Pony bottle/alternate air

[String]

Im unable to find one of these around here or online for purchase so i carry a pony when not on twins.....

 

[letterboy]

POST 55

BTW I'll take 2 robots please, one for diving the other for cooking. . .

 

[DandyDon]

As long as it fits within the TSA regulated space. . . oh yeah and doesn't have more then, is it 3 ounces, of liquid. . .

3.4 ounces, inside a one quart zip lock, but it doesn't have to be that brand. I think all the agents know that now?

I carried a spare 1 qt ziplock and gave it to a young mother with a baby on her first plane ride, then made sure she made her tight connection. She was on the way to NC to get married.

If I can get a clone of myself that poor SOB is going to work and I am going diving.... Does Leisure pro sell these yet or LDS only???

Ok 2 clones, one to work, one to dive. we have to pay for the clones going on the boat, tho?

 

[String]

Nah shes got a reel not a spool.

Plus if it were true DIR you'd need a 3 person team so there'd need to be another one.

 

[RonFrank]

There is more to diving than diving..I have one buddy who I dive with pretty much exclusivly and we do it at least 100 dives a year together..The thing is, I'm not sure what I enjoy more, our time in the water or the time our families spend together out of the water....

Jay Roy,

I have never considered a pony until recently. Here are the reasons:

I've recently read of Two recent incidents where divers in Coz have had regulator malfunctions because of Alum Oxidation. This occurs when a tank is sucked dry, and sits in a humid environment even for a short while. In both cases the divers had over 2000 psi, but their first stage was gummed up to the point neither primary or oct would function.

As I recently dove in Coz, I discovered even with a good buddy, it was not difficult to drift far enough apart so that if one of us had issues, we would be more than a breath away against current. With an insta-travel buddy, who can predict what type of divers they are.

I personally am considering a 19CF pony for travel. If my reg stops breathing, I would much rather have a second air source vs. relying on a budy whom I may not even know saving my bacon.

Bully to you if you have local dive buddies that are reliable. I have the same, but I do as much or more diving when traveling than I do locally, and that involve divers I do not know. I am now no longer secure in the belief that a rental AL80 won't gum up my regulator as I once was, and in heavy current staying within a couple feet of an insta-buddy is sometimes impossible.

I'm not so sure why anyone is Anti-pony. There is certainly nothing wrong with having a pony with a redundant first stage and an octo for backup. I my case, I'll move my octo to the pony first stage when I travel. I doubt I'll use it locally other than to train, but who knows. I plan on attaching it to my tank. I doubt I'll even know it's there.

What would you pay for air if your primary first stage failed at 90', and your newbie dive buddy, and everyone else was busy watching turtles 10 feet up current?

 

[bentex]

I sling a 40cf for NJ diving which is more WRECK than REC, if you will. I'm not quite tech, but heading that way. Got the 40 in anticipation of needing a deco bottle at some point.

1. Is it difficult to travel with?
Nope, I just put it in the car with the rest of my gear

2. Is it difficult to get it filled by the dive op?
Nope, I think they hook them up to the compressor the same way.

3. Isnt it quite a bit more weight?
Nope; AL40 is only a few pounds neg at most

4. Is it really necessary for warm water recreational diving?
Well, I dive in NJ so I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "warm" water. But seriously, what does water temp have to do with it? (I know the answer, but it has nothing to do with it.)

5. Have you personally ever had an aao on your personal gear that caused you to need it?
Nope, but I haven't needed fire insurance for my home yet either

Thanks for your help. Have you met Jay Roy? I hear he needs a buddy.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

...
In the real world these dont exist. Not until we can start mass producing robotic slaves with that sole purpose..

Where do you mount these things? Is it OK to hand one off to your buddy, if he needs it?

 

[tc]

Where do you mount these things? Is it OK to hand one off to your buddy, if he needs it?

Uh... On your lap?

 

[dschulte]

I dive a 19cu bottle with a dedicated 1st and 2nd stages. I use a micro pressure gauge to keep it simple. I do some technical diving so the setup is DIN, but you can keep the costs down with a yoke setup. Figure $120 for a bottle and a solid used setup for another $100; much better option than Spare Air. With a 19 you can safely ascend from 130’ at 30ft/min, conduct a 5 minute safety stop at 15’ and reach the surface with air to spare. I mount my spare with a Quck Draw bracket so I have the option of releasing it and letting the OOA diver manage the bottle during the ascent.
:monkeydan

 

[grassyknoll]

Good god I called it back on post #4 didn't I.


Since it looks safe to dip my toes back into the pony debate now, I wanted to ask if anyone uses or has personal experince with a bite valve instead of a conventional 2nd/octo, I recently acquired one and I like the concept and how it seems to work but have not checked it out on a dive yet.