Pony bottle for my solo dives

[NudeDiver]

I'm going to be taking a solo course soon. Mostly to that end, I'm going to be getting a pony bottle. Now, I know the whole pony bottle thing has been covered before. I've read lots of threads on here on that topic. I'm looking for something more geared toward my particular situation

Just an FYI on what I plan to take this course:

• I want to be better prepared for some of the not-so-great insta-buddies I will have in the future (had plenty in the past).
• I want to have the option to go solo diving, while out on a trip somewhere, if my wife doesn't want to make a dive for one reason or another (whether from a boat or the shore). With the card, I'll at least have a chance at that option. Without it, likely less so.
• I figure anything to train me to be more self-reliant, the better.

So - with that said:

• My dives are generally not that deep. Deepest ever is 30m. A more typical dive is 20m at most. 25m would be a rarity.
• I'm not looking to make solo dives any deeper than 20m.
• I'm pretty conservative, I don't really push the envelope much.

So, there you go. Nothing too special there. I need a pony bottle for this kind of stuff. The typical response I've seen about PB questions is something like "get a 30 or 40 - extra gas, not much bigger - just do it and you'll be happy." That would be fine I guess - except that I would STRONGLY PREFER something I can carry on the plane in my carry-on bag. The biggest one that will fit, as far as I can tell, is a 19cf bottle. I also think that will meet my emergency gas needs, for the situations described above. Finally, I think a 19cf would make an adequate emergency gas source for my non-solo dives, as described above. Certainly better than nothing anyway.

Now - despite all of that, my potential instructor said that I could use a 19cf for the course - but they normally train with a 40, which is better - which I would agree with after taking the course. Given my needs, I think a 40 is just excessive - not to mention that I would have to check it, rather than carry it on the plane.

OK, so, with respect to my pony bottle needs, and constraining replies to that issue - please lay it on me.

Thanks!
nd

 

[Doc Harry]

Hi NudeDiver,

Sounds like you've already answered your own question! You reasoning is sound and you should go with your gut feeling.

As far as the volume is concerned calculate how much gas it would take you to ascend normally, with all your stops, from 30m in a stressfull situation. That's how much gas you need in a pony bottle.

For me, using a stress SAC = 1.0 cubic feet per minute, I came up with about 19 cubic feet! And I have a 19 cubic-foot pony bottle!

You say that "they" normally train with a 30 or 40. Who are "they?" Soloing is not a team sport. Who cares what "they" think? You should do what YOU need to do to be happy and safe as a solo diver.

 

[BobbyT22]

I went through a reasoning process very, very similar to yours. I own both a 19 and a 13 pony. I travel with the 13, and use the 19 for the deeper dives I do at home. 13 is enough gas for me to do a bailout at shallow recreational depths. I have ascended from 60 feet with a 3 minute safety stop with the 13. Travel is a breeze as long as you remove the valve. I hand carry mine through security, the 13 fits in a backpack nicely, and tell the screeners up front that I have a compressed gas cylinder with the valve removed. Never had a problem, though on occasion a supervisor had to be called over if the screener had never seen a cylinder before.

But now I have a set of doubles...so wanna buy a used pony? (kidding....sort of)

 

[NudeDiver]

Hi NudeDiver,You say that "they" normally train with a 30 or 40. Who are "they?" Soloing is not a team sport. Who cares what "they" think? You should do what YOU need to do to be happy and safe as a solo diver.

They is the course instructor. I think it's fair to consider what they have to say with some degree of seriousness

I'll work through your math and see what I come up with. Thanks

But now I have a set of doubles...so wanna buy a used pony? (kidding....sort of)

Yes, I would be up for buying a used 19cf pony - sure, if it has a lot of time before hydro and has a VIP - sure. I can get a brand new one for $120 or so (CATALINA 19 CF PONY TANK). If you can give me a good deal on a used one, feel free to PM

Thanks!
nd

 

[FritzCat66]

• My dives are generally not that deep. Deepest ever is 30m. A more typical dive is 20m at most. 25m would be a rarity.
• I'm not looking to make solo dives any deeper than 20m.
• I'm pretty conservative, I don't really push the envelope much.
• ...I would STRONGLY PREFER something I can carry on the plane in my carry-on bag.
• ...I think a 19cf would make an adequate emergency gas source for my non-solo dives.

I could have written all the above as well, in terms of what I was looking at when selecting and configuring a pony (well, maybe a bit deeper). I also ran the calculations based on a heavy-breathing SAC of 1.0. And I also concluded that a 19cf pony would hit the sweet spot.

I have now been diving my 19cf pony regularly since last September (about 30 dives). I have practiced ascending on the pony on my last dive of the weekend from depths as low as 110ft/34m and have always been able to surface just fine with safety stop, with plenty of air to spare.

Of course, when I do this I'm not recovering from a real problem or emergency and thus my breathing isn't hard, nevertheless it has given me reassurance that the 19cf pony is indeed the right choice for me.

I'm still planning on doing my solo cert the first part of this year (as soon as I hit that 100-dive minimum - just 14 dives to go!), but it's not that I will be doing so many true solo dives as I just want to be "buddyless" and able to take pics and such without worrying about a buddy or depending upon one for emergency air or whatnot.

To that end, the 19cf pony has just become a standard part of my rig. I've even taken it along on shore dives where max. depth was only 20ft/7m. Because part of my solo diving philosophy is to pretty much dive the exact same rig whenever possible, to be extremely comfortable and familiar with everything.

I have also been travelling with the pony and the 19cf fits well in a standard travel bag. Just don't make the mistake I did of putting your pony reg in checked luggage (although the tank itself can go there).

One can always argue, "but more gas would be better"... but for many of us, the 19cf hits the sweet spot.

So my advice: get the 19cf, dive it all the time, and be happy!

>*< Fritz

 

[NudeDiver]

FC:

Thanks for your post

One thing struck me though:

Just don't make the mistake I did of putting your pony reg in checked luggage (although the tank itself can go there).

What is the problem here? I always carry my regs on the plane - have never had any problems.

Thanks!
nd

 

[DiverBizz]

I practice with my 19cf and dive with it. No issues and it gives me the security I need to solo and dive with an insta buddy.

 

[FritzCat66]

What is the problem here? I always carry my regs on the plane - have never had any problems.

Yep, always carry your regs on and don't check them like I did or you'll end up with something like this happening:

Gorillas Torqued my Razor!

>*< Fritz

 

[NudeDiver]

Yep, always carry your regs on and don't check them like I did or you'll end up with something like this happening:

Gorillas Torqued my Razor!

I misread your post as "don't make the mistake of carrying your pony reg on the plane" - which left me confused. My bad

 

[shoredivr]

When I travel, especially if weight is an issue, I just take a 1st and 2nd stage with SPG and a sling for the pony tank. Here's an example, or you can make your own.
SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - Stage Bottle Rigging

When I get to my destination, I'll ask if an 30ALu or 40ALu is available, if not, I've made do with an 80ALu if that's all they have. No worries about getting a VIP on the pony tank that had the valve off on the plane.