Pony Bottle

[Jax]

I think you like to sling it because it adds to your perkyness. I'm flat chested so it just gets in the way.

:shocked2: Sexist! You can do better than that! :tongue2:

 

[Tanked]

It'll definitely more "out of the way" when mounted to your tank, but partially depending on how you stow the reg, diving with the pony on may in reality leave you with a partially or fully depleted tank when you actually need it. Freeflows do occur, and they may not be full-on gushers that you're certain you'll hear. If your second stage for your pony (slung or backmounted) is "tucked" somewhere out of the way, it can leak without you knowing it. It's happened to me on a slung stage before, and that experience reinforced for me the wisdom of having the reg charged but the valve off.

As much as I don't want to get sucked into this I'll just say that if my reg free flows I'll know about it. And I can reach my first stage if I need to.

 

[Jax]

I've tried both. Mounting works better for me. Although I have no need to turn the tank off, or hand it to someone else.

Darn it, you caught me with a serious question -- so your tank is bacdk mounted, and on at all times?

Is it upside down so you can reach the valve?

I'm it . . .

 

[Tanked]

Darn it, you caught me with a serious question -- so your tank is bacdk mounted, and on at all times?

Is it upside down so you can reach the valve?

I'm it . . .

Yes its on but not upside down. Although I've seen others do it, I have yet to try it. I may some day.

 

[Tanked]

:shocked2: Sexist! You can do better than that! :tongue2:

I was going to mention how comfortable you seem wearing a crotch strap. But I couldn't word it right.

 

[Jax]

I was going to mention how comfortable you seem wearing a crotch strap. But I couldn't word it right.

That's more like it!!!!!

 

[Tanked]

I have read your invisible text and I don't understand it.


Perhaps Tanked is not as accustomed as you are to having obstructions near his chest while diving?

Yeah I lack perkyness

 

[ONESPEED]

As much as I don't want to get sucked into this I'll just say that if my reg free flows I'll know about it. And I can reach my first stage if I need to.

How will you know if there is a leak in the first stage, in a hose you can't see, or at the valve?

During my tech classes I had to call a dive due to a valve leak in my deco bottle I would have never been aware of with a back mounted tank, not that such a tank was even an option in the class.

 

[Gombessa]

This has reinforced to me the reason why I sling a pony - so that that secondary reg is right where I can see it (bubbling slowly, at least initially), and so that the first stage is where I can toggle it. However, I haven't yet interpreted a free-flow as a sign that the pony must be pressurized but off.

If your confident that you can catch a freeflowing reg all the time, that's a perfectly reasonable position to take. In the event your diving changes in such a way as to make it not so beneficial to have your pony's reg stowed in a convenient position, you can always revisit the issue.

 

[Tanked]

How will you know if there is a leak in the first stage, in a hose you can't see, or at the valve?

During my tech classes I had to call a dive due to a valve leak in my deco bottle I would have never been aware of with a back mounted tank, not that such a tank was even an option in the class.

I imagine that if the leak was large enough I would notice it on the boat when I do my pre dive gear check. If it occurs during the dive I'm sure I would hear or see the sudden burst of bubbles. I always check the pressure between dives, and I was that concerned about it during the dive I have a spare spg at home I could always hook up.
If I ever decide to go the full tech route I'm sure this will change. But I've been doing it since 97, and haven't had an issue.
If anything I'm thinking of switching to doubles. So this ain't be an issue.