If pony, get rid of spare regulator??!

[jridg]

As i don't always dive solo, I keep the octo - really it's an Atomic SS1 - which is on my LP inflator. So it's out of the way. It also can alleviate confusion in an OOA with a buddy as I would donate my primary - go on the pony - and still have the SS1 as a total emergency backup. I don't like the idea/expense of maintaining separate setups for buddy/solo diving - I feel that you should be totally familiar with your gear, and switching can cause problems at the worst possible moment. You get into habit patterns with your setup and changing that adds a modicum of change. This can cause you to 'expect' one thing when you are actually diving the 'other' regs.

Just my 2psi.....

 

[Elkfriend]

I dive with a pony pretty much all the time. I have a standard BC inflator on some of my BC's and and AIR2 on a few others. In either case, I REMOVE the Octopus.

The octopus adds unnecessary complexity, and increases the chance of gear failure and also the potentially FATAL confusion between 3 regulators. Even if your buddy needs to share air, I would donate the primary and I would use the pony. The pony should be large enough to get you to the surface in an emergency, (or why are you wearing it?).

PERFECT - thank you. Thats is exactly what I was thinking, I just wanted to see if anyone here had really good reasons NOT to eliminate the octo. I have not read any, and your line of thinking reconfirms my plan.

Also, I just picked up some used gear and there is a 1 stage with one reg (withough octopus), so that would be a good fit for the pony and go along well with above plan.