Pony Bottle Fill

[Kenmx10]

Hi, Im thinking about getting a couple 13 CU pony bottles and using them for lobstering and spearfishing . Using them only when I need i to stay down longer than I can hold my breath. Im thinking about filling them up using my HP100's. Has anyone tried this? If so , Im trying to figure out how many fills I can actually get out of 1 100 tank ? I know once the pressure starts to drop Im only going to be getting partial fills, so I'm trying find out some info before I spend the money on a couple of pony tanks. Thx

 

[runsongas]

why not just spear on scuba then? wouldn't the pony be a violation if you can't spear on scuba anyways?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The great thing about breath hold diving is that the air in your lungs gets compressed as you descend so that you can ascend quickly. Breathing compressed air at depth while weighted for free diving is a quick way to die, or at the very least be paralyzed for the rest of your life.

 

[2airishuman]

Hi, Im thinking about getting a couple 13 CU pony bottles and using them for lobstering and spearfishing . Using them only when I need i to stay down longer than I can hold my breath.

Be careful and get good advice, mixing freediving and scuba poses various safety concerns that I do not fully understand.

Im thinking about filling them up using my HP100's. Has anyone tried this? If so , Im trying to figure out how many fills I can actually get out of 1 100 tank ? I know once the pressure starts to drop Im only going to be getting partial fills, so I'm trying find out some info before I spend the money on a couple of pony tanks. Thx

From an HP100 to an AL13 you will get one complete fill, one fill to around 2600, another fill to around 2200, another fill to maybe 1900, and then fills that are more or less useless. If you're using two HP100s in a cascade you can do a little better by filling from the emptier HP100 first.

Be safe, be careful. get advice from other freedivers who do this

 

[Kenmx10]

The great thing about breath hold diving is that the air in your lungs gets compressed as you descend so that you can ascend quickly. Breathing compressed air at depth while weighted for free diving is a quick way to die, or at the very least be paralyzed for the rest of your life.

Thx for the reply. I Agree, you would have to exhale before ascending. Which would eliminate Lung over expansion. Is there anything else that you know of that could be dangerous that I might be overlooking? Thx

 

[Kenmx10]

why not just spear on scuba then? wouldn't the pony be a violation if you can't spear on scuba anyways?

Thanks, here are some reason why I prefer to free dive while spearfish and collecting lobster. Because the scuba gear slows you down, limits your time in the water, wears you out, requires you keep a lot of tanks on the boat , fill them up every day, adds a lot of cost to a 2 week trip and I could keep going on. But the main reason is because I can stay in the water as long as I want and I can get a lot more fish and lobster free diving than I can when I am scuba diving.

The Idea is not to scuba dive on a pony bottle, but to give me a couple of breaths if I see a nice fish under a rock at 50' or so and need a couple extra breaths to stay down for a couple more minutes.

 

[2airishuman]

Thx for the reply. I Agree, you would have to exhale before ascending. Which would eliminate Lung over expansion. Is there anything else that you know of that could be dangerous that I might be overlooking? Thx

I don't think the risks of DCS are fully understood.

 

[BoltSnap]

Are you a certified scuba diver?

 

[dbnewton]

This sound like a poor idea. If you are used to free diving (AKA breath hold diving) you are setting yourself up for an embolism.

If SCUBA is allowed try it, your half way there already.

 

[Compressor]

Avoid this temptation to get a couple of breaths while "free diving." Its a recipie for disaster. You will pay with your life. Its serious.

I am not a spearfisherman but advantages of diving while spearing include finding the best game for your tastes, being relaxed, and on and on