Pony bottle size for NC wrecks?

[KidK9]

Ok, I know this could easily be moved into the tank section, but they always highjack these threads into "why we should or shouldn't dive with pony bottles", so I thought I'd ask y'all.

I'm diving in July with Olympus and would really like the added safety margin of diving with a pony since my girl isn't diving with me that weekend. So needless to say, I only trust my life to my girl, or be self-sufficient.

So what size should I go with if I'm doing the traditional offshore then inshore wrecks? I was thinking about a 19 cu. ft. Is this enough or should I go with a 30? As well, what type of reg should I get with this? Anybody have some personal experience or opinions?

 

[MechDiver]

I think it depends on the size of the wreck. Something like a little 20' wreck, you'd only need a 6, while the Doria would need, like two 80s!!
Wow! Good logic huh?

 

[KidK9]

I'm not penetrating them, and I'm not going into deco on them, it's only an emergency setup. I really don't think it is the length of the vessel, more as the depth. Thanks.

 

[MAK52580]

If you are not decoing, then a 30 would probably be sufficient. I would not go any lower than that since anything could happen... getting lost, caught in a current, etc. Since most of the wrecks that you are diving are going to be 120 or less, carry the 30 with EAN 32. You can use this on your safety stops for added saftey. I like to play it absolutely safe and sling a 40. Having more gas just makes me feel more relaxed. But I personally would not dive with less than a 30.

 

[KidK9]

OK ok, I don't want this to turn into some psycho-masochistic thread about whether or not PB's are good/bad/ugly/give unneeded confidence etc. etc. Point is, I'm diving in North Carolina in July, and I'm not diving with my tried and true girlfriend who I trust my life with, so I'm aiming to be a bit more self-sufficient.

So, is a 19cu ft. enough for depths to 130 feet in and OOA emergency to get to the surface with a 3 minute safety stop?

Could someone else please advise me on what regulator I should get for this setup. Thank you so much for your help.

Please be courteous and don't highjack this thread into a humongous debate.

 

[Curt Bowen]

OK ok, I don't want this to turn into some psycho-masochistic thread about whether or not PB's are good/bad/ugly/give unneeded confidence etc. etc. Point is, I'm diving in North Carolina in July, and I'm not diving with my tried and true girlfriend who I trust my life with, so I'm aiming to be a bit more self-sufficient.

So, is a 19cu ft. enough for depths to 130 feet in and OOA emergency to get to the surface with a 3 minute safety stop?

Could someone else please advise me on what regulator I should get for this setup. Thank you so much for your help.

Please be courteous and don't highjack this thread into a humongous debate.

More then enough, any reg will work

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

That's what I use, it's plenty of air and your next favorite reg will work fine. You want the cracking pressure set high same as any alternate air source.

 

[KidK9]

Cracking pressure?

 

[DandyDon]

That's what I use on every dive, after bad experiences with boat-pick buddies, and you'll see many in use on your NC dives. It'll hold the equivalent to 700# of a standard 80 cf tank filled to 3000#, which is enough for a slow ascent and good safety stops - 1 minute at half depth, 3-5 minutes around 15 feet.

My alternate second stage does not have a user adjustment, so the "Cracking pressure" is adjusted so it will not free flow at the surface. For my Pony, though, I use a reg with an adjustment, I think called a "Venturi switch," on the second stage. I keep it tight but useable until I need it, then open it up all the way if I do. I never have needed it, but I practice with it often.

You don't list your training and experience on your profile, but you should be able to find the other info you need on the NC forum...

 

[Uncle Pug]

That all depends on whether or not you can deploy it, how long that takes, and whether or not it still has 19 cf of gas in it.