Pony Bottle Support

[Dive Couple]

Hello.

I'm new to Scuba Board and I must say this looks like a great place to exchange ideas and learn. Hence I have a question I and hope some of you will share your experience.

I am a realitively new diver having just obtained my Advanced Open Water Cert last November. With this new cert I am excited about diving deeper and in keeping with deeper dives I want to carry a pony bottle with me.

I will be diving 75 - 80 feet, with single 80# aluninum tank and a fully weght intergrated BC. I have a 13# pony.

Can anyone recommend a method of carry/attachment?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[Michael Schlink]

What kind of B.C, tanks etc. are you divig with, how deep are you going, what size pony, need more info

 

[H2OHead]

Perhaps reevaluating your dive plan (esp. the gas management portion) would be a better investment than adding more gear, more bottles, and significantly departing from common configurations that are considered safe and reliable (a quick search and you’ll find that debate abounds).

 

[pt40fathoms]

Their are a few items on the market that are designed to fix a pony bottle to a tank. However, I feel the home made option is the best. The best home made one consisted of nothing more than 2 stainless steel pipe clamps, a length of bungee or surgical tubing, 1 snap clip, some coat hanger wire, and electrical tape. I'll try to describe it as best I can:

First the coat hanger wire is cut and bent into a long narrow loop and is fastened to the pony using one of the pipe clamps. The loop extends about 4 - 6 inches above the valve of the pony bottle and is wrapped in the electrical tape. It is curved so that it can hang from the stem of the full sized tank.

The bungee or surgical tubing is cut and made just long enough to wrap around the full sized tank, using the snap clips to complete the loop. This is fastened to the pony bottle at the bottom of the pony bottle using the second pipe clamp. It's best to double up on the bungee or tubing, and make it as snug as possible, without making it so tight that it makes it very hard to do up, or over stress the bungee or tubing or snap.

To attach the pony, all you do is hang it on your tank prior to attaching you regulator, and secure the bottom of the pony to the tank with the bungee or surgical tubing with the attached snap. This allows you to use the pony on any tank without having to fasten a clamp of any sort to that primary tank.

It's cheap, effective, and very portable. Remember to always inspect the unit, and repair or replace any tubing, bungee or any other part of the pony holder when it show any sign of wear.

 

[pipedope]

Let me see, new member, just joined today and asks a question that is being hotly debated in more than one thread on the board already?

Troll perhaps?

If not then please look for and read the pony threads then ask for any clarification.

A pony may or may not be your best choice. It depends on lots of conflicting factors.

 

[Xela-Tess]

as a newbie what a troll, apart from being found under bridges (probably older member will remember)

 

[Hobbs]

as a newbie what a troll, apart from being found under bridges (probably older member will remember)

to make a long story short, troll comes from trolling wich is a fishing term..
to be trolling is to make postings about something for the sake of controversy
basically just to piss ppl off and watch the flames fly.. (pick a fight with several camps and watch them get at eachothers throats)
someone who is trolling became known as trolls... the mythical under bridge creature..

just beware that if you are using a pony that is fastened on the maintank, then you can snag badly we have had one confirmed death for that reason in sweden...
God rest his soul

if you want som more info just mess me in private..

since you are new, may I recomend you to read up on incident reports, not to point at ppl who have done wrong or so, just to know what happened and why, and what misstakes are easy to make and so on, to make plans on how to avoid the problems..

and welcome to the wounderful world of scuba, this is the best you can do with your time *smiles*

 

[Bob3]

the mythical under bridge creature

Whoa there, we have several troll colonies around the Great Lakes, they're very fond of the docks, piers & breakwalls, not so much bridges anymore.

Can anyone recommend a method of carry/attachment?

One word: ducttape!

 

[saintsfan]

always seems to cause one side too be heavier than the other,ive tried different ways too use it,its just one more thing to hookup get snagged on something.get checked out every year both tank and bottle.not to mention the money i spent on it so i guess my point is mine is now for sale

 

[NEWreckDiver]

Hello.

I'm new to Scuba Board and I must say this looks like a great place to exchange ideas and learn. Hence I have a question I and hope some of you will share your experience.

I am a realitively new diver having just obtained my Advanced Open Water Cert last November. With this new cert I am excited about diving deeper and in keeping with deeper dives I want to carry a pony bottle with me.

I will be diving 75 - 80 feet, with single 80# aluninum tank and a fully weght intergrated BC. I have a 13# pony.

Can anyone recommend a method of carry/attachment?

Thanks,

Tim

There are several options you have. Aqua Explorers and Reef Scuba. Both make a good quick release bracket which attachs to your main tank. I would not try to make your own unless you are very good at machining metal. You simply don't have to. Watch where you place it. It can make you a little off balance if it is placed wrong. Try diving with in a pool or some other location where you are not likely get in tangled and you will be able to adjust your weight for the extra tank. When I was only diving with a single tank I had mine arranged so that I was balanced nicely and the valve did not protrude which can cause you to get entangled.

DSAO