Recreational Pony Bottles, completely unnecessary? Why or why not?

[boulderjohn]

I am wondering where I argued self reliance is bad. I am pointing out equipment reliance is not making things better. If every scuba diver could free dive half of their certified depth, how would that effect their self reliance and confidence. It is only 15m for an AOWD, anyone can hold their breath for 30 seconds. I often get average depth of 15 meters when doing recreational diving even max was 30-40m. This means in average I am within the range of the surface..

How long you can hold your breath has nothing to do with the depth of a CESA. Standard naval submarine escape training starts much deeper than you are talking about, and they are required to exhale fully before beginning the ascent. In experiments conducted by the British navy a half century ago, successful emergency ascents were made from hundreds of feet, again after exhaling. A quick Google search will show you videos of this.

 

[tursiops]

This means in average I am within the range of the surface..

Cool. That means on average you won't die. Great plan.

 

[scubaozy]

How long you can hold your breath has nothing to do with the depth of a CESA. Standard naval submarine escape training starts much deeper than you are talking about, and they are required to exhale fully before beginning the ascent. In experiments conducted by the British navy a half century ago, successful emergency ascents were made from hundreds of feet, again after exhaling. A quick Google search will show you videos of this.

Not sure understood correctly , I am talking about free diving and the effects on being able to freedive to your confidence as a scuba diver. I never suggested you should hold your breath and do cesa. Typical time to freedive 15m is 30sec and 30m is 60-70secs breathhold respectively.

 

[scubaozy]

Cool. That means on average you won't die. Great plan.

It seems to work.

 

[tursiops]

It seems to work.

You mean, "I haven't died yet." ?

 

[boulderjohn]

Not sure understood correctly , I am talking about free diving and the effects on being able to freedive to your confidence as a scuba diver. I never suggested you should hold your breath and do cesa. Typical time to freedive 15m is 30sec and 30m is 60-70secs breathhold respectively.

What does "being able to freedive to your confidence as a scuba diver" mean?

 

[CT-Rich]

Associating free diving skills with scuba depths is going backwards to the days when we would spend extensive time in the water practicing all sorts of shite. The expectation would be that you would be special forces ready when you got your certification.

I went through that style of training back in 1980. I had fun, but I think it is not the direction the industry want to follow. Within recreational limits, diving is fun and pretty safe. I am yet to share air with another diver or had to make a CESA. I may never have to and the majority of recreational divers won’t either. Following basic safety protocol, few divers will run out of air or have serious catastrophic equipment failures. Being able to free dive to forty feet really just says you can free dive to forty feet. It provides no guarantee that you won’t freak out when a dive goes sideways.

Back to the original topic, a pony provides a level of redundancy some divers may like. If you have an parade of insta buddies or a same ocean buddy or prefer to just do your own thing, a pony makes a lot of sense, especially on deeper recreational dives where margins on air usage are going to get cut thinner.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

While @Hartattack has been diving in BC, this thread has been going in circles.

 

[boulderjohn]

Being able to free dive to forty feet really just says you can free dive to forty feet. It provides no guarantee that you won’t freak out when a dive goes sideways.

...and it says nothing of your ability to do an emergency ascent from that depth, since you are supposed to be exhaling all the way. Anyone can do that, with or without freediving experience.

 

[inquis]

and it says nothing of your ability to do an emergency ascent from that depth, since you are supposed to be exhaling all the way. Anyone can do that, with or without freediving experience.

Freediving experience may even be a detriment, as the habit is to hold the breath on the way up.