How do you attach your pony bottle?

[dsquid]

Most NJ dive boats require a honest-to-god independant backup air supply - which means "Pony Bottle.

If you're not diving doubles, you're going to have to carry the Pony.

To answer tbg's question - there are several bracketing systems on the market which are far superior to the strap system you'll find on rental tanks. I use a "Super Pony Tamer" to attach my 30cf bottle... see

http://www.reefscuba.com/bracket.htm

This system makes swapping bottles 100% quicker and easier. Downside? It's damned expensive.

Aqua-Explorers also offers something.
I have no experience with it, but you can find info here:

http://www.aquaexplorers.com/equipment.htm

Mounting the bottle as a stage is a fine idea, although I am not sure I'd do that if your primary dive goal is spearfishing/lobstering. YMMV

 

[jmsdiver]

For the type of diving that I do, I have a 30 cf pony using the Super Pony tamer (as in above posting). The Tamer is an excellent system and would recommend it if you own your own tanks.

Redundant backup air source is the only way to dive in colder waters around wrecks. That source can by in the way of a pony or doubles with an isolator. Check out your options and pick the one that works for you.

Happy safe diving off the Jersey shore....

 

[Starfish]

Thank you for conveying the information without flaming anyone. I have read several threads in which people get into DIR v. non-DIR and all kinds of arguements before much of the info comes out. -- Starfish

 

[svs3]

When I carry a pony, it is carried in a DIR stage configuration.

svs3

 

[BetterLateThannever]

To Starfish> now you gotta admit, some of those Dir v non-Dir threads are very interesting and a lot of good information gets passed back and forth.

Where would we be without a little passion once in a while. Pleasantville.

I think it's all good so long as it isn't of a personal nature or profane.

Just my .02

Also, Omar, under "disadvantages" you use the word "temptation" a couple of times. Don't you think that is the responsibility of the individual to not allow temptation to overcome good sense. Seems to me that anyone who can't control their own impulses maybe shouldn't be diving in conditions requiring redundant air supply in the first place. <climbing off soapbox> for now

 

[The Chairman]

To answer the origial question, if you're gonna dive with a pony Reef Scuba's Pony tamer is jammers. I love mine, and it takes almost all of the hassle out of using one... for all of the positive reasons.

 

[Lost Yooper]

Well I don't dive with a pony. I sling a stage and/or deco bottles. If you need redunancy, put more air on your back and get an H-valve or doubles, and of course your real redundacy is you buddy. Otherwise don't dive beyond the equipment you have.
I see this up here all the time. We have people come up here and dive a wreck called the Vienna (130'-150', temp - 40F at the wreck) in Superior. People think they can strap on a 80 and a 30cf pony and be all right. Sure, until something goes wrong down there. People get in trouble easily on that wreck. Thirty cubes isn't much at 100' and even less in an emergency.

Mike

 

[CanyonDiver]

Personally, I prefer the x-bracket which secures through my tank strap. When I do repetitive dives this bracket lets me switch to a different main cylinder depending on where we are going to dive. This eliminates extra parts that would be needed on all my main cylinders, making it cost efficient and simple to use.

 

[Greg G.]

The question was the best way to mount a pony, not if they should get one. The supposed "disadvantages" you listed look suspiciously like DIR.

Originally posted by omar
Pony Bottle Disadvantages include:

Increased swimming resistance

Additional entanglement hazard

Greater weight out of the water (boarding ladders, walking with gear on, transporting gear, etc.)

Buoyancy issues (the additional weight of the pony may allow the diver to remove weight from their belt/bc. In the event of an out of air emergency, however, with an empty primary tank and partially used pony tank they may be too buoyant to maintain depth for a safety stop or to manage a controlled, slow ascent. If they don't reduce the weight of their weight system they will likely be overly weighted,requiring additional air in the BC/Drysuit, adding to the issue of swimming resistance.)

Increased configuration complexity

Addtional purchase costs

Greater maintanence costs

Additional failure points

Pony bottles can be difficult to take along on dive trips, requiring the diver to dive a different configuration on such trips..... lack of familiarization with the this configuration can lead to problems in an emergency situation.

Inadequate reserve gas supply for some overhead environments

Temptation to push limits

Temptation to ignore sound gas management protocols

Tempation to fill pony with a "hot mix" to aid off-gassing at a safety stop, greatly increasing the risk of using it for a bail-out system at depth.

Advantages include:

Totally redundant air supply, separate from primary gas

Smaller than twin tanks

Lighter than twin tanks

Usage not overly dissimilar to using a standard atlternate airsource regulator

Other things to consider if contemplating purchasing a pony bottle:

Chance of experiencing an out of air emergency

Do you maintain your equipment properly?

Do you use high quality, top of the line equipment?

Type of diving you do... i.e. could you effectively make an emergency ascent from the dives you do?

Do you usually dive with a familiar buddy or are you frequently buddied with a stranger?

Do you solo dive?

Would you be tempted to breathe your primary air supply lower knowing you had a pony available?

Would you be tempted to use the pony to stretch your bottom time?

Optional systems to consider: H valve, Y valve, Doubles

 

[Greg G.]

I've used 4 different ones since I started carrying a pony. First one was a cheap monstrosity called Scuba Duba. I think I only used it a few months before it broke. Second one was called an X bracket. Didn't like it cuz the metal bands really chewed up the bottle and it was a real hassle to swap tanks out, you had to remove the metal bands from the tank. I then tried the Ultimate Pony bracket. It was ok, the advantage is you can use your pony on rented tanks. Disadvantage was it was a bit cumbersome to swap tanks on a rocking, rolling boat. Also you can't hand it off. Eventually I switched to the Pony Tamer that uses a male/female pins. Advantage is it is easy to swap tanks and can be handed off. Disadvantage is you have to have the female bracket mounted on the tank your using, so you need one for each tank you use. It comes with two female brackets, but if you have more than two tanks you have to get additional female brackets. Of the four, I recommend either of the last two.

Originally posted by tbg
This past weekend, I took my first plunge into the cool waters off the N.J. coast. (My prior diving had been limited to warm waters only.) My question concerns the attachment of the pony bottle. My rented pony setup had an attached bracket that I threaded the BCD tank strap through. This was quite awkward, since you have to hold the pony bottle in place against the tank while simultaneously tightening the tank band. There has to be a better way. Does anyone have a better setup?