How I almost drowned -- twice

[billt4sf]

Thanks for answering!! Do you carry the pony on your back, next to your regular tank? That's the set-up we had when we dove back in 1989!!!
Thanks again!

I sling it. It has it's own reg, I switch regs when I breathe from it. Because of that, I prefer to descend on my main tank, and when I get well-situated I switch to the pony while all is calm. I breathe from it until it gets low, then I switch back to my main tank (back gas). I didn't want to use the pony "only if I need it" because then I am doing a reg switch under anxiety conditions.

My pony is 6L, not those teeny 3L ones! So my pony is half the size of a normal 12L aluminum tank. Best thing I ever did. I enjoy my dives MUCH more.

 

[justinthedeeps]

I too brought and dived a standard AL80 stage rigging kit and extra stage regulator for some Raja and Komodo trips. A quite convenient approach to safety! Use the same tank(s) they are already providing for you.

It's not a huge burden, regardless of diver size, when rigged and clipped properly to a wing/harness style setup. A 'deep diver,' 'self-reilant,' or 'intro to tech' course should cover this.

Reasons:
1. Self-sufficiency when deep, delayed, and/or away from buddies/group
2. Can be faster and more convenient to 'self-rescue' from air supply issue--even when others present
3. Don't need to consume others' gas
4. Have extra gas for others if they need it

I still only used two cylinders for a two dive outing. But I carried both cylinders on both dives, periodically alternating the regs, 'sidemount style.' Even a 50 bar/700psi otherwise "done" AL80 cylinder is still potentially a life-saving backup, when paired with another.

It's a bit slower in the water, but probably not as much as expected.
You do need to be a little more careful near sensitive corals etc with an extra tank attached.
On a backroll from a small boat, it's best to pre-clip the stage cylinder, but you need to position and hold it in a way that it will not hit you or other people in the face or head etc.

 

[justinthedeeps]

Reactions to [old?] main topic:

I am impressed that this way of gang-diving Cape Kri has remained such a popular and classic go-to stop on most Raja tours, given how hazardous it can be on the wrong tide/current, for divers not prepared for it, and for groups too large to reasonably stay together in blasting currents.

Anecdotally the number of poor visibility days (high plankton?) is also increasing in Dampier zone, possibly easily attributable to greatly increased nutrient loads from combined human activities and 'inputs' (city+land+LOB), making it more likely to misjudge things and cause separations on these adventurous superdrift and hooking dives.

Very beautiful dive when perfectly timed and executed, but it's highly questionable whether a half dozen LOBs and homestays can all rock up on most days and nail it as a reef hooking dive at variable times without problems or losing someone from one group or another.

I've experienced it going the other direction too, our group ended up variously separated a km+ west after a terrible dive in poor visibility against an un-opposable current, which began with a waterfall effect forcing anyone unaware of it into an instant forced 30+ metre descent to start the 'dive.' I drifted alone at 5 metres with an SMB deployed for the second half of that 30-minute 'dive,' wondering if we were going to see everyone again. (Everyone was fine! )

Leashes/cord/hooks

Not sure but I think I saw a cable-type reef hook earlier in the thread
Friends don't let friends dive with wire-based reef leashes! (or steel cables of any kind)

If the diver, buddy or guide cannot quickly cut it with a knife or cutting tool, get rid of it! Same goes for steel cable camera lanyards.

Surfboard leashes don't use wire cables either.
UNDERWATER LINES AND LEASHES MUST BE SEVERABLE/CUTTABLE

 

[gamon]

I sling it. It has it's own reg, I switch regs when I breathe from it. Because of that, I prefer to descend on my main tank, and when I get well-situated I switch to the pony while all is calm. I breathe from it until it gets low, then I switch back to my main tank (back gas). I didn't want to use the pony "only if I need it" because then I am doing a reg switch under anxiety conditions.

When you do it that way you've lost redundancy for the rest of the dive as you've drained the pony to the point that there isn't enough gas to get to the surface. I do the same to get more dive time only it's towards the end of the dive when I'm near the exit point.

 

[nldunn]

I too brought and dived a standard AL80 stage rigging kit and extra stage regulator for some Raja and Komodo trips. A quite convenient approach to safety! Use the same tank(s) they are already providing for you.

It's not a huge burden, regardless of diver size, when rigged and clipped properly to a wing/harness style setup. A 'deep diver,' 'self-reilant,' or 'intro to tech' course should cover this.

Reasons:
1. Self-sufficiency when deep, delayed, and/or away from buddies/group
2. Can be faster and more convenient to 'self-rescue' from air supply issue--even when others present
3. Don't need to consume others' gas
4. Have extra gas for others if they need it

I still only used two cylinders for a two dive outing. But I carried both cylinders on both dives, periodically alternating the regs, 'sidemount style.' Even a 50 bar/700psi otherwise "done" AL80 cylinder is still potentially a life-saving backup, when paired with another.

It's a bit slower in the water, but probably not as much as expected.
You do need to be a little more careful near sensitive corals etc with an extra tank attached.
On a backroll from a small boat, it's best to pre-clip the stage cylinder, but you need to position and hold it in a way that it will not hit you or other people in the face or head etc.

Thank you for all that information! I have a lot to learn!

 

[Allen-1]

I sling it. It has it's own reg, I switch regs when I breathe from it. Because of that, I prefer to descend on my main tank, and when I get well-situated I switch to the pony while all is calm. I breathe from it until it gets low, then I switch back to my main tank (back gas). I didn't want to use the pony "only if I need it" because then I am doing a reg switch under anxiety conditions.

My pony is 6L, not those teeny 3L ones! So my pony is half the size of a normal 12L aluminum tank. Best thing I ever did. I enjoy my dives MUCH more.

I'm confused by this post. I'm a "vacation diver" with PADI AOW and EAN certifications. I use a single AL80 tank with primary and octo and typically dive 32% which has a MOD of 111 feet. If I have equipment failure leading to lack of gas, I've got two options - get gas from my "buddy", or do a CESA.

You're carrying a "pony", which you could switch to in the event of total equipment failure of your main tank - but you're deliberately breathing it down - so if you do have a complete failure - you've got minimal air in what could be a completely redundant system.

I don't understand your logic. Can you explain, please?

 

[gamon]

You're carrying a "pony", which you could switch to in the event of total equipment failure of your main tank - but you're deliberately breathing it down - so if you do have a complete failure - you've got minimal air in what could be a completely redundant system.

I don't understand your logic. Can you explain, please?

Yeah that part lost me as well. It makes no sense whatsoever. If the only purpose of using the pony tank is to extend the dive, then just rent a steel 100 and simplify things.

 

[Nemrod]

If the pony/buddy bottle is being carried for purposes of air/gas redundancy then it should not be part of the gas plan except to insure that it is sized appropriately. If you want to breath that system down on your final dive at the safety stop for practice of execution, go ahead.

 

[dmaziuk]

I'm confused by this post. I'm a "vacation diver" with PADI AOW and EAN certifications. I use a single AL80 tank with primary and octo and typically dive 32% which has a MOD of 111 feet. If I have equipment failure leading to lack of gas, I've got two options - get gas from my "buddy", or do a CESA.

You're carrying a "pony", which you could switch to in the event of total equipment failure of your main tank - but you're deliberately breathing it down - so if you do have a complete failure - you've got minimal air in what could be a completely redundant system.

I don't understand your logic. Can you explain, please?

The usual problem with backups is if you never try to restore from one, you'll never know if you actually can.

 

[gamon]

If the pony/buddy bottle is being carried for purposes of air/gas redundancy then it should not be part of the gas plan except to insure that it is sized appropriately. If you want to breath that system down on your final dive at the safety stop for practice of execution, go ahead.

I sort of agree. I rarely take a breath from my pony except to check it pre-dive. As I've got that extra gas which is roughly equal to the reserve of an AL80 when starting an ascent following a deep dive, towards the end of most dives when I'm near the exit point, I draw my main tank down further than the recommended reserve as I've got that extra gas. So the pony is part of my gas planning, but I also "use" it to extend most dives. I typically end dives with less than 300 psi in the main tank (and a full 19cf pony bottle).