tank, especially at deeper depths, will empty much faster than our large tank with the same pressure. We still want to plan the dive on our main tank and return with sufficient gas. Yet dive shops push spare airs? Useless. I also agree there is a problem with training and crappy voodoo stories being told by many (some more than others) training orgs. and dive shops. Stupid crap that only confuses new divers and can actually get someone hurt. Many accidents happen to new divers, it's no wonder. This is one reason I did not take the DM course. I did the Multi Level Marketing (MLM) thing, no thanks. I thought it would be a good confidence building type class, for my personal use, but once I was told to buy more "shop gear" that did it for me. I can understand the marketing priciples, it's a business thing. But telling new divers a BP/W will kill you, and throwing 30 lbs. of lead on a belt just to sell cards and gear does not sit right with me. I was even told about how I like to "brag" about how little ditchable weight I dive! He was trying to sell weight integrated BC's in a class. C'mon! That's low! I'm not totally DIR, but I do respect the word they're putting out. At least they're training divers to be divers, not just trying to sell crap. Sorry to rant, it's just this training crap gets me going...........