Pony, doubles and cam bands for travel

[DandyDon]

Well. Here's the flaw. I wouldn't do a dive like that on a single tank. I also would treat it as ano decompression situation.

We agree there. I believe my comment that inspired this side discussion was that I am amazed that divers go to 100 ft without ponies. The hypothetical depth expanded in discussion, but I have no desire to go to 170, ty.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I kind of wish you hadn't brought this up, and I also kind of wish I had the self-discipline to refrain from posting on yet another pony comment. Ponies are not buddies, and if you need a bailout bottle for recreational diving, and/or simply carrying one allows you to dive in a way that you otherwise would not, you're probably not diving in the safest manner. (I'm guilty of that as well, so don't take it personally) If it makes you feel better, fine, but I would not assume it adds any significant safety on it's own. I've used them, and it does give you a nice warm/fuzzy feeling to have something right there in case your regulator explodes or you get mugged by a werewolf/zombie/Elvis Presley or some other "high probability" (hehe) problem. Too bad it doesn't help with stuff like navigation problems, sickness, entanglement, loss of buoyancy, accidental water ingestion, etc.....you know, the stuff that NEVER happens....

Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now. I guess since this is a thread about risky dive behavior, it's not too badly off topic.

I carry a flashlight and a spyderco above water and use them both nearly every day. So considering a pony isn't even slightly off the beaten path for me, although I don't plan on using it ever, I like that its a tool I COULD use to solve a specific kind of catastrophic problem. Not so I can dive dangerously, that's just not me.

 

[openmindOW]

I'm still amazed that most of y'all will dive to 100 ft without a pony. I'm still amazed that I used to.

Fair point, Dandy Don.

Maybe it's because I'm not fortuante enough to do dives like Truk as some of you do, but I just don't recall seeing pony bottles for rent at a lot of dive operations. Bringing them on airplanes is not a realistic option. So, if they're not reliably available, can we expect newish divers to plan to use ponies?

Yes, of course, we have dive buddies. But you'll likely have a gas supply problem if, say, you have two scared divers breathing off one cyulinder at 30 metres. A reserve gas supply can be a nice thing.

 

[flots am]

Yes, of course, we have dive buddies. But you'll likely have a gas supply problem if, say, you have two scared divers breathing off one cyulinder at 30 metres. A reserve gas supply can be a nice thing.

That's just a planning issue and in fact is a great exercise. Once you know how much air you breathe and how much you'll need to donate to an OOA buddy, you'll discover that a single 80 probably isn't enough gas to safely do the dive, for the amount of time you want to spend underwater.

At that point you'll have to decide what kind of risk you're willing to accept, and modify the available gas or the dive parameters accordingly or simply accept the risk that running out of air could leave someone OK or bent or dead depending on how well they handle things and how lucky they are.

flots.

 

[nimoh]

Not to side track this thread, but there are options for redundancy while travelling, when the area shops don't have doubles or stage bottles available for rent, and bringing your own tanks is not feasible.

Off the top of my head, three options ordered by way of logistical difficulty:

1. carry your own manifold, bands and regs, rent two tanks and you have your doubles. I know of one shop in Cozumel that does this on a fairly regular basis (although I can't think of the name right now).

2. carry stage rigging, and a stage reg. Rent and extra tank and you have your stage bottle.

3. dive as a team and carry each other's redundant gas supply

 

[openmindOW]

I know some guys that died several years ago on a wreck dive, due to a critical error they made.

Are you referring to the New Jersey divers who penetrated the Spiegel Grove a few years ago?

Whoever they are, I'm sorry for the loss.

 

[InTheDrink]

Not to side track this thread, but there are options for redundancy while travelling, when the area shops don't have doubles or stage bottles available for rent, and bringing your own tanks is not feasible.

Off the top of my head, three options ordered by way of logistical difficulty:

1. carry your own manifold, bands and regs, rent two tanks and you have your doubles. I know of one shop in Cozumel that does this on a fairly regular basis (although I can't think of the name right now).

2. carry stage rigging, and a stage reg. Rent and extra tank and you have your stage bottle.

3. dive as a team and carry each other's redundant gas supply

+1 for carrying stage rigging. I'm somewhere right now that doesn't have stage rigging so will have to dive a single. No biggie but I like to dive in a consistent manner. It's always the dives that you don't bring kit where you need that kit.

J

 

[RJP]

Not to side track this thread, but there are options for redundancy while travelling, when the area shops don't have doubles or stage bottles available for rent, and bringing your own tanks is not feasible.

Off the top of my head, three options ordered by way of logistical difficulty:

1. carry your own manifold, bands and regs, rent two tanks and you have your doubles. I know of one shop in Cozumel that does this on a fairly regular basis (although I can't think of the name right now).

2. carry stage rigging, and a stage reg. Rent and extra tank and you have your stage bottle.

3. dive as a team and carry each other's redundant gas supply

Travel bands are widely available and allow you to double up whatever tanks are on hand.

 

[DandyDon]

Fair point, Dandy Don.

Maybe it's because I'm not fortuante enough to do dives like Truk as some of you do, but I just don't recall seeing pony bottles for rent at a lot of dive operations. Bringing them on airplanes is not a realistic option. So, if they're not reliably available, can we expect newish divers to plan to use ponies?

Yes, of course, we have dive buddies. But you'll likely have a gas supply problem if, say, you have two scared divers breathing off one cyulinder at 30 metres. A reserve gas supply can be a nice thing.

I've never been there or dived it. I've carried my pony in luggage to Seattle, LA, Belize, Roatan, Cozumel, Florida, NC, Ontario, Exumas, etc. If carrying it gets too challenging on trips, as it would be with some routes & luggage limits, I guess I'll have to request & sling the smallest bottle the Op has - be it a 65 or 80.

 

[nimoh]

Travel bands are widely available and allow you to double up whatever tanks are on hand.

thanks, never heard of that before. While I would rather dive doubles with a manifold than independent, a shop at a travel destination is much more like to go for an option where you are not removing their valves