Originally posted by VTWarrenG
The following terms mean the following things in common use:
Pony bottle -- bottle with independent regulator, used as a bailout device. Usually smaller than the primary gas supply.
Stage bottle -- bottle with the same gas as that in the primary cylinder(s), used to extend dive time. Can be just about any size, though there are conventions in place.
Deco bottle -- bottle with specific mixed used in decompression. Usually, but not always, smaller than the primary cylinders. Again, there are conventions in place.
As I've said before already, you're welcome to call your deco bottle a pony, or whatever else you'd like. Unfortunately, Webster will be your only champion. No one else will understand what you mean, or agree with your use of the word "pony," regardless of your masterful grasp of the english language. The word "pony," in the context of scuba diving, now connotes more than just size. The reason is simple: "pony," by your definition, is not a word that uniquely describes a bottle's function. The fact that the bottle is "small" by some standard is hardly relevant to its use. Most people agree that the intended use of the bottle is significantly more important than its size. We no longer refer to bottles and "big" and "small" -- we refer to them as back, deco, stage, and pony bottles. I will agree that "bailout" is a more specific, more precise term, but, well, the public has already chosen "pony" to mean "bailout," and so it shall be.
roakey -- I gave up on Rick a while ago... I hate to be like GI3 and just state the fact that you can't teach pigs to sing. Some people still like to call their BC's stabilizers, or worse, stabjackets. *shrug*
- Warren