Pony Bottle, worth it?

[DandyDon]

This thread and a whole bunch of others have convinced me of one thing completely and utterly. No matter how good and attentive your buddy is and how carefull you are. If you go into the water sometimes "stuff happens" On that basis I before my next dive will have a "bailout" pony hooked onto my bc.

I've used mine to help others;
I've used it when I screwed up; and
I've wished to hell I had it with me when I needed it but didn't.

However it happens, it's nice to have when caca hits fan.

 

[CuNanoTube]

Just a note from a recent incident in my area (no one got hurt or anything) sometimes your buddy cannot help you. The diver was at 130' hauling up some dropped equipment and over breathed his reg causing a massive first stage free-flow. This created a wall of bubbles that completely obscured his view. He readied his pony and ascended safely switching to the pony when the other tank became low on pressure (but with the gear, I did not say the man was smart). Now, yes the buddy could have shoved his octo into the guy's face, but with one diver over breathing two on the same first could have caused the same condition. There are many many things that could have been handled better in this situation, but the pony's usefulness if clear.

 

[windapp]

i once had a h.p. hose broken at apx 40+ feet. i was glad i had my littlte 13cf, it's like a gun i would rather have it and never need it than need it and not have it.

You American's and your right to bear arms. We Canadians have a right to bare breasts. Much better

 

[Frosty]

You American's and your right to bear arms. We Canadians have a right to bare breasts. Much better

But in WINTER ??

 

[DaleC]

It's how we stay warm

 

[DandyDon]

I've dived Thousand Islands and I did see some nice bikinis, but not bared bodies.

 

[Stoo]

A pony is a bit like the emergency brake on your car, or a spare tire. You'll probably carry it around forever and never use it, but if you do... just once... you'll think it was the best few hundred bucks you ever spent.

Like Dr. Bill, I dive alone almost always. Even when I'm in the water with friends, we are all essentially diving alone, because we're spread around a wreck and taking pictures and generally being really bad buddies.

For years I carried a pony and really only used it once... when the reg on my main tank froze open at 170'. That little 13' pony allowed me to come off my main tank so I could shut the valve down as I headed up. I sucked that little tank dry in no time, but in that few minutes, my primary reg thawed out since I wasn't using it, and I completed my ascent safely. (Ya, I know, I shouldn't have been at 170', alone, on a single, but I was younger and stupider than I am now.)

Not long after that, I started diving doubles, and that's all I own now.

Like I always said to my students: "Experience is what you gain immediately after you needed it..." Same with a pony. You'll buy one right after the time you really could have used it...

I have never understood everyone doesn't dive with some sort of backup system, like a pony. We're underwater and we don't have gills. This isn't rocket science.

 

[Stoo]

By the way, to all of you posting about how a OOA situation should go down, I assure you that they rarely are pretty. Back in the day, when I ran a dive operation in Tobermory (where cold water was invented) we routinely managed to kill off 4 to 6 divers a year in our very short 6 month season (for most people). Many of these fatalities occurred in pairs, and almost without exception, the initial event that set the outcome, was that someone either ran out of air, or their reg froze open and they freaked.

OOA can be ugly, so having a redundant system which negates the need for a buddy is ALWAYS a good idea.

 

[windapp]

I've dived Thousand Islands and I did see some nice bikinis, but not bared bodies.

Very unfortunate thing. A few women fought very hard to gain this right, and immediately after, a bunch of them walked shirtless through the streats of Toronto to celebrate. Then.....For some reason our women don't like exercising their rights.

 

[abnjim]

i just love experts, based on my statement you were able to determin my existing air pressure and overhead enviorment. this may come as a suppries to you but not everyone dives only for pleasure in clear blue water with nothing overhead but a charterd boat waiting to feed you lunch.

I bet you probably had more air at the end of your dive in your main tank than you did on your pony. It takes over 30 minutes to drain a full tank with a blown HP hose since there is a very small metering orifice on the HP port of your regulator. Blowing an HP hose will end your dive, not your life.

Now, blowing a LP hose is a totally different story, that will drain your tank fast.