Pony bottle hooked to Air 2

[Soggy]

It seems to me that since I use a BC with a second stage built into the power inflator, I could simply hook a pony bottle to it, rather than have a separate octo. This would mean that my BC would be inflated from the second stage. I think I would want a SPG attached to the pony also, though.

Does this make sense to anyone?

What are the possible problems with this configuration? I'm interested in getting a pony bottle, but don't want to carry around a separate second stage regulator, since I already have one built into my BC.

 

[MuddyFox]

...your air2 was the failure point? For example, if it broke, was free-flowing, and was emptying your main tank, what good would the pony bottle be?

 

[DiveTub]

The Pony Bottle is a redundent air supply, and thats all it should be used for.

Your Air2 Should run off your Main Tank and your Pony should be serperate from everything else with its on SPG and Reg.

Hooking the pony up to the Air2 will not give you the redudency you need.

Also you cant pass it to your buddy should he have problems with his air supply.

Cheers
Chris
PADI MSDT
http://homepage.mac.com/sydney_diver

 

[Scubaroo]

Same question was asked in this thread.

 

[Soggy]

Originally posted by MuddyFox
...your air2 was the failure point? For example, if it broke, was free-flowing, and was emptying your main tank, what good would the pony bottle be?

If my air2 was the failure point, it wouldn't be emptying my main tank. That's the point. It would be hooked up to the pony!

If my air2 fails, I'd be breathing off of my primary anyhow. No harm, no foul.

 

[Soggy]

Originally posted by Sydney_Diver
The Pony Bottle is a redundent air supply, and thats all it should be used for.
...
Hooking the pony up to the Air2 will not give you the redudency you need.
...
Also you cant pass it to your buddy should he have problems with his air supply.

How would it not be redundant? I have a completely second regulator and a completely redundant second stage. The only difference is I would be inflating/deflating my BC from the pony.

When diving with an air2, the common practice for sharing air with your buddy, is passing the primary reg, and breathing off the air2. That wouldn't change if the pony were hooked up to an air2.

 

[MuddyFox]

If my air2 was the failure point, it wouldn't be emptying my main tank. That's the point. It would be hooked up to the pony!

So then you are emptying your pony which would be pointless.

It's an excellent point that you couldn't hand off your pony bottle to your buddy as it would have no reg attached. That's a major advantage of pony bottles in OOA situtations... that is if you used the stage rigging.

All you are really gaining from your method is not having to deal with a second stage... which to me if you already attached the 1st stage and HP hose you may as well have gone the MP hose with 2nd stage route. I suppose you are also gaining the ability to inflate your BC with the pony should your primary 1st stage fail. However manual inflation is a simpler cure for that. To each their own I guess.

 

[Soggy]

Originally posted by MuddyFox

It's an excellent point that you couldn't hand off your pony bottle to your buddy as it would have no reg attached. That's a major advantage of pony bottles in OOA situtations... that is if you used the stage rigging.

Yes...This is, so far, the only point that has made any sense to me.

All you are really gaining from your method is not having to deal with a second stage...

You end up with a fully redundant air supply! That's what you are gaining! Two regs, two second stages. The only difference is the air in the pony happens to control bouyancy. I am not looking at this as specifically an advantage, but a side effect. Though, it could be an advantage in that you aren't using air from your primary tank for bouyancy, and thus have more air to breathe.

I dive with a drysuit and am interested in getting a pony bottle (I have read all the warnings...your buddy is your redundant air supply...well, sh*t happens...that's why the pony is there). With a drysuit I have four hoses sticking out of my reg, and don't really feel like adding more hoses to confuse things. It seems that by simply putting a reg and lp hose on a pony, things are greatly simplified, despite what was said in the other post about complicating things.

 

[MikeS]

I think that you have found a solution more complex than the problem and typically this is not a good thing.

Something to think about. Typically a bail out pony is never used (only if there is a failure of the primary) and therefore doesn’t have to be refilled after a dive. If you were to use the pony to fill your BC you would have to refill it after every dive. For multiple dives at a quarry or boat without a fill station that would mean caring extra pony bottles.

 

[Soggy]

Originally posted by MikeS
I think that you have found a solution more complex than the problem and typically this is not a good thing.

Something to think about. Typically a bail out pony is never used (only if there is a failure of the primary) and therefore doesn’t have to be refilled after a dive. If you were to use the pony to fill your BC you would have to refill it after every dive. For multiple dives at a quarry or boat without a fill station that would mean caring extra pony bottles.

While I disagree that this solution is more complex (in fact, I still believe it to be far simpler), you have a valid point about filling tanks that I had not considered.