Pony Bottle pros & Cons

[tchil01]

I also am a proponent of Pony Bottles when diving with a single, especially on dives deeper the 80 feet, but my personal preference is to carry one all of the time. I do understand UP’s explanation of how they are an entanglement risk when back mounted, but we were taught and practiced reaching the valves and being able to clear snags. Also, you have a buddy who can help clear something that might get snagged. And in the worse case, I can take off my BCD and fix the problem. Until this board I never considered carrying the pony as a sling bottle, but it is something to consider. I guess this is another technique that should be utilized depending on what kind of diving you are doing.

No with all of that being said, yes, I will be moving to doubles eventually when training and money permit, Until then, I don’t go into the water without a “true” redundant air source.

Ty

 

[ADH]

My 13cu.ft pony and Calypso regulator cost me $202 plus $15 s&h through LeisurePro. Not too big and just enough air for any CESA.

 

[DiveTub]

HI Carry a pony on any dive greater than 100ft
nothng like being self redundent !!!

 

[NightDiver]

There's obviously many divers with different needs. I usually dive alone at night with some tight short cave penetration and rarely below 100fsw. This is what I use. I dive one 80 with a two strap bc. Double strapped on the side of the 80 is my 13 pony. Out of the 1st stage on the 80 comes my pressure gage and my second stage. Out of the pony's first stage comes a hose over the shoulder connected to my Air2. I have the little screw in pony gauge. I don't do decompression dives so the pony can inflate my bc over the course of many dives before the psi is too low to save me if I have to use it as my redundant source. This way I get all the air from the 80 for breathing.
I've a main and a redundant system all with only three hoses. If I have to leave the 80 and the bc for some totally unforseen reason, I can cut the Air2 and pony off and swim away.

 

[Spectre]

I'm constantly thinking about my use of a pony, as I know it's somewhat taboo. The more I thought about it, the more I have become comfortable with it's use, and I have stepped up to having it on almost every dive now.

So to start answering why, which a lot of it is 'why not doubles'.

First off, I want to have a redundant air supply. Primarily for self-sufficency. Occasionally I dive with buddies that I don't necessarily trust, and that for one warrents self-sufficency. Likewise I have the best air consumption rates of the group of divers that I do trust as buddies. Me having the pony gives that little extra leeway if I have a problem.

Secondly, a lot of my diving either 1) doesn't warrent doubles, or 2) would be extremely difficult logistically with doubles. When I go out on by buddies boat, we're loading the boat on the beach, and dealing with 50+ stairs plus the couple hundred yards of walking makes doubles extreme overkill for 20-60 fsw dives. Likewise there is a lot of shore diving that involves climbing over rocks and such.

Next, cost. Jumping out and buying myself doubles, or even the hardware to double what I have, combined with a new BC and everything else just is a little premature, because of...

Lastly: Training. I'm diving within NDL limits and recreational depth limits. I don't see any time that the 19 cuft bottle won't be enough to get me out of trouble. I don't have the training or experience to be truely comfortable with the steps it would take to deal with a problem with doubles. Dealing with a problem with singles is as simple as just grabbing the spare reg.

Many people comment that people use pony bottles to push their dives. That's not an argument against pony bottles, thats an argument against people doing stupid things. My attitude with my pony [which I've voiced before] is that if I pull out that pony bottle reg, I screwed up so bad that Darwin'll be rolling in his grave 'cause I had that redundant air supply.

Yes, eventually I'll be diving doubles, but I hope I won't cut down my diving because of it. I know UP let on that he has a single rig, and I don't see myself ever not having a single rig as well. The pony will always be a part of that single rig.

 

[tchil01]

Very well said... and you echo my sentiments exactly.

Ty

 

[herman]

As I read over this thread, another plus for a pony comes to mind. On a dive where the air capacity of doubles (and my dives never do)is not needed, why would I want to add another 40lbs to my gear when a pony would give me plenty of reserve air in an emergency and only add 12lbs to my gear? With a set of doubles, I would be getting close to 80-90% of my total body weight in gear, not exactly easy to get into a boat in 6 ft seas with this kind of weight.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I know a couple of bran new SDI solo diving instructors. They have no clue what redundancy is all about and they advertise it. They may yet make me rich. They now sport these spify tank mounted pony bottles. Anyway...most would agree that simple is better. Does another bottle with a third reg and a second spg give the most functionality in the simplest way. If your going to dive kind of deep and use a single tank, why not use an H valve. You can rout your hoses better even than with a single valve and you have redundancy in a system that lends itself to established gas management techniques. You get all of this without the extra junk. All good no bad. There is one argument and that is that when traveling an H valve may not be available. I would then skip the dive that I was not properly equiped for. I would at the same time avoid giving money to an operator willing to contribute to my doing a dive that I shouldn't.

If you are wanting to do dives that make you think you need a pony, take an advanced nitrox level class (from whatever agency you like). After that you probably won't give a pony bottle a second thaught unless your looking for a midget deco bottle or an argon bottle.

 

[tchil01]

Originally posted by MikeFerrara
If you are wanting to do dives that make you think you need a pony, take an advanced nitrox level class (from whatever agency you like). After that you probably won't give a pony bottle a second thaught unless your looking for a midget deco bottle or an argon bottle.

Just wondering why the course would make me rethink a pony? I am looking to take a Nitrox class soon but I don't understand why one whould rule out the other.

Thanks
Ty

 

[MikeS]

Mike,

I have a couple of questions regarding your suggested H-Valve approach. My intended application for a pony bottle is for dives 100 to 130 fsw where a controlled emergency ascent is not a good option. In the event of any failure of the primary SCUBA a sling mounted 30 cf pony provides enough air to resolve the issue that created the problem (i.e. free flow), find the anchor line or shoot a float, and then make a safe ascent including a safety stop.

Is it not difficult to find a rental tank with an H-Valve? If you carried your own what is the probability that a dive operator would let you use it on their tanks? Does this issue make an H-valve impractical unless you own your own tanks and travel with them?

Is there no benefit to being able to hand-off the pony?

What is the probability that the problem affects both ports of the H-Valve (i.e. a failed regulator free flows the tank empty before it’s shut off)? How about if an o-ring on the tank valve blows?

From the point of simplicity, in the case of a free flow or stuck inflator valve, isn’t it simpler to reach a stage slung pony right in front of you where you can see the valve as well as the pressure gauge?

What would your advise in this situation? I have completed OW, AOW, Rescue, and TDI Nitrox? I’m going on a wreck dive trip to NC were the wrecks seem to be all at or below 100 fsw.

A. Don’t go unless I come up with the $1,000 for two steal tanks with H valves.

B. Dive with no redundant air source other than my buddy’s octo?

C. Dive with a pony as planned?


Thanks,
Mike