Pony bottle; replacement for, or in addition to octo?

[maniago]

Consistent setup all dives but I have an in-line alternate air instead of standard octo so no extra hose either way.

+1. Main+Airsource3; pony on separate reg, on all the time. I dive this setup religously. My wife dives the exact same rig.

When I converted to the AirSource, I kept my octo for my pony and it is clipped in the standard triangle area, and its all yellow - tank, hose, octo. To an OOA diver it looks and acts just like a regular octo so I would expect that person to go for it first. If not, I know my options.

 

[TMHeimer]

For a deep dive with an insta buddy I probably take the pony. I keep the octo as it is the first choice to aid a buddy, plus why go to the trouble of detatching it? For shallow solo dives (30-35'--I don't solo deeper than that) no pony but I keep the octo. If the primary malfunctions I can go to the octo, in case it's just a problem with the primary and not the reg itself. Or I can do a CESA.

 

[Bob DBF]

I use it in addition to my octo. I use the pony as needed, at times on one dive but not on the next, so it would be inconvent to change my reg on each dive. Having dived for many years without an octo or pony, I realize that it is not the number of regulators that makes the dive safe.



Bob

 

[UnixMarine]

I keep my pony clipped to the front and moved my octo to it. That way if something happened, I could attach it to my daughter and she will be good to go.

 

[rsingler]

+1 for consistant setup. Don't see the problem though. I've got one 2nd stage on my tank and one on the pony. Pony is ALL bright yellow (hose, octo, tank, carry strap, octo holder) with valve open during any dive. The octo holder is at my neck (right shoulder, actually) and can be pulled free easily - either by me or another (discussed and demonstrated pre-dive). Pony can be unclipped and handed off. The pony SPG then is no longer my responsibility.

I'm a little surprised at the consistency of the comments on this thread. I thought the anti-pony flamers would be in full force!

To answer the OP, for me it's a pony in addition to an octo. Octo is for standard buddy breathing/low air/OOA recovery for some other diver.
Pony is for once in a million 1st stage failure (because my regs are maintained meticulously), OR a redundant air supply I can hand off to a panicked diver that I don't want near me.

On an 80' dive, with my SAC, I can use a 13 CF pony to allow a 2 min situation eval at depth with double my usual consumption, followed by standard ascent, and then a 3 min safety stop at 15 ft, assuming I have that one in a million failure. It's on bands from which I can pull the second stage for myself without unmounting (see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/making-your-own-gear/448362-diy-pony-tamer.html for my setup, but others prefer a sidemount), but there's also a lanyard/clip that I can attach to some other diver's harness and back away.

It's a risk/benefit decision, and I agree with prior posts about not changing your usual regulator setup. I ALWAYS have an octopus for shared air for my buddy or some numbnuts who is OOA and grabs my primary, so I disagree with Kharon above - I have the octo too. I also mount a pony when I'm diving with unfamiliar partners or at greater depth, or after several days of diving where my N2 load is such that I would prefer to avoid a CESA if I have an equipment failure. My consistent behavior is to always have another second stage. Whether or not there's a third, with a redundant air supply, depends upon the dive, or my buddy, or the "other" divers on my trip. But the only variable is the pony. There's always a second regulator clipped to my shoulder (I gave up a a necklace after the octo always filled with sand from shore dives) that I can hand off to someone, or breathe from if someone hijacks my primary (on a 5' hose). As you've gathered, I only want a calm buddy breather hugging me with a short hose. The others need to be 5' away or on a separate air supply.

Dr. Lecter had it right in the very first post.

 

[AfterDark]

This year I decided to do just that, replace my octo with a 19cuft pony bottle, when buddy diving, regardless of my rig configuration. When diving solo with my ID's I leave the pony behind; two tanks and two regulators should be enough to get me back.

---------- Post added August 26th, 2013 at 07:04 AM ----------

+1. Main+Airsource3; pony on separate reg, on all the time. I dive this setup religously. My wife dives the exact same rig.

When I converted to the AirSource, I kept my octo for my pony and it is clipped in the standard triangle area, and its all yellow - tank, hose, octo. To an OOA diver it looks and acts just like a regular octo so I would expect that person to go for it first. If not, I know my options.

What color is it at 80fsw?

 

[rsingler]

While I can't deny the hassle of three regulators (even if one is tucked out of the way), a pony is an "I'm going up right now!" bottle. There's just not enough air (single tank diver comment - twin tank guys please restrain yourselves). If I've traded my octo for a second stage on a pony, someone is ascending right now.

So I have an octo too, because my buddy might have a problem that requires more time/air. If I can only hand him my pony, and he's not ready/able to ascend in 2 min, then someone is going to be OOA unless we share a single regulator. Much better to have two, so I can help him get his problem fixed. If your response is, "just get a bigger pony", I'd tell you to get twin tanks.

My philosophy is as above:
1) be consistent - extra second stage in same place all the time (which COULD be the 2nd from your pony, I guess)
2) pony if you believe in redundant supply for some/all situations and are a single tank diver

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I dive a long and short hose and side-sling a 30 cu ft pony, whether diving with a buddy or solo on a single tank. I keep my configuration as static as possible. The extra 2nd stage around my neck (octo if you like) is no more in the way than on any other dive. My pony has a 90-degree fixed bend for comfort, and a standard 40" hose, so I can pass it off to a buddy if needed. The regs are a compact DIN and a HOG switchback.

I do my own maintenance so I don't worry too much about the cost, but that's a consideration.

 

[je76]

I dive long and short hose on my doubles and sling a pony regardless of my gas needs. There will be those that will call it a needless redundancy but its value far outweighs its drawbacks in my opinion.

Slung to the front and properly packaged it is easy to carry and adds an effective redundancy even when I am diving manifolded doubles. If I am worried about weight for some reason I use a 19CF instead of a 30CF but the weight is never really a problem.

Your octo acts not only in the event of an out of air with a buddy but also can act as a backup regulator in the event that the primary regulator fails. I would never remove my octo or backup regulator from my main tank even if I was diving a pony. You could have a simple problem with a reg where your octo or backup reg will serve you well...think of a mouth piece failure or a diaphragm that comes loose...doesn't cause free flow but causes you to half a mouth of water with every breath.

In my book the pony has value in whatever tank you are diving and I have experiences that back that up. I would never remove the octo or backup reg either and replace it with the pony.

 

[Frosty]

Im now in a different camp Having had that horrible feeling of being OOA with a half tank showing on the gauges.(aluminum dust clogged the filter) I sling a pony to self rescue. But Ive gone to an air2 so the octi has gone from the rig.
Having recently done some drills with my regular buddy a pony does offer options that back air doesn't. We played around with donating the pony whilst sorting out problems with the "victims" gear. My view is that it does offer more options for self rescue and rescuing a buddy.
The option might not be the chosen one but its good to have choices.