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

[grf88]

This is meant to represent sarcasm amongst other things. Should probably get some use on this board.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So who is going to be the first to tell us that DCS never happens.

it only happens to other people, never us.

 

[grf88]

Well, it has never happened to me so it must be a myth.


【/sarcasm]

Seems to be a reasonable assumption.

 

[tursiops]

Seems to be a reasonable assumption.

I don't know that it is reasonable, but it certainly is popular.

 

[Lorenzoid]

This is meant to represent sarcasm amongst other things. Should probably get some use on this board.

I just found these:

There are no clear emojis for sarcasm.

 

[Searcaigh]

This is meant to represent sarcasm amongst other things. Should probably get some use on this board

I wan't aware of that and often wondered what that emoji meant, now I know

 

[Rukkian]

What emergency are you talking about exactly.

There have been plenty posted in the thread throughout the 37 pages and counting. I don't personally use a pony, I am moving towards sm for redundancy, but that is a different animal all together, and is part of a gas plan, not just for emergencies. I have many buddies that will use a pony on every dive unless they are using doubles. These are all divemasters and have plenty of experience. One had a boat dive in Florida before he carried a pony where one of the dive guides got busy helping some other divers in between dives, and forgot to swap out his cylinder. While this should have been found in the buddy check (if everybody did it every dive) or in the pre dive check, human beings make errors. They got down to 120' to a wreck, before he realized he was ooa. He was able to share off a buddy, but had they been separated, he would have needed to cesa from 125'. While he would probably be fine, it is much better to have a pony you can switch to and go at a standard (non-emergency) ascent rate to the surface.

Nobody here is trying to say everybody should always use a pony. There are basically 2 people in this conversation - 1. nobody should ever be allowed to us pony, or 2. people should be able to dive as they see fit. I personally plan to never use a pony, but definitely see why some would like to, and why they have a potential purpose, even if that is just to give peace of mind for some people that don't want to go full on doubles, but want some redundancy for emergency purposes.

 

[jadairiii]

.... and forgot to swap out his cylinder......They got down to 120' to a wreck, before he realized he was ooa.

Here is a prefect example of thread shift. The original question was "recreational" diving. Diving a wreck in 120 is a technical dive. Add to that "forgetting" to swap to a new tank AND never looking at his pressure gauge until he runs out of gas is beyond stupid and a pony bottle wont fix stupid.

It would be interesting to know the size of the cylinder he was using....just of giggles.

 

[grf88]

SNIP

Nobody here is trying to say everybody should always use a pony. There are basically 2 people in this conversation - 1. nobody should ever be allowed to us pony and if they do they obviously don't know gas planning never look at their SPG, need to lean how to dive or should take fundies and dive doubles because that is the only way to do it. , or 2. people should be able to dive as they see fit. I personally plan to never use a pony, but definitely see why some would like to, and why they have a potential purpose, even if that is just to give peace of mind for some people that don't want to go full on doubles, but want some redundancy for emergency purposes.

Fixed that for you.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Here is a prefect example of thread shift. The original question was "recreational" diving. Diving a wreck in 120 is a technical dive. Add to that "forgetting" to swap to a new tank AND never looking at his pressure gauge until he runs out of gas is beyond stupid and a pony bottle wont fix stupid.

It would be interesting to know the size of the cylinder he was using....just of giggles.

For most people, wreck diving is recreational. They swim down to a wreck, look at the pretty fish, maybe go inside a deck or swim through. While they are momentarily overhead, they have an escape route to the open water.