Q re AI and Pony Bottle pressure gauge attached to first stage.

[Jay]

Is attaching a pony bottle pressure gauge to the 1st stage a good and safe idea?

If AI fails during the dive then at least your buddy can see your tank's pressure.

 

[tbone1004]

@Jay_Antipodean if the dive is critical enough for you to need to know your pressure if it fails, then you need an analog gauge.
If the dive is not, then keep a real SPG on the deck.
If you have the need to see your tank pressure without turning your computer on when on the deck and what not, then a button gauge is fine, but I don't have them on mine

 

[CuzzA]

.

@kelemvor I had a similar response, (as you can see I deleted it), but if you re-read the op I think he's talking about putting a "button" pressure gauge on his primary first stage. The use of pony gauge is what's confusing.

I don't see the need. If your AI fails, end the dive and go to your back up SPG in your save a dive kit and continue diving.

 

[kelemvor]

I'm all about hoseless air integration. That said, I wouldn't put it onto a pony. First and foremost because you shouldn't ever be using the pony except in an emergency so it's a big waste of money. Second, you could conceivably end up handing your pony to someone else while underwater. Not having a physical gauge might make things more complicated in this scenario.

Also, transmitters use batteries. My scubapro transmitters need a new battery about once a year. It's something you might easily overlook if the transmitter is on a rarely used pony tank. A transmitter with a dead battery isn't any better than no gauge at all.

I use a tiny button gauge for my deco bottle and a regular highland gauge for my pony. If I hadn't already had a spare full size gauge I would have bought a button gauge. The small ones tend to be cheaper and are more "out of the way".

 

[2airishuman]

Is attaching a pony bottle pressure gauge to the 1st stage a good and safe idea?

If AI fails during the dive then at least your buddy can see your tank's pressure.

Is it safe? Sure.

Is it a good idea? Well, that depends on whether or not it solves any problem that you might actually have.

The safest procedure to follow if you lose your SPG during a dive (whether AI or not is irrelevant) is to end your dive. Some divers might choose to continue the dive based on gas planning and time. I don't think that having a button SPG changes those choices in a material way.

As tbone wrote upthread, if you are not confident of the reliability of your AI, you may wish to keep a mechanical SPG--a proper one on a hose-- topside, as a spare.

 

[divad]

If AI fails during the dive then at least your buddy can see your tank's pressure.

If you were relegated to being your buddies button-gauge reader for the rest of his dive, what would you think?

And.. what makes you sure that your buddy is going to be in button-gauge-reading proximity when your AI ***** up?

 

[HeliMech]

I have been wondering if I should ditch my gauges . I only rec dive and have a Shearwater Perdix AI w/transmitter.

The gauges also have a spare dive computer in it. Just a Cressi Leonardo.

The Perdix seems super accurate and reliable. Just get rid of gauges and pack in save a dive kit?

Would sure be nice to lose that hose.

 

[Jay]

@kelemvor I had a similar response, (as you can see I deleted it), but if you re-read the op I think he's talking about putting a "button" pressure gauge on his primary first stage. The use of pony gauge is what's confusing.

correct

If you were relegated to being your buddies button-gauge reader for the rest of his dive, what would you think?

I wasn't saying for the rest of the dive. Perhaps think what other possibilities there might before making assumptions and running with them.

And.. what makes you sure that your buddy is going to be in button-gauge-reading proximity when your AI ***** up?

Geez - well, buddy system 101.

 

[divad]

correct

I wasn't saying for the rest of the dive. Perhaps think what other possibilities there might before making assumptions and running with them.

Geez - well, buddy system 101.

correct

I wasn't saying for the rest of the dive. Perhaps think what other possibilities there might before making assumptions and running with them.

Geez - well, buddy system 101.

correct

I wasn't saying for the rest of the dive. Perhaps think what other possibilities there might before making assumptions and running with them.

Geez - well, buddy system 101.

Good luck with your endevours....

 

[mmerriman]

I have an air intregrated computer and a backup analog gauge on a hose that I can see. Its compact, but I know divers that attach a pony button gauge to a hose and that's even more compact, but I like the bigger face for readability.