Slinging pony bottles on "regular" BCs

[Jake]

Hello all-

This has probably been discussed here before, but I wasn't finding much. Sorry if this is redundant.

I've been studying the literature and the opinions here on the board (as well as consulting the more experienced than I), and I've decided that I would like to invest in a small pony bottle (19) for some deeper dives and wreck dives that I'll be training for and doing late this summer (as a redundant supply, not for staging). That's not what I'm here to ask about; my mind's made up on that point.

My question is about slinging the bottle on a "regular" BC rather than on a BP/W configuration. I currently dive on a Balance BC, which works great for the type of stuff I do. I'm not quite ready to move over to a BP setup yet.

However, every piece of literature I can find on the subject describes slinging the tank to D-Rings on a harness. So the question then, is more or less whether anyone ever uses a pony bottle with a traditional BC. If so, how do sling considerations change? Is this actually done?

I suppose I could strap it to my back gas, which I might, but I'd like to try both to see which works better for me.

Thoughts?

 

[theskull]

I own a Balance and have carried a stage bottle with it many times--no problem. Use left chest D-ring and left hip d-ring.

theskull

 

[bgi]

Slinging a catalina 30cf on my zeagle escape worked great. It was completely out of the way under my left arm. I put the clips at the shoulder and about 4" up from the bottom. The bottom clip is on about 4" of rope.

 

[mack50md]

I own a Balance and have carried a stage bottle with it many times--no problem. Use left chest D-ring and left hip d-ring.

theskull

The same as theskull with a Seaquest Pro QD and a 30cf pony. No problem.

 

[David P]

a 19cuft tank may be a bit small to sling. how about one of the many pony tamer strappy things that attach the pony to the side of your main tank?

 

[dlent]

I sling a 19cf and it works well.

 

[ClayJar]

I dove 12 dives this past weekend with a 19cf pony just like theskull described. (Rigged it based on a slightly modified version of the description at http://dir-diver.com/en/equipment/stagebottle_rigging.html.) The upper hose clamp is right near the shoulder, and the lower hose clamp is right at the base. It worked perfectly for me (but be sure to hold it on a giant stride or you'll be bashed in the mouth), and once you're in the water, it really does disappear.

In that configuration, it can also be connected to your BC's two hip D-rings, should you have a very long walk to get from your vehicle to a shore dive. Take note of which direction your valve, reg, and hoses stick out, too; I had to play with mine a bit to find the best orientation.

(Did I mention how many divers were commenting or asking questions about the pony?)