Spare Air VS Pony Tank

[Tom Winters]

Reefraff is right about the size of the bottle. If you're over 5'6", go for the 40. Under that, get a 30.
Those little baby bottles like a 6 or 13 are best used for argon bottles for drysuit inflation. The 19 is nice and small but falls out of the window of practicality for most anything.
I've looked at almost all of the pony bottle mounting systems out there, and most of them are beautifully designed and machined. I still wouldn't use them - it's much easier to just sling a pony bottle like a deco bottle from the left side of your harness. I don't like anything extra behind me that I can't get to easily.

 

[ibnygator]

...if you're determined to go down that road, consider a 40cf cylinder. It provides enough gas to get you to the surface from any recreational depth ... and it can be recycled as a deco bottle, should you ever need one.

This is exactly why I started carrying a 40 cf cylinder slung on my left side this year. Too many unintentional solo dives with insta-buddies and spearfishing buddies. Don't know if I'll ever do doubles and tech training but, if I do, I haven't wasted my money.

 

[abman]

I'm sure that this debate has been done in here, and debated to death at that.

I do intend to buy a Pony system as a redundant Air Supply but am considering also the purchase of a 6CF Spare Air to take on a trip to Cozumel next year.

Also, since my wife originates from the coastal regions of Georgia, and has relatives all over Florida I thought this smaller sytems might be handy to have as well for ease of travel.

I am looking at the purchase later of a Catalina S13 or even the 19Cf tank to be used when Solo diving here in the lakes of Missouri and Arkansas down to around the 40 Ft level.

I have read that some of the older Spare Air systems were hard to breathe off of at depth?
According to their website this problem has since been corrected and the updated systems are now much easier to use and breathe through.

Anyone had any experiences with these?


Would appreciate your input.

hi! i've been solo diving for a nymber of years now. i have a spare air that now takes up space in my dive room. i dive with a 30cu.ft. pony mounted on the side of my main tank with two x-brackets(my personal favorite mounting system). i've tried a bunch of others, but a have been crap. i use the pony EVERY time i am diving with a single tank. if i am diving doubles, i use a manifold with two posts and an isolator valve in the middle. this is the ONLY time that i don't use a pony bottle. there just isn't enough air in a 6cu.ft. spare air for any type of emergency assent, unless you are in less than 5' of water.lol,,ken

 

[cmcloughlin]

This is exactly why I started carrying a 40 cf cylinder slung on my left side this year. Too many unintentional solo dives with insta-buddies and spearfishing buddies. Don't know if I'll ever do doubles and tech training but, if I do, I haven't wasted my money.

There is a nice illustration on the Dive-Rite web site on how to rig a stage bottle to your BC. I also use a SPG on my 40cf bottle, with a 8 inch HP hose.
Chris

 

[CIBDiving]

I also use a SPG on my 40cf bottle, with a 8 inch HP hose. Chris

I see now reason to take a failure point along (spg). You had the bottle filled right? You haven't used it, right? So it's got as much as it did the last time you checked it. If your not sure check it before you dive.

The Very last thing you need when the S hits the fan is to worry about watching a gage drop quickly towards zero. When that bottle goes empty - you're SCREWED. A gage isn't going to help.

 

[String]

Disagree with the last post on that.

The only time ive had to use my pony in anger (uncontrollable freeflow on main tank) i only had a button gauge, no hose screwed into HP port on the thing - i knew it was full. HOWEVER on ascending and completing the stop despite mentally knowing there was enough in there to get me up from that depth and stop i really would have liked the physical reassurance a gauge would give me. Its amazing how you start to doubt your own maths when something like that happens.
I went out and bought a small SPG on a hose and much happier now knowing how much gas is left in it at all times.

 

[Rick Inman]

Disagree with the last post on that.

The only time ive had to use my pony in anger i only had a button gauge, no hose screwed into HP port on the thing - i knew it was full. HOWEVER on ascending and completing the stop despite mentally knowing there was enough in there to get me up from that depth and stop i really would have liked the physical reassurance a gauge would give me. Its amazed how you start to doubt your own maths when something like that happens.
I went out and bought a small SPG on a hose and much happier now knowing how much gas is left in it at all times.

Yeah. Why would I choose to ever NOT know how much gas I have in a bottle? Good or bad, if I run out, I have a sudden change in my dive plan, and I can't plan without knowing how much gas I have.

If I did run out of gas (unlikely) on a solo dive (lately, even more unlikely), and I had a 40cf back-up bottle (very likely), I'd be mighty reassured to see that I actually have 40cf of gas to deal with the situation.

 

[cmcloughlin]

I see now reason to take a failure point along (spg). You had the bottle filled right? You haven't used it, right? So it's got as much as it did the last time you checked it. If your not sure check it before you dive.

The Very last thing you need when the S hits the fan is to worry about watching a gage drop quickly towards zero. When that bottle goes empty - you're SCREWED. A gage isn't going to help.

I like to be prepared (a former boy scout here). What if my OOA situation isn't the only issue on a dive? Do I have enough air to assist someone else?
If I go on a long car trip I check my fluids, belts, and hoses. Buts oops, my fuel gauge doesn,t work!
Chris