Tips for backmounting an AL19 pony?

[afieldofblue]

Please please please score yourself one of these

View attachment 895560View attachment 895561




from somewhere

Thanks, but I'm not sure how and where this is mounted.

 

[afieldofblue]

The Shark solution looks interesting, maybe more compatible since it doesn't rely on my single, low-sitting tank band.
I won't be using it on boats, just shore dives. However, one thing that worries me is the design of the steel tanks I can rent here in Japan - standard 10L steels are really short for instance -
I think I can get long AL80 style tanks, so maybe it's an non-issue, but not sure how the Shark bracket handles a pony which is longer than the actual tank for instance.

 

[afieldofblue]

Over the years, I have had various brackets, both homemade of metal or PVC, and commercial; but I moved to a dirt-simple pin-free Zeagle pony attachment a few years back, with two, light nylon straps with buckles and velcro closures -- around sixty bucks nowadays; and I've never looked back.

Easily removed; secure, and stowable in a boat bag; the tank free in seconds; travel-friendly -- and will fit across any number of BC brands . . .

Thanks - I saw that one for sale as well and was wondering how it held - when I last used a backmounted pony a few years back, it was a similar but DIY system and it was fine.

What made you move from brackets to this solution.

Do you think it would work well my low-sitting single tank band BC design?

I don't really understand if it's a solution intended for dual camband bcs like Zeagle models. From what i understand, it's two straps with a webbed buckle to weave into the BC's dual cam band, correct?

So in my case I would need to buy this, + 2 extra cambands for the pony if I'm not using the bottom one, correct?

thanks

 

[MB NZ]

Why wouldn’t an LP50 twinset be the most practical solution?

That is the nicest redundant recreational setup I have used (twin 7L steel), BUT it doesn't provide enough gas for two decent dives.

 

[happy-diver]

Pins and coathangers, line em up, clamp em on, ugh!

Hey single band and takes up the least room on high

Look at him

And even a "buddy" can grab it without pressing the tab and go off continuing to do their own thing somewhere

And the shiny one


Yeah add a couple of clips and "buddy' can become a "slinger"


There's the most practical then there's the rest if you can't see it then there's

 

[Boarderguy]

That looks very nice - Issue I'm having is I'm not sure how well it will work with my Apeks Black Ice BC - it only has one tank band, which is quite low on the rig. I don't like GripLock tank bands so replaced mine with a standard tank band.
I have 2 large dumpable Zeagle weight pockets on the band, and the clip sits in the middle, so not sure how I could mount the basemount on the tank band efficiently unless I remove the weight pockets, which I've been using for years now (yes, I like weight on my back).
Also I a little worried about the center of gravity on such a low rig - it would have to be mounted valve up, given the tank band position, but I'm a little worried that the pony will wobble aroud with a single low attachement


View attachment 895584

Buy a spare cam band and attach it to your tank up higher. No need to use your BC since it is quite low. You could also put the pony mount higher on the bottle, near the neck, to raise it up for mounting upside down. Lots of simple solutions to a very simple problem.

 

[afieldofblue]

Buy a spare cam band and attach it to your tank up higher. No need to use your BC since it is quite low. You could also put the pony mount higher on the bottle, near the neck, to raise it up for mounting upside down. Lots of simple solutions to a very simple problem.

True - I hadn't thought of that... I actually had 2 spare cam bands but left them in Bali for luggage space as we were moving

 

[happy-diver]

Dudes, what's with the requirement for extra unnecessary cam bands unnecessarily

You've been looking at a single low attachment boss, I also use these with other single low tank band BCs

and the part of the bracket that sits against the tank just slips behind the tank band as you're assembling

The Auxilliary bottle can be moved around and non rigid with some give is just how I like it without issue
having smashed them around for a couple of decades at least and I have seen no one smash more than I

 

[gamon]

It works better for me, which is why I'm not considering side mounted solutions at the moment.

No, you only think it does.

I backmounted a 19cf bottle for years, over hundreds of dives. I carry a camera with video lights on all dives.

I finally decided to try slinging it under/behind my left arm, and now I feel like a freaking idiot for not doing it sooner. The main advantage for me was that slinging eliminated the problem whereby the bottle would not allow full inflation of the bladder on that side, and I'd need offsetting weights to compensate for the negative buoyancy of the bottle, those two things made it impossible to get my trim exactly right, and also sometimes I wouldn't need weight at all with large steel tanks yet I'd have to add 2-3 lbs to offset the bottle.

You should at least try slinging it. The needed hardware is minimal, you can probably do it with what you've already got available. Don't waste 2 decades like I did only to say "Damn I should have done it this way in the first place".

 

[afieldofblue]

No, you only think it does.

I backmounted a 19cf bottle for years, over hundreds of dives. I carry a camera with video lights on all dives.

I finally decided to try slinging it under/behind my left arm, and now I feel like a freaking idiot for not doing it sooner. The main advantage for me was that slinging eliminated the problem whereby the bottle would not allow full inflation of the bladder on that side, and I'd need offsetting weights to compensate for the negative buoyancy of the bottle, those two things made it impossible to get my trim exactly right, and also sometimes I wouldn't need weight at all with large steel tanks yet I'd have to add 2-3 lbs to offset the bottle.

You should at least try slinging it. The needed hardware is minimal, you can probably do it with what you've already got available. Don't waste 2 decades like I did only to say "Damn I should have done it this way in the first place".

Thanks. You're very convincing and convinced, but practically I don't see it.

Do you often need to almost lie on the ground for your shooting? Mechanically, I can't see how I can have a 60cm tank with a reg stuck under my arm and it not getting in the way, unless it's pushed behind me, that is.

To give an example, I have to rig my LPI so it doesn't dangle, otherwise it's in the sand. This is how close I am to monitor the footage when I'm shooting super macro.
I don't have an HDMI screen so cannot position myself above the rig. Yes, it's a little dirty, no i'm not staying in flat trim 5cm from the ground for 25 minutes or so.

Regarding the bladder, I'm not diving a wing, it's a back inflate BC, and I've used a backmounted pony before and didn't have such issues. My weights are already backmounted, and I don't think a 60 cm narrow cylinder stuck on the primary tank will further issues, as the Apeks bladder is flappy and rather empty, and I'll be diving aluminium tanks for the most part here.

I'm happy the sling works well for you, and i'll keep it in mind - if I'm frustrated by a back mount pony for some reason I'll give a sling a go, but at the moment dangling a tank and reg under my arm is not the kind of setup I'm after. I'd rather have it behind the said arm, out of the way.

I don't know, maybe i'm picturing it wrong, but frankly if your sling looks anything like this:

then with all due respect for what your are doing and how well it works for you, it's just no-go for what I do.

The one thing I could see working would be rigging the tank to my thigh/hip harness-style so it stays vertical doesn't protrude, but I'd don't want to go there. And the reg will still be in a issue - the KHK valve is yoke, as most are in Japan of course...

I'm not telling you that your experience is incorrect or that a setup that works for you is wrong in any way, I'm just asking you to consider that there is no one-size-fits all solution, and to also respect my own specific requirements and experience for this.

cheers