Pony bottle size for NC wrecks?

[Rick Murchison]

(1) When I decide to carry a pony my personal minimum size is 30CF. This is based not on my own gas requirements, but on the gas requirements of an excited student with a problem.
(2) 19CF should be plenty for the "normal" diver to make a "normal" ascent from 130' and a "normal" safety stop - just stay cool. (The "break even" SCR is about 0.7CFM. i.e. if your SCR is above 0.7CFM you require a bigger bottle)
(3) From a gas management procedure standpoint, once in the water and headed down, I turn my pony off, leaving the hoses charged - that way an inadvertant unnoticed freeflow cannot deplete my gas supply. I check the pressure in the hoses from time to time and exercise the valve, recharging the hoses if needed (keeping some pressure in the hoses prevents getting water into them and the first stage).
(4) I carry my pony like a stage rather than in a bracket on the back.
Rick

 

[fireflock]

Carry a 30 or 40. That should give you pleny of air to do a normal ascent with a safety stop from any recreational depth.

I would call Olympus, ask for one of the regular employees (they have some new summer help right now that doesn't know much yet) and ask them what they see most often.

It seems like I see 13's and 19's alot on boats in NC.

I'm not saying that this is the best size - it's just the most common.

Rich

 

[Lead_carrier]

I would call Olympus, ask for one of the regular employees (they have some new summer help right now that doesn't know much yet) and ask them what they see most often.

It seems like I see 13's and 19's alot on boats in NC.

I'm not saying that this is the best size - it's just the most common.

Rich

I'm sure that are a lot of 13's and 19's out there. Personally, I don't know of anyone that dives with less than a 30, but that's just my dive buddies. I use a 30 just so I have plenty of gas to get me out. I don't want to screw up at 130 ft, get overly excited, switch to my pony and then find out I should have gone with the bigger pony. I prefer messing up on the side of having too much air.