Pony bottle harness/side mount

[jlcnuke]

You can also make your own stage/pony bottle rigging quite simply. Here's a great guide DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

As for location, I'm a big fan of putting it in a place that's going to be consistent for you. I dive recreational, solo recreation, as well as tech. As such, I have my long house going down my right side, across my left shoulder, behind my head, and to my mouth from the right side of my head in rec, rec solo, and tech dives. My backup reg is a shorthose coming over my right shoulder and stored on a bungee necklace hanging at my neck in rec, rec solo, and tech dives. My pony bottle/stage bottles/deco bottles are staged on my left side in the same manner anytime I'm wearing one in rec solo and tech dives. This keeps my primary donate the same on all dives. It keeps my backup regulator the same on all dives. And it keeps my detachable cylinders the same on all dives that utilize additional cylinders. I like that consistency.

 

[happy-diver]

Yeah DIR-diver.com are the ones whom I used the first time I made a correct stage bottle


Did you know there are many people diving and driving many rigs, all consistent for them

 

[hedonist222]

My setup for reference

 

[happy-diver]

Man I had a 95 aluminium tank with a 25 pony in that configuration with a Tusa bc

I love that wooden ship in the background

Magnificent!

 

[shoredivr]

My setup for reference

View attachment 653549 View attachment 653550

How easy is it to open the valve on the pony if you forgot to do that before you jumped in the water?

 

[happy-diver]

You don't

 

[divad]

I know better than to rely on spare air. My divediva instructor made that very clear!

Naughty boy.......................did you enjoy your spanking?

 

[gamon]

Those who carry a back mounted pony bottle as I do might want to consider doing what I do.

Since I "use" my pony bottle on virtually every dive- I consider it a redundant emergency source of gas during the dive (bailout) and then use it as a "stage" bottle towards the end of the dive- meaning that I allow my main tank reserve to drop below 500 psi even at depth since I have the pony bottle- it allows me to extend almost every dive.

Since I treat the pony bottle as such, I have a transmitter on the main AND the pony tank and my pony bottle wrist computer is on my left wrist. It's not only streamlined and functional but it looks cool and when people say "why do you wear a computer on each wrist?" it always makes for great conversation/debate as to how I utilize my pony bottle to extend my dives.

The pony bottle computer also serves as a backup (I set it to the same Nitrox blend as my main tank so it accurately tracks my NDLs).

 

[hedonist222]

How easy is it to open the valve on the pony if you forgot to do that before you jumped in the water?

Moderate I would say

I need to practice more

But my routine is to first turn on my spare tank then primary
And breathe from spare before placing primary in my mouth

Check my spare air pressure before my primary pressure

Three fail safes

 

[hedonist222]

Those who carry a back mounted pony bottle as I do might want to consider doing what I do.

Since I "use" my pony bottle on virtually every dive- I consider it a redundant emergency source of gas during the dive (bailout) and then use it as a "stage" bottle towards the end of the dive- meaning that I allow my main tank reserve to drop below 500 psi even at depth since I have the pony bottle- it allows me to extend almost every dive.

Since I treat the pony bottle as such, I have a transmitter on the main AND the pony tank and my pony bottle wrist computer is on my left wrist. It's not only streamlined and functional but it looks cool and when people say "why do you wear a computer on each wrist?" it always makes for great conversation/debate as to how I utilize my pony bottle to extend my dives.

The pony bottle computer also serves as a backup (I set it to the same Nitrox blend as my main tank so it accurately tracks my NDLs).

But what do you do on your second dive if you don't go back to it dive center or refilling station?