pony bottles

[scubalifer]

I have been at 70+ feet, pretty shallow, listening to a beeping sound. Now that beeping sound is coming from some one's computer. Come to find out on the surface after an air sharing assent, this beep was the second of two beeping sequences. The first would be the 700 psi warning the second is 500. This particular diver's head was again 'somewhere dark', and oblivious to the beeping sound. These are the people who get themselves dead if it weren't for someone else hearing the warning beep and swimming over and checking the stupid gauge. This person was OOA half way to the surface. This was one of my first underwater emergencies I was involved with. Would this person been cool headed enough to deploy a pony reg? I really doubt it. Especially if they couldn't even pay attention to their air supply let alone the screaming beeps coming from a computer two and a half feet away from their ear. Now diving is pretty safe these days compared to the days of no spg's and j valves. But maybe not quite as safe as most commercial dive shops would have us believe. I think it more a plight of dumb luck and group diving mentality that someone is watching over your shoulder to keep you from killing yourself.

(way off topic)
While duck hunting one morning I had to return to my truck. I made the trip back out to the duck blind to find a four wheeler stuck in the middle of a deep ice covered field and a very wet and cold and partly drunk young man sitting in the corner of the blind shivering. When I asked others what had happened they responded with "every one has the right to be stupid".

 

[grazie42]

I watched/heard one guy in Coz have his cobra beep him for going into deco, LOA and then for fast ascent while he continued in blissful ignorance...until his safety-turned-decostop where he "borrowed" air from the DM...the DM recieved a "guilt-tip" but that was it...no piece of gear will help those determined not to learn...

 

[JeffG]

...no piece of gear will help those determined not to learn...

next step. Rebreathers. Solve that pesky OOG issue.

 

[DiverDave65]

I spent a LONG time reading various posts on pony bottles before I bought mine.

I won't get into a flame war with all you experts who condemn them for a variety of sometimes good reasons, but here is my two cents:

I've been in the sport for over 30 years....started off without an octo and a J-valve!! I'm just a rec diver who goes on 3-4 trips per year to dive somewhere nice. I'm a good, solid diver but no tech diver and don't consider myself any kind of expert in diving....just a guy that's been doing it off and on all over the world for 30 years.

Recently decided on a 19 ft pony and bought a new regulator...put the old reg and a spg on the pony with a dive rite sling. Used the contraption in Thailand recently and it was great! Virtually no problem diving with it, just a slight weight adjustment and getting used to dragging it around. No big deal. Decided on the 19 ft bottle because it would fit relatively easily into my overseas dive bag...anything bigger would not, at least not comfortably. I thought anything smaller was nearly worthless.

Tried it out a few times for training and believe me, there is a LOT of air in a 19 ft pony. I'm not going to trade numbers with all you Einsteins out there who can prove to me that a 19 bottle is not enough....I'm pretty sure it would get me from the deepest rec dive I do with a safety stop and probably air to spare. It would certainly give me more time to get the attention of my buddy or another diver so we could possibly share air with an octo.

I'm not knocking the normal buddy system, but even in relatively calm conditions, no matter HOW HARD YOU TRY, there are times when a buddy might not be there to help immediately because of current, inattention, unintended separation, target fixation, reduced visibility, taking photos, etc etc etc....so I see no downside to dragging a pony as long as you don't use it to extend your bottom time AND you practice USING it once in a while for the sake of currency.

Okay, that's my contribution to the board today...fire away!!

 

[citykid]

I am amazed that since the last time I posted another ten or so pages have appeared.
I am the OP and only asked about set ups. There are many links on pony's to use or not to use. The whole reason I started this was to stay away from those discussions. Heated as they are.

Why are we talking about brand new divers getting pony's? Why are we talking about divers using pony's to extend bottom time? This link was to take into reason that an AAS would be for an emergency only (when all else fails) and how do you prepare before a dive.

Yes, new people get caught up in getting more equipment. As in life we should learn to walk before we run. But this isn't a discussion of Pony's-too much too soon?
This is on How do you do it?

Using this to extend bottom time? I honestly can't believe people would do this. I see AAS as something I hope to NEVER need to use. But how is it wrong to have a little back up? Note I say little. This isn't a cure for something serious down deep or in a wreck. It is just something to give you a little extra chance.

I really believe it is up to the individual. Brand new or salty as ever, if you take it serious, pay attention to all that you should be paying attention, and play it safe you are good to go. It's the carefree, I-know-what-I'm-doing, ignoring basic procedures diver I choose to stay away from. Physically and influence-wise.

 

[Nemrod]

citykid, no offense intended to anybody because they are all really just trying to help but this is a DIR board in practice. Everybody dives doubles with a BP/wing and isolation manifolds and anything that departs from that like a pony bottle will result in much bashing and smashing and heated "conversations." I have tried to give you some tips while fending off the attacks that were not on topic. It is very diffucult if not impossible to talk over the noise about this subject because it gets shouted down.

Again, while I respect these posters and try to let them know that I do--I vehemently dissgree with them and really wish they would take a break from the same old bashing.

I wish you good luck with your choice and use of a pony bottle, if I can be of any specific help just PM me or the others who have spoken up--it is easier that way---lol.

N<-----40 years as a active diver

 

[ams511]

Howabout we not have any more pony threads for the "usual" suspects--lol--for at least a week. I get deja vu with all these threads and forget who I am in a fuss with at the moment--ha-ha.N

Amen, brother

 

[grazie42]

I decided to delete this post because it didn´t feel meaningful after I posted and read it...

 

[scubalifer]

I watched/heard one guy in Coz have his cobra beep him for going into deco, LOA and then for fast ascent while he continued in blissful ignorance...until his safety-turned-decostop where he "borrowed" air from the DM...the DM recieved a "guilt-tip" but that was it...no piece of gear will help those determined not to learn...

There is no need for you to post any further. This post says it all. I mean it says everything. Equipment does not take the place of training! That was golden.

I will say no more and attempt to 'save the world' on other issues

 

[grf88]

There is no need for you to post any further. This post says it all. I mean it says everything. Equipment does not take the place of training! That was golden.

I will say no more and attempt to 'save the world' on other issues

Since the subject is pony bottles and their value as a redundant air source in the case of equipment failure then the only relevant skill would be the extraction of oxygen from the surrounding water if we wish to be self-sufficient. Would you care to enlighten us how we could aquire and develop this skill.
Am I to understand that through years of yoga and meditation that you have got your RMV rate down to about 0.15 or less so you have no need for large tanks or doubles. If not, why not since your philosophy is to not allow equipment to take place of training and I guess you no longer use those multiple failure point regulator things but breathe directly off the tank.