Pony bottle skills

[Soggy]

You know, funny thing is that it works the rest of the time too

How do you know it works in a real OOA? Have you been in one?

 

[jonnythan]

How do you know it works in a real OOA? Have you been in one?

I've been involved in an OOA, but not when I was using a long hose and not with a DIR buddy. It wasn't pretty.

I've pulled the drill before, though, and it works... when the buddy wasn't warned that he was on camera (and there was no camera).

 

[JimC]

How do you know it works in a real OOA? Have you been in one?

Yes, guy had 3 regs in his face before he got his hand up to signal.

His buddy, my buddy and me were all aware of the situation as it developed and long before it was a problem. He stopped swimming for a second so his buddy stopped to look then myself and my buddy stopped to look at them. We all realized he was having some sort of trouble. Without waiting simultaneously we all basically deployed our primaries for him encase it was a serious problem. About 6 seconds later after a second stiffer breath he realized he was OOA and had his choice of regs.

It took him longer to decide if he wanted Apeks or Scuba Pro than it did to resolve the problem.

This stuff isn't rocket sicence.

 

[Soggy]

I've also been the donor in a real OOA as well as pulled unplanned OOAs on buddys (and had them pulled on me). It works.

For one, you have to be pretty friggin stupid to just *run out of gas* without knowing. I mean, that takes a real high level of bozonity. Unless you are diving Poseidon regs that can fail in a closed mode, you should know you are *about* to become OOG. Even in a catestrophic failure, you'll still get a few breaths.

 

[BlueDolphin]

Soggy,

No one on the boats out here go to 100ft. All the dives around the islands are usually max 65ft. Everyone is back in the boat in 30-45 minutes. I know that likely it may never be needed in an OOA situation, at these depths. But then again if there are NO other alternatives in a bad situation (buddy has his head up his arss, not sure I can make it to the surface in one breathe or less-get tangled, etc..), I think it can make sense to dive a pony.

 

[lamont]

I've been involved in an OOA, but not when I was using a long hose and not with a DIR buddy. It wasn't pretty.

I've pulled the drill before, though, and it works... when the buddy wasn't warned that he was on camera (and there was no camera).

I've been the recipient in an real OOA with a long hose as a donor. It went pretty textbook. I'd pick that over a pony bottle any day.

 

[Soggy]

I prefer my pony bottles to have a manifolded brain....

 

[matt_unique]

most pony bottle users don't achieve the 100% goal of having a backup regulator available either. they often don't have an SPG attatched to their pony bottle, its butt mounted so they can't tell if its leaking, they have difficulty reaching it in order to turn it on, etc. most pony bottle usage is probably no better than your average buddy skills, it just gives a false sense of security.

How do you know what "most" pony bottle users do or do not do?

If a diver conducted him/herself in the way you describe they would most certainly have problems beyond pony bottle management.

--Matt

 

[lamont]

How do you know what "most" pony bottle users do or do not do?

If a diver conducted him/herself in the way you describe they would most certainly have problems beyond pony bottle management.

--Matt

That's what I observe at dive sites. Lots of back mounted pony bottles with no SPGs on them.

 

[Tanked]

That's what I observe at dive sites. Lots of back mounted pony bottles with no SPGs on them.

I think an SPG is a little bit of overkill for a pony. I check mine before every dive, and have it topped off after every dive. Its back mounted, but I can reach the valve. If its leaking I would either see or hear a loud rush of bubbles, or my buddy would hopfully let me know.