Pony orientation debate?

[novisdiver]

So here's the debate, in what position does everyone recommend a pony bottle be in valve up, or valve down position? What I mean by that is how many divers recommend the bottle be right side up so that you could slide your BC up and turn off the valve from the top if there was a leak. My personal feeling is wearing it upside down (valve down) so that it's easier to see a leak and to close or open the valve without adjusting the BC at all. I would like to know divers feelings on this as I'm having a debate with someone as to how technical divers would prefer this setup. Note that I am recently decompression certified so I am speaking from a new technical diver perspective.

 

[rjack321]

Technical divers don't use "pony" bottles.

I use a stage, slung on my left side with a variety of gases possible. I can see the bottle, the gauge, and manipulate the valve right there and confirm the gas selected on switches. I use doubles with a manifold for redundant backgas (bottomgas).

There are people using independent doubles or sidemount and they can chime in here if I'm wrong - but don't beleive any of them have backmounted "ponys" using either bottom gas or decompression gas.

 

[Blitz]

Slung 40 cuft stage on the left side for me.

 

[shoredivr]

I use a slung 30 cuft. bottle for the good reasons mentioned above.

 

[The Chad]

When I was diving with a jacket style BC with an 80 and a pony, the pony was mounted to the main tank on the righthand side. The valve was located on top. Both were positioned so I could turn either tank on or off. I'd charge the pony, and then turn it off and dive that way.

Tech stuff was typically dbls on back, 100% O2 slung on right, EAN 50% on left for the most part. The only thing I ever mounted upside down is Argon on the left of the backplate. But hey everyone has their own thing that works for them. I'm a rightside up guy for the above question.

 

[tangfish]

When I use a pony, I sling a 30cu ft on the left side. It is cumbersome at times and makes photography harder to do, so I haven't used it in a few months.

 

[texdiveguy]

Sling your pony as oppossed to mounting it to your back gas tank!

 

[rjack321]

Since the OP mentioned recent deco class, it seems kinda strange to me why he's asking about how to rig a "pony".

Regardless, there is no way I would put a deco gas where I couldn't see it. AND the whole lean left, rich right BS is just that. Don't kill yourself trusting that kinda scheme or little poodle jackets, or colored regs, all of that has been proven inadequate through diver deaths.

Verify every mix and every switch.

 

[MSilvia]

Slung al80 stage on the left for me too... "Valve up". IMHO, if you have to adjust your BC, there's a better way to do it.

 

[Colliam7]

So here's the debate, in what position does everyone recommend a pony bottle be in valve up, or valve down position? What I mean by that is how many divers recommend the bottle be right side up so that you could slide your BC up and turn off the valve from the top if there was a leak. My personal feeling is wearing it upside down (valve down) so that it's easier to see a leak and to close or open the valve without adjusting the BC at all. I would like to know divers feelings on this as I'm having a debate with someone as to how technical divers would prefer this setup. Note that I am recently decompression certified so I am speaking from a new technical diver perspective.

First, congratulations, at gaining almost uniform agreement from a diverse number of respondents, as opposed to a more usual vigorus 'exchange of ideas'! I will add my 0.02 of agreement - when diving doubles, I sling a 50% AL80 under my left arm, and a 100% AL40 under the right (both upright, of course).

But, I am wondering if perhaps we are somehow misunderstanding the question. I interpret your question as asking, 'If one attaches a small pony bottle to one of the backgas tanks in a technical (doubles) rig, should it be mounted valve up or valve down?' Two considerations: 1) except for the argon bottle scenario mentioned, I am having trouble visualizing a situation where one would want to attach a small bottle (13 / 19 cf) t one of the tanks; and 2) by and large, most technical rigs seldom include a stage or deco bottle smaller than a 40 (although one respondent noted a 30), and mounting a 30/40 to a backgas tank would seem a bit unwieldy. So, if many of us are trying to answer the wrong question, let us know, and we'll try again. Just like with a pinata, we'll keep swinging til we hit something.