New Zeagle Bail-out System

[cerich]

I was eyeballing it for use as a drysuit bottle. Add an OPV and it might do fine for the kind of diving I do.

it has a OPV, thats what started most of the comments

 

[cerich]

Anyhoo, I'll take your word for it, just can't imagine a mfgr designing a reg to hold back 300 psi... seems dangerous.

It's not Oceanic but it is among the most popular tech regs out there....

 

[srownin]

Chad,

I had posted a question in the tanks group that you began to address with this one. I have the ranger LTD and just got a 13 cf pony. I had planned on using the zippered attachement for the pony. When I put it on at home (my wife still makes fun of me for wearing my gear around the apartment, but such is a NYC diver's life) it feels a little cramped. Do you have any experience with this attachment and a 13 (or larger) pony?

I am curious if it would be better to just attach the pony to my main tank. I do like having the ability to reach my pony valve mid-dive. Plus, if someone else were to be out of air, I could theoretically unzip the whole unit and share.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Chad Carney]

srownin,

I tried on the LTD with a 13 inside the wing too, and certainly could feel it. I have to agree that I like any pony larger than a 6 cu ft mounted on the tank.

Chad

 

[WingNutt]

the diver that probably shouldn't be in the water in the first place

ahhh really ignorance is bliss. Really love comments like this that shows someones real ego of themself. I really dont think that there is never a need for redundancy for AIR. Things can happen and even if you take prestine care of your gear. Really to be 100 ft below the surface and something tragically fails, this is a great LIFESAVER. Not connected to the main system (good incase the failure happens in lets say the main valve at the top of the tank and effects the entire system downstream). ie-read the reasons why safe seconds were invented in the first place. Yup better safe than sorry especially when it entails the abillity of being able to breath.

I just picked up a Zeagle Brigade, Its nice to see this option as well as other accessories available.

 

[srownin]

Chad,

Thanks for the input. As soon as the weather warms up a bit I am going to give this set up a try. If it turns out to be too cumbersome under the wing, I will most likely get some tank bands and put the pony on my back.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[loosebits]

ahhh really ignorance is bliss. Really love comments like this that shows someones real ego of themself. I really dont think that there is never a need for redundancy for AIR. Things can happen and even if you take prestine care of your gear. Really to be 100 ft below the surface and something tragically fails, this is a great LIFESAVER. Not connected to the main system (good incase the failure happens in lets say the main valve at the top of the tank and effects the entire system downstream). ie-read the reasons why safe seconds were invented in the first place. Yup better safe than sorry especially when it entails the abillity of being able to breath.

I just picked up a Zeagle Brigade, Its nice to see this option as well as other accessories available.

Adding a pony bottle increases gear complexity and should not be done lightly. Have you considered everything that needs to be done to safely dive a pony? Where will you store the pony? Will you store it such that you can reach the valve? Will you dive with the valve open or closed? If closed, will you have the reg charged. Will you use the same gas in your pony as in your backgas? How will you assist the OOA diver, do you give him/her your pony or your octo? How will you stow your pony's reg? In an OOA, can you easily differentiate between your pony's reg and your secondary? Will you be able to remember to check your pony's SPG before *every* dive? Will you remember to ensure your pony's reg breathes before every dive? Does you dive buddy understand how your pony will be used in an OOA situation?

I believe most people who dive ponies are not people who have ever asked themselves these questions and thus the pony is nothing more than a peice of gear they drag around that in reality has little benefit because these issues haven't been considered. While there are some situations where a pony can be a suitable substitute for doubles or an H-valve such as *very* light wreck penetration or solo diving most of the time buddy awareness and proper planning make the pony just something hanging off of your rig causing its own problems.

Btw, safe seconds were invented by cave divers who decided that buddy breathing (i.e. sharing the same 2nd stage) from hundreds or thousands of feet back in cave was something that would ensure one or both divers died.

 

[WingNutt]

Really all the things you said are easily applied to any predive gear/saftey check. Its just like any other piece of gear such as lets say camera gear. Yeah so its one more thing to take down, and a camera and its gear may be used throughout your dive, but I'd like to see you try and take a breath of air from the lens of your camera when tragedy strikes. About the only concern I would have of the things you mentioned is does your buddy understand how it will be used, something I am sure would be easy to instruct in only a minute or two. And if he doesnt know how to breath from a regulator then maybe he shouldnt be in the water in the first place. (I know there is more to it than just breathing from a reg but in general you get the idea) We are not camping here where if something goes wrong we can just sit and wait and hope somebody finds us or we can send smoke signals. We are against time and air submerged several feet below any breathable surface pushing the clock with each second that passes. Yes pre-planning your dive can help avoid certain issues, yes buddy-checks can help as well, proper maintanance and taking care of your gear can also be an important factor. Now figure catastrophic failure, answer that.

 

[divad]

Adding a pony bottle increases gear complexity and should not be done lightly. Have you considered everything that needs to be done to safely dive a pony? Where will you store the pony? Will you store it such that you can reach the valve? Will you dive with the valve open or closed? If closed, will you have the reg charged. Will you use the same gas in your pony as in your backgas? How will you assist the OOA diver, do you give him/her your pony or your octo? How will you stow your pony's reg? In an OOA, can you easily differentiate between your pony's reg and your secondary? Will you be able to remember to check your pony's SPG before *every* dive? Will you remember to ensure your pony's reg breathes before every dive? Does you dive buddy understand how your pony will be used in an OOA situation?
.

Yes, except for the last one. Good point; but if I'm using it, its because my buddy isn't around. If he's out of air, were breathing off my primary and back-up.

 

[loosebits]

My point is this: buddy awareness and gas planning will make you a better diver, you'll need less gear in the water (e.g. a pony) and you'll be a safer diver. If you are an aware buddy, why would you need a pony? Yes, I've lost my buddy diving Texas's murkey lakes once or twice but the total time thoughout my diving career I've been out of contact with my buddy (excluding intentional solo dives) has probabaly been less that 10 mins. What were the chances I or my buddy would have had a catastrophic air loss during those 10 mins considering I've not had one in hundreds of hours of bottomr time?

With a single tank, proper gas management will save you from everything but a first stage failure, a tank neck o-ring and a burst disk. Those 3 failure modes are covered by your aware buddy. Why have a pony?