pony bottle-open or closed?

[Hatul]

I'm strongly on the side of leaving the valve open. As others have said, when you're need air from a pony, fiddling with a valve is one extra step you or your buddy don't need. If the pony is back mounted you definitely don't want to have to be looking for the valve handle to turn on, and if slung you can see if the thing is leaking.

I think some confuse a pony bottle with a stage bottle, the latter is used electively while the pony is for emergencies.

Adam

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I wear mine back mounted and on with no gage that I can read underwater. Second stage is on a necklace where a free flow should be quickly detectable.

If I were to carry a slung pony bottle, it would be charged and off. If it is on, then you could loose a lot of air if you scrawl into or under something and the purge valve gets depressed, plus a slung bottle freeflowing is not as obvious as a reg around your neck freeflowing.

To me, one of the main benefits of a slung bottle is that you know it is not leaking and loosing air because it is off and you can see it pretty well in most situations.

As for your buddy needing air immediately... that is why you hand them your primary from your mouth and then you can turn on the slung bottle in 1.78 seconds and begin breathing. Leaving a slung bottle turned on has the most miniscule of potential benefits and the drawbacks far outway the benefits.

On your back, the bottle is turned on, when slung the bottle is charged and off.

 

[TSandM]

If I were going to necklace the pony reg, I'd carry it slung, charged and off. But that's because it would be for ME. Any reg you are going to donate, IMO, should not require any manipulation to deliver a reliable source of gas to someone. If I were to need a pony reg, it would be because I've had a freeflow or an equipment failure, and I have enough training and experience to remember that I have the pony and to turn it on once I've had the "gulp" experience. MANY of the people I dive with wouldn't have that much poise.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

One thing to remember on back mounted pony tank with yoke valves. If it is off and you try to turn it on in an emergency, you may mistake the yoke knob for the valve with a gloved hand. At the very least you lose some time, worst case with no pressure you might dismount the 1st stage which would possibly be the last thing you remember.... So valve on unless you sling. Whatever you do, be 100% consistent.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I would not want a slung bottle on a necklace. I dive solo, get tangled up way too often and have to remove my scuba unit probably 8-10 times every year...I never seem to learn... having a slung bottle with an attachement around my neck, really could add some task loading in an entanglement situation.

 

[RonFrank]

When I dive with a pony I don't know my buddy, and generally consider myself solo. I dove like this for a week once where my buddy was new and often ran out of gas 30 minutes in to the dive. I would make sure they got to the boat and then I'd carry on.

I mount the pony on my primary tank and leave it on since I don't want to be reaching for it.My pony reg has a mini SPG and an octo.

 

[ScubaVideo]

I've never carried a pony but several posters have indicated that they would use the pony or hand it (if slung?) to an OOA buddy. When you carry a pony do you ditch your octopus? I would think that a pony is your last resort and if a buddy is OOA, then you give him your primary and use your octopus. This is an interesting conversation and I am also wondering is there any formal word on this from any agency?

Also, if your mounted pony is leaking, can't you see that something is leaking by looking up? Bubbles go up and leaking regs and hoses tend to make a tiny stream of bubbles.

I guess if I were to use one I would want it mounted with the reg clipped off for easy access with a SPG that I could monitor. Maybe even a second AI sensor for my SP SOL that I would use under the buddies pressure reading. I would keep it on and monitor for leaks via pressure loss.

 

[ScubaVideo]

I also have another question since I'm pretty interested in the subject, could anyone post pics of their setups? I would like to see both back mount and sling. Also more info on how to sling it would be great. Also, does anyone use both a back mount system and an argon/DS inflation system that is back mount? Pics would be great. TIA

sorry to

 

[knotical]

I had presumed the OP was only using the pony when solo diving.

Even when diving solo, there may be other divers around.

 

[CamG]

Thank you Dumpsterdiver for stating it well.
In our training as AOW when carrying a pony for redundant air.
We always slung the bottle checked and charged on the surface then turned off.
Checked and charged once again in the water then turned off.
Then when we were at max depth checked and charged then turned off once again.

Sounds like a lot of times but it is not really a big deal.
We trained that the pony was YOUR BOTTLE!
If you had a free flow then you charged your own bottle and switched to the pony while ascending with your buddy paying close attention.
We have performed this at depth several times with real free flows and or issues.
This was at the Deep diver specialty level / AOW.

Before switching to doubles we used to sling AL 80's, 40's, 30's, 63's or what ever we had to spend more time at depth.
We used the same practice with these bottles.
Never back mounted any ponies just switched to doubles.

CamG Keep diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!