papa hogs - cozumel

[DandyDon]

:wave: The BEST LITTLE DIVE SHOP IN TEXAS of Lubbock is sponsoring the trip - Thanksgiving week, Monday thru Friday, and they booked us at the Reef Club at the south end of the isle. Getting to PH's HQ in the morning to mix & mingle sounds good, but letting them pick me up at the dock would be easier. But then - getting a look at BLANCA may be a great idea in itself?!

Anyway, it all sounds good - now than "Tony" is gone. I need to stop by PH's the day we arrive at least, to put my Pony Bottle back together and fill it for the next days diving. I'll certainly consider the morning gathering. :nod:

Thanks! D-Don

 

[Brules]

What do you need a pony bottle for????



Brules

 

[HammerNoMore]

dandydon once bubbled...
:wave: The BEST LITTLE DIVE SHOP IN TEXAS of Lubbock is sponsoring the trip

I did a trip to Flower Gardens when I was down in Houston on business. The rest of the boat was filled with a group from the Best Little Dive Shop In Texas. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be the odd man out with. Everyone in the group made me feel welcome.

I can't recall if there was a Don in the group? Were you one of them?

James

 

[DandyDon]

Brules once bubbled...
What do you need a pony bottle for????



Brules

Oh, I don't need a pony bottle, but I've long wanted one. I am NOT a safe person by nature, so I try harder to be a safe diver, and - given how important the reg is, and how reg failures have been indicated in seveal of the few deaths in the sport, I see an independent breathing sytem as as nice safety feature. I once had a 1st stage fail on me while I was still on the boat. Scarey reminder that things break.

Anyway, I won a new, complete reg (without octo) at a DAN fund raiser, and - not actually needing one, I thought this would be a good time to acquire a 19 cubic foot pony bottle.

Have to take the valve off for plane trips, then reassemble on arrival, but this just makes the sport more interesting.

Happy Bubbles, ldguy: D-Don

 

[DandyDon]

James Goddard once bubbled...


I did a trip to Flower Gardens when I was down in Houston on business. The rest of the boat was filled with a group from the Best Little Dive Shop In Texas. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be the odd man out with. Everyone in the group made me feel welcome.

I can't recall if there was a Don in the group? Were you one of them?

James

No, I didn't make that trip. Good to hear that our Lubbock area people were good folks. I guess that Terry & Martha, the owners, were there? They're certainly pleasant folks. I'm looking forward to diving with them. I'll try to help remind Marth to turn her computer on before dives; says she is bad about that.

Happy Bubbles, ldguy: D-Don

 

[HammerNoMore]

dandydon once bubbled...
I guess that Terry & Martha, the owners, were there? They're certainly pleasant folks.

Yep, I remember Tery and Martha, I went and checked, my dive buddy for the trip was Mindy. Great buddy, if you see her tell her thanks for the pictures.

James

 

[Brules]

dandydon once bubbled...


Oh, I don't need a pony bottle, but I've long wanted one. I am NOT a safe person by nature, so I try harder to be a safe diver, and - given how important the reg is, and how reg failures have been indicated in seveal of the few deaths in the sport, I see an independent breathing sytem as as nice safety feature. I once had a 1st stage fail on me while I was still on the boat. Scarey reminder that things break.

Anyway, I won a new, complete reg (without octo) at a DAN fund raiser, and - not actually needing one, I thought this would be a good time to acquire a 19 cubic foot pony bottle.

Have to take the valve off for plane trips, then reassemble on arrival, but this just makes the sport more interesting.

Happy Bubbles, ldguy: D-Don

May I suggest maybe using a *Spare Air* instead? A big pony bottle would be a MAJOR MAJOR PITA! I don't think I have ever seen anyone in Cozumel using one.....Divers stay close enough together, that is you did have some type of freal OOA situation, you usually arent more than 5-10' away from your fellow divers, who all have Octos.....get on one of those and buddy breathe to the surface.

I just think carting a Pony donw there wouldn't be worth the hassle. Maybe someone with alot more experiece can comment further and disuabde you from it.....

Or maybe make a post in the *Regulator* forum about wondering if it is worth it to take one to Cozumel. You could get some good feedback there on it.

Good luck....

Brules

 

[ggunn]

Brules once bubbled...


May I suggest maybe using a *Spare Air* instead? A big pony bottle would be a MAJOR MAJOR PITA! I don't think I have ever seen anyone in Cozumel using one.....

Brules

Do you really wanna start a "Spare Death" argument in here? ;^)

That's a rec.scuba reference, BTW.

I have seen pony bottles carried diving Cozumel a few times, mostly by DM's and a couple of times by a "loner" diver who left the group immediately and went off the wall to (he said) over 200'.

For the "normal" rec diver in a group at Cozumel, I really don't think that either are worth the trouble, and there is the point that carrying a Spare Air may give a diver a false sense of security.

 

[DandyDon]

James Goddard once bubbled...


Yep, I remember Tery and Martha, I went and checked, my dive buddy for the trip was Mindy. Great buddy, if you see her tell her thanks for the pictures.

James

I'll tell her. She's the local club leader who put the Roatan trip together. Cute, too; wonder...?

D-Don

 

[DandyDon]

Brules once bubbled...


May I suggest maybe using a *Spare Air* instead? A big pony bottle would be a MAJOR MAJOR PITA! I don't think I have ever seen anyone in Cozumel using one.....Divers stay close enough together, that is you did have some type of freal OOA situation, you usually arent more than 5-10' away from your fellow divers, who all have Octos.....get on one of those and buddy breathe to the surface.

I just think carting a Pony donw there wouldn't be worth the hassle. Maybe someone with alot more experiece can comment further and disuabde you from it.....

Or maybe make a post in the *Regulator* forum about wondering if it is worth it to take one to Cozumel. You could get some good feedback there on it.

Good luck....

Brules

I asked a Spanish speaking friend, and she said "pita" means to honk a horn? Webster gives (1) a member of the agave plant family or the fiber from the plant - use to make cordage or mats, or (2) pita bread - which I knew. I have even seen "tacos" in Ireland made from pocket bread.

Octo breathing is not buddy breathing, by the way. Avoid OOA, but Octo is preferable to having to buddy breathing - to share one second stage.

Anyway, I have consdiered Spare Air, but decided they were too small to help much. And I try to be a dependable buddy, but from my experiences with assigned buddies - I'd hate to depend on one!! I've been the only diver on a boat with an Octo, at St.Barths. I compared guages with a buddy 80 feet down at Key Largo when I had 1500# and found he had only 500#! What if my reg failed next? :bonk: I've had buddies get lost, too far away for me to use if I was out of air. Had one go down to 120 feet once after I'd warned him that my 32% EAN would allow me to go to 111 feet only; what if he'd needed help?! I try to be a good diver, but I wouldn't want to depend on most I've dived with.

So, while I wouldn't bother otherwise, since I won the complete reg, I bought the pony and mounting bracket, and I'll try it. I may be glad I had it, or - I make put it all up for sale. We'll see...

Happy bubbles, : oldguy: D-Don