Lots of good posts here.
I'd definitely review each with an open mind, being willing to see things you had not previously considered.
Also, keep in mind we sometimes end up diving in settings or conditions that we had no intentions of diving in. So be careful being prepared ONLY for the dive you plan on doing (or have always done). Things can and do go sideways after you're in the water. And when they do, it happens faster than you ever thought it could. You want to be prepared for THAT dive, not the one you thought you were going to be doing. Motorcyclists say "Dress for the SLIDE not the RIDE". Those guys that you see riding with shorts and flip flops... they are likely unfamiliar with this saying. Hopefully when they do become familiar with it, they have a chance to practice it next time.
As a follow up to that, reg color can't always be counted upon to determine which reg you have
in the water. Water filtering the light at depth, so I wouldn't count on that as your only differentiating factor ...
Also as
@Marie13 said, there have been cases, some well discussed, about confusion with a back mounted pony leading to a fatality. Dead diver, full main tank, empty pony.
@KenGordon makes excellent points when it comes to peoples reactions in emergencies
Story goes something like this...
Assume,
for what ever reason (maybe you didn't set up your rig completely, and a crew member was nice enough to hand you your reg but they gave you the wrong one. Or your next off the boat, everyone is rushing, so you reach behind you and grab your (pony) reg, give it a couple of test breaths and jump in- point is IT HAPPENS- no one PLANS on it happening, but it happens), you managed to start the dive with your pony reg in your mouth. After a few minutes, you notice you're having to pull kind of hard on your reg for air, check your gauge or computer... no worries plenty of air (sure there is, in your main tank, meanwhile your pony tank is another story). You continue your descent to 90ish feet and you exhale, go to take a breath, and you get nothing... you realize some how you ran out of air, no worries, I have my trusty pony reg on my necklace (or BC or whatever) and you reach for it, but it isn't there... where the hell is it? (it's in your mouth but you don't realize that) You waste a precious few seconds searching for it (ever looked for your glasses, keys, phone, wallet for 5 minutes before you realized they were on your face, or in your pocket?)... but you can't find it... oh, and your primary... it's been floating around behind you since you jumped off the boat, you thought it was in your mouth after all, and there is no way you are going to get a hold of it now, even if you realize what's going on... and now you've been out of air, with empty lungs, expecting to take your next breath for 5 minutes (its really only 5 seconds, but you'd swear it was 5 minutes) and you don't have time to find your buddy (if you have one), inform said buddy you're out of air (calmly and succinctly with obvious signals...right), and have your buddy flawlessly deploy his octo for you.... Best case scenario at this point, you might be able to do a CESA, exhaling as you ascend, but more likely it's a rocket trip to the surface holding what little breath you have because your body KNOWS there is air on the surface and your body knows if it doesn't get air, it's dead. Or maybe you just keep searching for that darned missing pony reg and drowned at depth.
Expect an emergency to be a $#!T show. Train so that your
reactions (not the decisions you make, you have very little time for decisions in a true emergency, you have
reactions) save your a$$. Having a slung pony with the reg and hose tucked neatly into a couple of stage straps DOES all but eliminate the chance of accidentally grabbing that reg. That's a fact. Is it enough to offset what you may consider the hassles/dangers of a slung pony, maybe not. You dive you.
I've only been diving for 4 years (a very busy 4 years, however). I have dove single back mount with and without a pony, single back mount with a back mounted pony, single back mount with a slung pony, sidemount with and without a deco tank, and back mount doubles with and without a deco tank. Still, I don't pretend to know everything (or anything for that matter). So I listen to every piece of advice or bit of information I receive, regardless of the source, and I consider it carefully... before I dismiss it as total BS and do what I want anyway
No seriously, I assume I'm doing it wrong and everyone else knows better than me, so I listen to what they have to say with an open mind and decide if what they do or suggest will work for me. If so, GREAT, I have a better way to do something. If not, no big deal, I learned another way to do something, maybe I can use it later.
Good luck with whichever option you go with, happy diving...
