Ponies -- giddyap

[large_diver]

For those interested.....just received my latest issue of Dive Training magazine. There is an informative article about pony bottles and how to mount them in "sling" or "stage" fashion. I haven't read the whole article yet, but it looked interesting, especially in light of some of the recent pony discussions we've been having on this board.

Another interesting point -- the picture they used for the front page of the article shows a guy with a DIR-style gear config = long primary hose and bungeed back-up.....

Enjoy.

 

[Warhammer]

Originally posted by large_diver

Another interesting point -- the picture they used for the front page of the article shows a guy with a DIR-style gear config = long primary hose and bungeed back-up.....

He must be a DIR drop-out! Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[large_diver]

Hey -- no one deserves more needling than some of the militant DIR-folk out there ;-)

....But just because the guy is using a pony bottle does not mean he is "non-DIR".....Many DIR techies use pony bottles -- just not as redundant air supplies. They mainly use them to hold deco gas for use at shallower depths.

 

[rcohn]

If you look carefully you'll notice the bottle is labeled "20 ft". It is not a pony bottle but rather O2 for deco, which is very DIR. Labeling the bottle with the MOD is also DIR, but last I heard it shouldn't say "ft", George says the number alone is sufficient and adding ft "destroys a perfect system".

Ralph

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by rcohn
George says the number alone is sufficient and adding ft "destroys a perfect system".

Ralph

Now *there* is something really worth spinning up about! HHHhhhaarrr!
Rick

 

[large_diver]

Yeah, I guess according to DIR guidelines, many of us tend to throw the term "pony" around rather loosely....

More info about the article, which I read last night -- it's main purpose is to provide instructions on how to rig a pony bottle as a stage to be worn on the front of the BC/harness and attached via bolt snaps/D rings. I found it interesting that the tone of this article was "pony bottles SHOULD be worn this way" vs. "one potential way of earing a pony is to mount it as a stage".

 

[rcohn]

Dive Training has had several DIR gear oriented articles and the trend seems to be continuing. I haven't checked but i assume it's one writer who follows the DIR rigging.

Rick, to be fair I should point out that after George tore into a DIR devotee on techdiver who was adding "ft" to his bottles because he dove in a location where there was a mix of metric and imperial divers, he later apologized for being an a--hole. This was probably a true first (and maybe the last time too).

Ralph

 

[Green_Manelishi]

I saw the article but have not had a chance to read it.
A couple of members of my dive club said "Hey, Green_Man,
I thought of you when I was reading that article."

As others pointed out, and I pointed out that evening,
that "pony" is in fact a deco bottle. A MAJOR difference
considering that most use a pony as redundancy.

It is nice to see that a major magazine is noting the
growing influence of the "DIR" crowd (whether or not
you agree with all aspects of their system)

"Rcohn" let me know when you want to get together and do
some diving. It will be great fun. Perhaps L_D could join us?

 

[large_diver]

GM -- would love to go diving with you guys sometime soon. Given my current schedule...probably sometime in mid-late-July (unless you are up for a shore dive on Cape Ann this Sunday AM -- I know this likely doesn't work for you). Perhaps we can re-schedule the "2nd annual NE diver get together" for that time frame?