How Do You Do Pony?

[PBcatfish]

My first comment is that with less than 50 dives under your belt in total, you may wish to be cautious about dipping your toe into the solo diving pool. That aside, I'll be happy to share what I know.

I have a half dozen different size pony bottles and I have several different rigs for carrying them. I use different gear for different types of dives in different places. My short answer is that an AL 19 is a generally good choice for most common types of diving & I usually carry a pony of that size, clipped to the right side of my BC on the front, because if I need it, I want to be able to see the whole rig & handle it easily.

The longer answer starts with considerations about the types of diving you plan to do & the places you plan to go, including depth. If you are going to be around open sandy bottoms, with just the occasional low patch reef in 30 or 40 feet of water, then an AL13 is probably enough. If you are going to be hitting 120 feet & pushing the no-deco limits, you might want to bump up to a 30cf, in case you find yourself needing a little more stop time on the way up than you had planned for. If you plan to go places with strong currents or things that you might get tangled up in, then I'd go with the biggest pony you are comfortable carrying. For me, that's a 30. I have carried a 40 as a pony before, but I don't plan to do it again anytime soon, because I find it to be a bit much to carry. That doesn't mean that it will never happen again, just that I don't expect to find myself in that situation any time soon. My little 6 doesn't get carried as a pony anymore. It just doesn't seem worth it. My little (3cf?) spare air is even less likely to get grabbed when I head for the water, wanting a back up. That's been out of circulation for years.

If you plan to be doing something that involves laying on your belly on the bottom, like some types of photography or catching lobsters, then a back mounted pony may be better for you. In general, I like front mount. I have carried a pony sideways, below my belly, like a bail out bottle, but it's generally not my first choice.

When I have brought them on a plane, the valve had to be removed. That means carry a spare neck O-ring. Usually, I put a pony in my checked bag. Taking it carry on was a hassle.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

To simplify the question:

Sling off left side of BCD or sling off right side of BCD?

Routing of the hose and set up of the second stage (reverse to L hose input) are the reason for the question.

OMMOHY

 

[CosbySweater]

My personal preference is sling on left side. The S turn in the hose doesn't bother me. I've deployed it for practice dozens of times and it's a non-issue for me. 24" miflex hose.

 

[James79]

To simplify the question:

Sling off left side of BCD or sling off right side of BCD?

Routing of the hose and set up of the second stage (reverse to L hose input) are the reason for the question.

OMMOHY

I rig my pony like such:

That's a 19 with ball bungies to secure the hose, and just tucking the mouthpiece in between hose and tank to make it stay put. I sling it on the right (due to other unrelated training that carried over), but it doesn't really change anything if I put it on the left. I keep the valve on throughout the dive, and to deploy I just grab the second stage, extend my arm (clearing the hose from the bungies) and plug it into my face.
No matter what method you use, key thing is to practice (regularly)so that the actual motions of deploying it are a muscle memory.

Respectfully,

James

edit to add: there is a button gauge on the far side of the 1st stage.

 

[jadairiii]

Not that this topic hasn't been addressed ad nauseam, but....if you need a "bailout" tank then you are probably diving in depths that you really should be doing some kind of safety or deco stop. Add to that, traveling, why not just carry some stage rigging and a screwdriver and when you get to the location, rig an Alum 80 as a stage. Sling that and have a nice time. An Alum 80 carries nicely and you have plenty of gas to bailout on.

If the shop/boat you are travelling to has 40's, then bring an extra stage rig for that size. dont forget some rubber hose retainers.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Not that this topic hasn't been addressed ad nauseam, but....if you need a "bailout" tank then you are probably diving in depths that you really should be doing some kind of safety or deco stop. Add to that, traveling, why not just carry some stage rigging and a screwdriver and when you get to the location, rig an Alum 80 as a stage. Sling that and have a nice time. An Alum 80 carries nicely and you have plenty of gas to bailout on.

If the shop/boat you are travelling to has 40's, then bring an extra stage rig for that size. dont forget some rubber hose retainers.

 

[Dnaber]

I to have started my collection of stage bottles. Started with a 30cf and that felt heavy. Then I tried a 13cf and tested it at 100ft and found that if I surfaced in a controlled manner I was OOA at my 15' safety stop. So I just upgraded to a 19cf and a Shark mount. I tested this yesterday and found it very comfortable and with it mounted on the left side with 4lbs counter weight on the tank. I never even notice it, and my trim was great. I know every one has the own preference and that's great if it works for you then I say great. All I say is if you do use one then please practice with it in a controlled environment like a pool or a shallow spring. Everyone dive safe!!!

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I am sincerely curious. When you say "controlled manner" what does that mean? Were you OOA when you hit 15' ceiling or sometime during the next 3-5 minutes?

I'm hopeful/betting on a 17 cu ft tank from 130' with a 60 fpm ascent and no safety stop unless there be spare bonus air in the tank. That's playing at the margin, but it's all within kosher limits. I don't buy into the argument that if you run out of air you'll waste a few minutes dicking around trying to figure things out. No air, spit out the reg and grab the pony bottle reg as you are kicking upwards.

I am eager to try it on my next visit south and either prove the point or have to upgrade to a bigger bottle.

OMMOHY

 

[johndiver999]

I am sincerely curious. When you say "controlled manner" what does that mean? Were you OOA when you hit 15' ceiling or sometime during the next 3-5 minutes?

I'm hopeful/betting on a 17 cu ft tank from 130' with a 60 fpm ascent and no safety stop unless there be spare bonus air in the tank. That's playing at the margin, but it's all within kosher limits. I don't buy into the argument that if you run out of air you'll waste a few minutes dicking around trying to figure things out. No air, spit out the reg and grab the pony bottle reg as you are kicking upwards.

I am eager to try it on my next visit south and either prove the point or have to upgrade to a bigger bottle.

OMMOHY

I suspect that you meant a 19 rather than 17 cuft tank? I don't disagree with your decision to forgo the option of "dicking around" on the bottom - but on the other hand, for someone who is so new in the game, I am suspicious that you have had sufficient stressful ascents from 130 to generate such confidence.

Also, if you do have a real problem at 130, you might want to consider the possibility of pressing the "up" button a little - rather than kicking. The best way to manage your air consumption rate (in an emergency) is to try to limit your level of physical exertion as much as possible. If your BC works, and you are not completely on E, you can have a peaceful ride from 130 to 60 and then really slow the ascent down - this can be accomplished without kicking and engaging the large leg muscles. Don't underestimate the difference this makes.

A second also, rather than assuming no safety stop (from 130 especially), it might be safer to plan an ascent rate of 60 fpm from 130 to around 60, a 30 fpm from 60 to 20 and then hopefully plan a safety stop until the air is gone - then slowly ascend from 15 or 20. That's a better plan... if you can't make that PLAN work with your math, then your SAC rate is too high and/or the pony is way too small.

Good luck, work on your plan and then practice it!

 

[Dnaber]

I am sincerely curious. When you say "controlled manner" what does that mean? Were you OOA when you hit 15' ceiling or sometime during the next 3-5 minutes?

I am eager to try it on my next visit south and either prove the point or have to upgrade to a bigger bottle.

OMMOHY

"Controlled manner" means I didn't shoot to the surface. I came up not trying to make the test cause me to get bent or anything like that. There only so much you can do to test. Now if this had been an real OOA then I would have blown off my one minute 50' safety stop. and I would have proceeded to 15' until I sucked the tank dry, then surfaced. But I think my test made me feel just a little uncomfortable with the 13cf. That's why I upsized to a 19cf. Remember you have to feel comfortable in your life support gear and the 13 wasn't enough for me. You on the other hand maybe fine with it. But only you can determine that. As always please dive safely!!!

P.S. I would never depend on a 13cf to get me from 130' to the surface. Larger tanks are cheap compared to your life.