Use pony for additional air supply

[robo]

Capt Dale,

Thanks for your reply. I respect your experience and therefore will take heed to your warning. Still, I am trying to figure this out and get it straight. Like a stage bottle, why cant a pony be used for this purpose? If I didnt dive with a pony previously, extra air is extra air, is it not? Is switching regs dangerous? Thanks.

 

[wedivebc]

Capt Dale,

Thanks for your reply. I respect your experience and therefore will take heed to your warning. Still, I am trying to figure this out and get it straight. Like a stage bottle, why cant a pony be used for this purpose? If I didnt dive with a pony previously, extra air is extra air, is it not? Is switching regs dangerous? Thanks.

When I read the capt's reply I was going to ask the same question. The use of stages in very advanced deep and cave diving is quite common. The use of a smaller "stage" bottle you are describing has it's purpose. The only caveat I think you should be aware of is a redundant gas supply is essential when solo diving. If you use up the contents of your pony you no longer have redundancy in the event of a failure such as a reg or LP hose etc.

 

[amaze]

When solo i carry an 80al as a buddy bottle not a pony or a stage. When stage diving with a buddy i breathe the stage but when solo the same bottle is my buddy and i reserve it for an emergency and dive thirds or more conservative out of my back gas. I just got an al72 that i am going to try as a buddy bottle due its smaller profile/footprint. How much gas i carry is a function of how far and long i'm going. I never exceed the point where i could not make it back on the 80. Bill

 

[dannobee]

I'm generally a lobster season rec diver, and need to extend my dives a few minutes, or at least have a little more air on a safety stop for my second dive. We usually dive 75-90 feet, two tank dives with an hour or more surface interval, and after that call it a day. I'd rather get some larger tanks when funds are available than go to doubles, and space is usually limited in our boats (4 divers, 20-30' crafts, tanks all over the place) How does the sidemount option work, and what is the advantage there? I do have two regs. How about if I call it a stage bottle than a pony, does that make a difference?

I don't know how you mount your pony, but the AL80's rigged sidemount style have bolt snaps attached with 1/4" rope held on with big hose clamps. Something like this. http://www.gue.com/equipment/tanks-4.shtml
Most people clip them to their left side D-rings. The pony/stage designation is more than semantics, the pony implies a bailout/emergency air supply. The stage bottle implies gas that you plan to breathe during the dive. No matter which you choose, if you're going treat either as your normal breathing air, have a plan in place, i.e., change regs every 300psi or something. And keep in mind that 110+ cu ft of air (80+30) at those depths will most likely put you beyond NDL limits. 155 cu ft (77.4 x 2) WILL put you into deco at those depths.

 

[captndale]

Capt Dale,

Thanks for your reply. I respect your experience and therefore will take heed to your warning. Still, I am trying to figure this out and get it straight. Like a stage bottle, why cant a pony be used for this purpose? If I didnt dive with a pony previously, extra air is extra air, is it not? Is switching regs dangerous? Thanks.

Anything that you do that involves thought underwater is problomatic. Remember that we are all "stupid" underwater. Managing my gas supply by switching back and forth from one regulator to another requires more thought than I want to give it. If you have only one stage bottle would you breath off of it until it does not have enough gas left for emergencies? That would be foolish, unless you have another emergency supply. Your plan should always include adaquate reserve. When using stage bottles, one carries enough stage bottles for the planned dive, plus backup, and reserves back gas for emergencies. Remember, in an emergency, you can always ditch stage bottles. That way you have all the gas left on your back and you are more streamlined.

 

[ianr33]

I don't know how you mount your pony, but the AL80's rigged sidemount style have bolt snaps attached with 1/4" rope held on with big hose clamps. Something like this. http://www.gue.com/equipment/tanks-4.shtml

At the risk of being pedantic that link shows stages,not sidemounts . Thay are not the same. Stages are more like "frontmounts"

 

[amaze]

At the risk of being pedantic that link shows stages,not sidemounts . Thay are not the same. Stages are more like "frontmounts"

not being pedantic, there are significant differences between a stage and a sidemount rig. The stage strap and clips are such that you can clip the tank off on your left hand chest and hip rings. Bill

 

[Diver0001]

I know i eventually need to buy a steel 120 or similar, but I have 4 AL 80's, and bought a AL 30 for a pony backup.

Does anyone use their pony bottles for additional air supply, and how do you do it?

Thanks

If you have so many tanks laying around, why don't you twin up a couple of your 80's? The pony should really be kept for bail-out, don't you think?

R..

 

[matt_unique]

Using a pony in the way you describe is not in itself dangerous, it simply removes the safety benefit, and most common purpose to carrying a pony.

--Matt

 

[teknitroxdiver]

You said you had limited space on the boat so doubles wouldn't work. Think about it this way: what's going to be smaller, 2xbackgas tanks, 2x extend-a-dive 'ponies', plus shuffling all your stuff around on the SI. Just put some bands and a manifold on those 80s and be simple and happy.