How should I mount my pony to my main tank?

[Jibeho]

Actually I am not doing any cave diving, there are a few caves, (ginny spring and blue grotto) that are my current favorite places to go, that you do not need anything other then OW certification to dive in the cavern zone.

Ginny is blocked off by a grate and Blue Grotto is unaccessible past about 100' so yes there will be a "rock over my head".

Yes my experience is not very extensive (around 20 dives now). But I do think that in an OOA situation, that I would be better off reaching for my pony reg before I swim to my buddy. Also at times it is not uncommon to be a little separated from my buddy while looking at rocks or playing with a little fish.....

I'm in a seperated suituation quite often. Main reason I sling a 13CF pony. Now I know that with me saying it is only 13cf will draw flames. I think what got the above posters all jacked up was when you said you only dive to 50 feet. I can tell you I don't want to do an emergency swimming acent from 50 feet. I will not pony on a 25 foot reef but will on anything more then 50.

 

[ianr33]

I think that a cavern course and a decent buddy would be of more use to you than a pony.

 

[dhampton82]

I think that a cavern course and a decent buddy would be of more use to you than a pony.

I do plan on taking a cavern course in the near future, not sure when it will be though.

Also I do have a GREAT buddy, but there is times that there is other stuff we would rather look at for a second instead of staring at each other and swim in circles our whole dive. Sounds like a waste of about $400 a trip to me, dont ya think?

Maybe I should look for a leash mounting system instead of a pony mount system, huh? Maybe one with a self-retracting leash to prevent entanglment issues?

 

[loosebits]

Wow, an inexperienced OW diver diving in "safe" caverns and totally disregarding the buddy system while mocking someone who suggest that perhaps a class would be in order. Someone's bucking for the Darwin award.

 

[dhampton82]

First, I do apologize, I did not seem for that last post to be as mocking as it seemed.

Second, I do regard the buddy system and try to be as safe a diver as I can be and do plan on furthering my dive training to include at least cavern classes in the future.
The point that I am trying to state is that there are ofen times that there is not allways a time that there is a buddy right there holding your hand. And I would much rather be dependant on my self for saving my own life before being dependant on someone else to save my life. I know that at times there are situations that you need someone else to help you, but I am also all about self-dependantcy in all things that I do whether it be diving or non-diving related. Trust your self more to be there for you, more then you trust someone else to be there for you.

 

[Meister481]

As a recreational diver (Adv. nitrox soon) I'm a little cautious giving someone a way to drag me up on a bouyant ascent without a means to cut it loose. I originally went with the pony system because of a wreck penetration class. It's tough to get out of a wreck with a 3' hose as an alternate. with the pony I can just hook it on a guy and line out.

My pony only gets air and it's a yellow reg and hose. I even wear it like a regular alternate. A recent experience taught me that even practiced divers can panic and pop for the surface, and had I been attached I'd have gone too. It's just another tool in the toolbox, and I like options when I go on life support.

 

[Soggy]

Interesting. I have read lots of posts telling me that as an Intro Cave diver I am safer in a single tank .

Yeah, well, I think everyone here knows my feelings on that matter and is one reason why I will not continue my training with NACD unless they change their policies regarding equipment requirements in caves.

 

[Soggy]

Yes my experience is not very extensive (around 20 dives now). But I do think that in an OOA situation, that I would be better off reaching for my pony reg before I swim to my buddy. Also at times it is not uncommon to be a little separated from my buddy while looking at rocks or playing with a little fish.....

This paragraph shows that you need to work on your buddy skills, not buy equipment to solve problems that shouldn't exist in the first place.

 

[MikeFerrara]

About the time that I started thinking that I needed a pony, I also decided that I needed more training. More training brought different equipment and habits and I never gave the pony another thought. Funny how that works.

I can understand a new diverin blue Grotto or Ginnie thinking they need a pony. I just think it's their subconsiouse telling them that they've been lied to about the existance of an OW-safe cavern. The very term is an oxymoron or just something said by a moron.

Note, that the cave and cavern training agencies define no such animal. This OW-safe cavern thing is strictly an invention of cavern owners who don't want to limit their market, so they let you in. Most divers do survive but they oftenm come out thinking that they need a pony. LOL, they need something alright.

But, if I ever own property with cave access on it and I let the public in, I won't look at cards either. I'm not your mamma.

 

[loosebits]

Well said.