Things you are (almost but not really) ashamed of doing while diving

[JohnN]

I think it's a regional custom.

Similarly, I have seen posts from people talking about dive boats requiring pony bottles and everyone they knew using pony bottles, etc. They write as if everyone uses pony bottles. I have never been on a boat requiring pony bottles, and I have rarely seen them being used. (I have done it myself on occasion, but in ways different from most people which I choose not to explain.) I would guess that regions where pony bottles are common are regions were safety bottles are hung for AOW dives.

On both the AOW deep dive and the Deep Dive specialty, I believe the most important aspect of the training is understanding how much faster you go through air at deeper depths. Consequently, training in that before the dive and careful monitoring of gas levels during the dive are critically important. If an AOW student of mine starts to run remotely low on air during the dive, both the student and I will know it. The student knows before the dive at what PSI he or she should be ascending to be safe, and that is when we ascend. One of the Deep Diver specialty dives requires an alternate air source, and I do have students hang a bottle and use it on that dive.

I think it must be a regional thing. The people I most often dive with (PNW) carry Pony bottles, the main conversation about them is whether they should be slung like a stage bottle, or attached to the tank.

The dive charter's here act strictly as a taxi service. We are responsible for monitoring our air. I'm certaiinly not a lawyer, but hanging a saftey bottle seems like it would expose the boat owner to greater liability if poo should happen to impact the fan.

 

[Wibble]

If you're diving in generally poor visibility there's little chance of you being able to rely on a "buddy" if said buddy's cleared off. So the onus is on you to have sufficient backup systems to surface alive.

The easiest way is to hook on a stage cylinder, provided you've practised using it -- silly things like ensuring it works, that it's powered up in the water, how to put the hose away after, etc.

Some (often older) divers attach a small pony bottle to their main bottle. It works, but you can't see how much gas is left.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Similarly, I have seen posts from people talking about dive boats requiring pony bottles and everyone they knew using pony bottles, etc. They write as if everyone uses pony bottles. I have never been on a boat requiring pony bottles, and I have rarely seen them being used. (I have done it myself on occasion, but in ways different from most people which I choose not to explain.) I would guess that regions where pony bottles are common are regions were safety bottles are hung for AOW dives.

Really? I certainly believe you, I just find that surprising given how widely you've dived. The majority of my boat diving has been in the Great Lakes, NC, and Southeast FL. In those three areas I typically see them on every single charter, and I'm not talking about my own pony bottle. Most are back mounted AL19/20/30s and the rest are slung AL19/20/30/40s. A few may be smaller. When I dive in Palm Beach and Jupiter it is exceedingly rare for me to be the only diver on the boat with a pony bottle. There are almost always 2-3 or more other divers with one.

 

[Esprise Me]

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[tr3a]

Really? I certainly believe you, I just find that surprising given how widely you've dived. The majority of my boat diving has been in the Great Lakes, NC, and Southeast FL. In those three areas I typically see them on every single charter, and I'm not talking about my own pony bottle. Most are back mounted AL19/20/30s and the rest are slung AL19/20/30/40s. A few may be smaller. When I dive in Palm Beach and Jupiter it is exceedingly rare for me to be the only diver on the boat with a pony bottle. There are almost always 2-3 or more other divers with one.

 

[tr3a]

Thats US based diving.
Locations like Indo, PI, and surrounding areas including live a-boards, pony bottles are as common as hens teeth.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Thats US based diving.
Locations like Indo, PI, and surrounding areas including live a-boards, pony bottles are as common as hens teeth.

That I get. I don't do that type of diving. I was surprised that John rarely saw them because I know he does alot of diving in the locations I mentioned.

 

[BoltSnap]

hens teeth

Hens don't have teeth???

 

[Diverlady13]

If you like quiet, wait until you try a rebreather! The fish aren't bothered as you move amongst them.

Oh! I had no idea. I hadn't really considered rebreather diving, but now I'm interested!

 

[SlugLife]

Really? I certainly believe you, I just find that surprising given how widely you've dived. The majority of my boat diving has been in the Great Lakes, NC, and Southeast FL. In those three areas I typically see them on every single charter, and I'm not talking about my own pony bottle. Most are back mounted AL19/20/30s and the rest are slung AL19/20/30/40s. A few may be smaller. When I dive in Palm Beach and Jupiter it is exceedingly rare for me to be the only diver on the boat with a pony bottle. There are almost always 2-3 or more other divers with one.

I recently started using on myself, I've almost never seen anyone with a pony-bottle equipped locally in TX.

This is at murky lakes in Texas, where there's not a lot to see or major reasons to go deep. The main reasons to carry one would be solo-diving, or the ****** visibility that makes losing your buddy real easy. I prefer solo simply because of the visibility, which is why I carry one.