Skills For Carrying And Using A Pony

[Landlocked123]

I have been back mounting one for a few years. I think slinging does give more benefits and may be switching to it. in my humble opinion leave that valve open! when and if the SHTF and your life depends on it (or someone around you) you do not need one more critical task as you will be overloaded. At least I was the one time I actually had to use it. I back mount mine for now. So I have no choice as the valve needs to be open. You have the benefit of seeing any leaks if they were to develop so there is in my opinion no need to lave the valve shut. Just one more thing to have to get right at a bad time. Happy you chose to dive one. I would not dive without one. It only takes one incident to really understand how important a bail out bottle is. Safe Diving !

 

[Patoux01]

Why do you think it's a bad idea? Over kill? Yes. Bad idea? No way. The way you switch gas doesn't change - you're just labeling your seconds so you know what they belong to. I think every second should have a visable label regardless of its use.

It's a waste of time imo. I don't want to keep labelling my regs, and I don't see why I should have a dedicated reg to "Nx50". Having one (a few) for oxygen clean content, sure! Knowing which ones are clean vs the ones that aren't, sure!
You're not the only one doing it, quite a few people argue that it is much safer, I just don't feel like it's gonna save you (you is a general term, don't think I want you dead ). If you already didn't read the tank you took the reg from, why would you read what's on the reg? And if you had read the tank, then you are on the right reg (because it wouldn't breathe if it were the wrong tank).

I'm also not involved in dives with 12 gas switches and don't think I ever will, so that might have some influence.

 

[urbaneve71]

Patoux01,

I'm not sure if there have been multiple accidents, or if I've heard the same account from different sources with different details, but there has been at least one death of a diver attributed to use of a pony tank. The two stories (or two versions of the same story, take your pick) I've heard are:

1) A diver lost his regulator during the course of a dive. Performing an arm sweep, he recovered what he thought was his primary regulator but what was in actual fact his pony regulator, which had not been properly secured. When the pony bottle was exhausted, an out of air emergency ensued.

2) A diver entered the water, thinking he was breathing his primary regulator but actually breathing his pony regulator. When the pony bottle was exhausted, he removed the regulator from his mouth. Thinking there was a problem with his primary air supply, he decided to switch to the pony, then correctly located and identified and tried to breath from the pony regulator.

These problems are made possible by four closely related equipment configuration choices:
a) The pony is mounted by attaching it to the primary cylinder, which can be done with any BC and minimum skill. However, it is difficult if not impossible to reach the cylinder valve during the dive.
b) Because of the difficulty reaching the valve, it is left open.
c) For simplicity, an SPG is not used on the pony.
d) Hoses for the pony and main gas supply attach to their respective 1st stages in the same area, contributing to the possibility of breathing the wrong reg.

Carrying the pony as though it were a slung stage is not possible with all BCs, and it's not as convenient, but it is much harder to mix up regs:
a) the pony reg is clipped off to the pony cylinder, making its purpose clear.
b) hoses are held in place by rubber bands or bungees and cannot be snagged during a lost reg sweep when endeavoring to recover the primary
c) because the valve is immediately accessible in this configuration, the cylinder may be carried valve off, which reduces any freeflow risk as well as reducing the risk of breathing the wrong reg. Even if carried valve on, the valve can be closed as a test if there is doubt as to which reg is being breathed.
d) An SPG can be used in this configuration if desired providing one more piece of confirming data as to what's going on.

out of curiousity -- wouldnt it be easy to just mark the hose as to which reg goes to which tank? that's what i would do. safety after all is the #1 concern on a dive.... just saying

 

[urbaneve71]

see -- i came to this thread -- because most of my dives are solo dive -- due to my extreme air conservation. I am 5'8" and weigh 143lbs -- where would you recommend i carry a pony?

 

[Patoux01]

Like a stage, or switching to a completely different rig as I don't like ponys (small independent twins, 2-tanks sidemount with small tanks, ...).


As to marking regs, that's not a solution imo. If I should be forced to use a single tank and a pony, I'd most likely bungee the pony reg on a necklace and LH the main tank. (no "having 3 second stages" for 2 tanks with me, and I don't solo too much, even then, the LH is no big deal imo). For solo, just replace the LH with a short-ish hose and it's good to go as well. Not a chance to ever use the wrong reg.

 

[urbaneve71]

okay -- ive never used side mounts -- most of this thread is over my head -- hell ive never even used double tanks -- but I do solo dive and i think carrying a pony would be a good idea for me. i just dont know where to carry it

but i was thinking that just marking the hoses might solve some issues for some divers

 

[savsuds]

I started back mounting my pony in a Highland tank mount. I got tired of having to go thru the extra effort to make sure it was securely mounted when I switched tanks between dives on the dive boat. It also requires me to occupy more space on the dive boat (The boat has seats with molded tank holders for each tank). Slinging ended up to be less of a hassle overall and shifting weight is not an issue since it just hangs there sorta like a boat keel (depending upon how you hang it of course). I opt for across the chest slinging. It affords me access to both my BCD pockets and weight pockets.

I do not need to label my regulators because my pony uses a Hollis 500 SE so I do not have to think when I use it or someone else needs to use it. I don't have to think if it is upside down. My main second stages are Apex XTX200 and XTX50 Octo.

I keep the valve open because, if there is a leak or o-ring failure. I can easily see the problem and determine my next course of action. This may change if/when I receive tech training.

EDIT: I have been solo diving since last summer. Got the Padi card/training as well.

 

[The Chairman]

i just dont know where to carry it

There's probably other things then, that you "don't know" or haven't considered. Take a solo class and the instructor will fill in all the blanks.

 

[savsuds]

Best class I ever took.

 

[urbaneve71]

There's probably other things then, that you "don't know" or haven't considered. Take a solo class and the instructor will fill in all the blanks.

hmmm -- lol now why didnt i think of that ... i was just looking for input thats all - since i already took the class