ways to carry a pony bottle

[marchand]

I really love how SB members who have no technical training listed in their profile are able to conduct themselves properly in the technical forums where as some SB members with limited diving experience but a couple technical classes listed in their profile, that may or may not have included instruction in the topic at hand, are unable to conduct themselves properly in the technical forums.

I put in bold what you originally italicized.

One does not have to twist logic when others have limited reading comprehension

maybe I was reading into it to much, but it seems to me that by italicizing "listed in their profile" you were suggesting that those divers in fact have technical training even though it isn't listed in their profile.

 

[b1gcountry]

Halemano & Marchand-
Be quiet. No one wants to hear your petty squabbling over grammar on a public forum. Get over it.

DC53-

I am a big believer in redundant air supplies whether diving solo or with buddies, who in cold dark water where I dive a lot, might or might not where you need them when you need them. It just makes sense. I’ll agree that it is less necessary in warm crystal clear water like Bonaire or at very shallow depths like above 50 feet.

I'm not sure what crystal clear water really has to do with the need for redundancy. If you're SOL at 80', the visibility isn't going to matter.

The next observation is that nearly no one who does not absolutely need to (ie deep decompression divers) is going to carry a slung pony 100% of the time.

Deep Decompression divers like to do shallow water dives too. Although you're right, it's nice to have the gear in the same place no matter what.

It’s just too much clutter in your high use area (and in my opinion less streamlined than a properly mounted back pony.

I can accept that argument. I will say that backmounted ponies don't scale as well, and entanglement to me is not as big of an issue as not knowing for sure which tank I'm breathing from. A hose coming over your shoulder is impossible to visually ID which tank its coming from. This isn't a big deal if your pony has the same mix as your backgas, but can be very dangerous if you have a richer mix in it.

I'm curious if/how you mount a SPG on your backmounted pony? Also, where do you stow the regulator so its out of the way and doesn't get tangled with your BM hoses?

Tom

 

[DC53]

Halemano & Marchand-
Be quiet. No one wants to hear your petty squabbling over grammar on a public forum. Get over it.

DC53-


I'm not sure what crystal clear water really has to do with the need for redundancy. If you're SOL at 80', the visibility isn't going to matter.



Deep Decompression divers like to do shallow water dives too. Although you're right, it's nice to have the gear in the same place no matter what.


I can accept that argument. I will say that backmounted ponies don't scale as well, and entanglement to me is not as big of an issue as not knowing for sure which tank I'm breathing from. A hose coming over your shoulder is impossible to visually ID which tank its coming from. This isn't a big deal if your pony has the same mix as your backgas, but can be very dangerous if you have a richer mix in it.



I'm curious if/how you mount a SPG on your backmounted pony? Also, where do you stow the regulator so its out of the way and doesn't get tangled with your BM hoses?


Tom

I'll reply to several of your questions.....

Re: warm, clear, water... Easier to see exactly where and what is going on with your buddy=better chance of help; Warm water=nice flexible thin wetsuit; move faster, turn faster, reach things better. All makes it easier to rely on buddy than cold dark water with drysuits and lights. BUT even in those easy conditions I agree that redundant air is smart. Just giving that point to the anti-redundancy crew.

Re: mixing up regulators, I agree about how dangerous it could be to breathe the wrong gas. However that is true with any system of independent singles. My own approach is that while at times the main tank and pony may have different degrees of nitrox due to filling conveniences, I never dive deeper than the shallowest MOD of the two. IE the back pony is not to be used as a deco gas. For that I would sling a pony

Re: How is the pony & reg out of the way? The pony regulator is angled inward towards the "groove" between the tank and the BCD. It has two hoses. One is the reg hose which goes over the shoulder to the spot where its reg resides, just below my drysuit inflation valve, and the other is a high pressure (Miflex) hose which goes down the side of the pony, under the right arm to a D ring on the top of the right integrated weight pocket. It is retained there by a snorkle retainer run through the D ring and doubled back on itself around the hose. The SPG sits back, right there, and when or if I want to see it I simply pull it forward a bit, far enough to see and then slide it back in. THe whole thing is pretty much out of the way, nothing is sticking "way up there" like say the first stage of the main tank.

Simple out of the way rig, simple to rig when changing tanks, and completely redundant using high quality components. When I die I want it to be in a nice comfy bed after a long fun life.

 

[1fast05]

as your backgas, but can be very dangerous if you have a richer mix in it.

I'm curious if/how you mount a SPG on your backmounted pony? Also, where do you stow the regulator so its out of the way and doesn't get tangled with your BM hoses?

Tom

I back mount my pony upside down on my left side. Both reg and spg route under left arm. My SPG is clipped off on my left D-ring and my pony reg is clipped off on my right D-ring. My main tank octo is on a bungee so there is no confusing anything when it comes to what gas I am using. Also both my main reg 2nd's have miflex hoses (black and yellow) and my pony reg has a regular hose as another method of keeping them separate. My computer is an AI computer so the only SPG is my pony SPG which is my another way I don't mix up the 2 and get any false readings.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Halemano & Marchand-
Be quiet. No one wants to hear your petty squabbling over grammar on a public forum. Get over it.

As it's a public forum you do not get to tell us what to do, that would be the moderators job. The solo diving forum has rules, which do prohibit posting in the way many posts in this thread are posted. Unless someone reports them, there is usually no moderation, but the fact remains that this is supposed to be a place where we share how we solo dive and we are not supposed to denigrate how others solo dive.

I have posted how I solo dive with my pony, including pictures. Others have chosen to attack what I have posted about my solo diving practices. I have engaged them in debate with regards to their beliefs. To my knowledge I have not made any negative comments on how they solo dive, but I will defend myself when attacked.

If you no longer enjoy the thread don't read it. And by the way it's not a grammar issue it's semantics; I didn't italicize "in their profile" twice, so somehow the non-italicized party claims I am twisting things. The only twisted things I see are some panties.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I will say that backmounted ponies don't scale as well, and entanglement to me is not as big of an issue as not knowing for sure which tank I'm breathing from. A hose coming over your shoulder is impossible to visually ID which tank its coming from. This isn't a big deal if your pony has the same mix as your backgas, but can be very dangerous if you have a richer mix in it.

I'm curious if/how you mount a SPG on your backmounted pony? Also, where do you stow the regulator so its out of the way and doesn't get tangled with your BM hoses?

Could you explain what you mean by "backmounted ponies don't scale as well?" I'm guessing you are not directing these questions to me, as the pictures and description were fairly complete;

​

When I use my pony it is back mounted with the pony SPG running down the right side of the in/deflator and the pony second stage is in my left pocket. The second is either a left breather or a swivel breather.

​

 

[b1gcountry]

Could you explain what you mean by "backmounted ponies don't scale as well?" I'm guessing you are not directing these questions to me, as the pictures and description were fairly complete;

I mean you can probably carry one on your back without too many issues, but once you start carrying more than one stage, you have to go to slung bottles.

Tom

 

[David_57]

Hey I don't get it attaching the pony to your back tank but hey to each his own, I like mine slung beside me where I can see the button gauge and easy access to turn it on, as I have the valve shut off until I need it.

 

[AfterDark]

Hey I don't get it attaching the pony to your back tank but hey to each his own, I like mine slung beside me where I can see the button gauge and easy access to turn it on, as I have the valve shut off until I need it.

I just look at the spg I have attached to mine.

 

[1fast05]

I just look at the spg I have attached to mine.

Ditto