need some help with Pony bottle setup

[Love2Scuba4471]

I am going to start diving off of NJ this spring and one of the requirements is having a Pony bottle. Everybody talks about "slinging" their pony. What kind of a set-up is this and how do I do it. Does anybody have any photos or instructions.

Thanks

Tom

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I am at work, but if no one helps you out by this evening I will send you some links.

I like the simple hardware store Hogarthian approach, but Dive Rite makes an overpriced ready to install kit that is essentially identical.

The basic idea consists of a 3/16" duiameter rope looped around the neck of the tank with a bolt snap tied into the rope at the point on the tank where the shoulder ends and meets the side wall. The rope then continues about 2 feet farther through a piece of 3/4" OD tubing where it is secured to the tank at the other end of the tubing with a hose clamp that is usually run through a piece of tubular webbing and has the screw portion of the clamp contained inside a 1 1/2" long piece of plastic tubing to keep it from cutting or snagging anything. The rear bolt snap is then held on with a short loop of rope that goes out about 3-4 inches and loopes back under the hose clamp. This leaves the rear boltsnap on a 3 or 4" long tail that lets the tank ride in a streamlined position.

The dive rite approach is very similar but uses 1" nylon webbing rather than 3/16" rope.

The secodns tage then routes straight down the tank and loops back up so that the second stage is secured near the upper bolt snap. This may be done with either a larger rubber band made from an inner tube over the hose next tot he second stage or by a bolt snap secured to the base of mouthpiece of the second stage that is then clipped to the ring of the upper bolt snap or to a similar sized brass ring in the upper loop around the neck. I prefe rto use the bolt snap method and run a large o-ring through the boltsnap loop it over itself and stretch the lopp over the mouthpiece of the second stage. If time allows you unclip it, if you need it right now it will pull off over the mouthpiece.

The big thing will be having D-rings on the shoulder and waist of your BC - most rec BC's are not set up well to accomodate this.

 

[micklock]

go to New Jersey Scuba Diver ( and Long Island New York ) look under gear and training, tanks and hardware and then pony bottles

 

[SparticleBrane]

go to New Jersey Scuba Diver ( and Long Island New York ) look under gear and training, tanks and hardware and then pony bottles

Ignore that website. It's full of half-truths and BS.
edit: Honestly there's some interesting stuff on there, but the things that are outright blatantly wrong make me question everything else.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Here ya go...

DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

 

[hunter991]

That is a good instruction list for rigging a sling bottle. The diverite kit has all the pieces in the bag with good instructions. If you buy the pieces individually try to find good quality snaps so that they don't rust shut on you.

Brent

Here ya go...

DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

 

[Burnsie]

x3 on that stage bottle rigging. If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, you can get pretty much everything you need. Just remember, like it was said before, get snaps that won't rust. Preferably brass ones.

 

[Jimmer]

x3 on that stage bottle rigging. If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, you can get pretty much everything you need. Just remember, like it was said before, get snaps that won't rust. Preferably brass ones.

You need to watch the Brass snaps, a lot of them have springs in the snaps that will rust out very badly. A friend of mine had his top D ring snap on his stage bottle fail open, and he had to cradle the bottle while he was using it that dive. Stainless is pricier but better in my mind.

 

[Burnsie]

You need to watch the Brass snaps, a lot of them have springs in the snaps that will rust out very badly. A friend of mine had his top D ring snap on his stage bottle fail open, and he had to cradle the bottle while he was using it that dive. Stainless is pricier but better in my mind.

Really? I was told the same thing about stainless, that the springs inside may not be stainless, but that the brass snaps had brass springs inside that didn't rust. I may need to do some investigating.

 

[scott&sara]

I would not think brass bolt snaps would have brass springs. Brass is inherently a poor material for a spring. It is not very elastic and yields quite easily. I do have some dive rite brass and stainless bolt snaps and have not had a rust issue with the spring yet. I will say that after a couple years in the salt the brass snaps have become a little "sticky" and a bit more difficult to open. I also have some Lowes stainless bolt snaps and have not noticed any issue with those either.

Just for my own curiosity I am going to check my brass bolt snaps tonight to see what material the spring is... you have me curious.

Scott