Used the 13 cu-ft pony this weekend

[Lee Taylor]

This weekend I was freedive spearfishing in about 80 ft and had a fish take my gun into a small "cave". Since the current was very strong and I was out of "time" I had to ascend leaving the gun, fish and and floatline w/ float to mark the spot. The current was around 3 kts, which is just too hard for me to recover my gear with breathhold.

Got out my 13 cu-ft pony bottle, ran the boat about 175 ft up current of the float and jumped in, swam down as fast as possibe, swam (with the current) about 80-100 feet horizontall at depth, found the fish and gun, pulled the fish out, grabbed the fish, pulled the gun out of the hole, untangled the line and headed back up at a reasonably fast ascent rate of maybe 60 feet per minute. Not a big deal really.

The interesting part was my air consumption: used 1500 psi in a 13 cu-ft tank (6.5 cu-ft) to do the entire "dive". I was some what tired and a little out of breath when I did the recovery and I was not trying to skip breathe or anything. Usually we use a 30 cu-ft tank for these types of recoveries but the big pony bottle was empty so I used the back up bottle.

It was an interesting demonstration (to myself) that a 13 cuft pony should be able to get me (when scuba diving) from recreational depths to the surface without too much trouble (if everything goes well). It always kills me when some people say you NEED a 30 cu-ft pony for a 75 ft recreational dive.

Thanks for sharing this info. After using a 30 cube pony for many years I had suspected exactly what you say. I use to draw down my primary tank to 500 psi and then switch to my 30 cube pony for the ascent. I always had lots of gas left over in the pony. Now days I am considering carring a smaller pony for lighter weight, easier rigging, and redundancy. If an air supply problem raises its ugly head, something is better than nothing.

Charleston SC Scuba Club: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/groups/charleston+sc+scuba+club.html

 

[dumpsterDiver]

double

 

[dumpsterDiver]

How exactly did you verify this? "Hmm...it's fast today....feels like 3 knots!" If that's the case, I'm calling BS. I doubt you could get a scooter to go into a 3 knot current, much less swim into it. Most people can't kick faster than 0.5 knots for sustained periods of time.

Unless you actually measured the current, I doubt it was anywhere close to 3 knots. If you DID measure the current -- how?



Holy entanglement nightmare, Batman! :11:

Wow I'm reading old posts.... I KNOW the current was 3 kts because the boat gps tells what the speed is when the engine is not running. Now you also have to consider if there is any wind when reading the GPS course information.

Why would you call BS on my current description? I've dove in those types of currents HUNDREDS of times over a period of dozens of years. I've seen speeds up to 5 kts in locations where we dive. I COMMONLY scuba dive solo to spear fish in 180 feet in 3 kt currents over wrecks.

Also, 3 kts is a VERY strong current and you can not swim against it with scuba gear on for more than maybe 30 feet (if you are strong). Of course, anyone but a quarry diver should know that you don't swim against a 3 kt current; you hide from it behind wrecks, you move with it, you swim across it and only try to move against it for short distances by crawling along the bottom.

You do not move up current in 3 kt current when freediving at 80 feet, but drifting with it is not a problem.

I'm wondering if you calling my description of the velocity to be BS is honest ignorance or you are deliberately trying to be a jerk?
Which is it?

 

[belgianbrew]

In a low stress non event situation........

Isn't that basically an oxymoron? Besides I was taught that spare air is only a good idea if you're a gerbil.