Michael Guerrero
Contributor
it is easy. You can buy a stage kit. Or, like me, you can make your own.
What Pony Bottle Should I Get if I Plan On Going Into Tech Diving Eventually?
- Thread starter Vegan Shark
- Start date
Please register or login
kwinter
Contributor
As most have stated, an Al 40 is very common for staging, deco or bailout and you can't go wrong having one. But if it seems too big for your current needs for a pony, just get a 13 cf bottle. I use mine for suit inflation on deep dives when a 6 just doesn't seem big enough.
Before buying a pony bottle look into how you are going to sling it. I hope that before you buy one that you are using a bc that is suited to using one. That is a BPW properly sized and set up. If not you may have trouble slinging a bottle.
I'm also in the al40 camp but own two 30's as well. They are used for student stage bottles in my AOW, Deep,and Intro to Tech classes as deco on those is simulated. And I got em cheap. One of the 30's I also use as a deco bottle when doing solo deco dives and I only need that capacity.
But if you have no way to efficiently attach it then I'd get rid of whatever BC you have and put the money towards a BPW. You'll need it anyway when you do get to the point where tech dives are actually going to take place. Or when you move to doubles.
You also need to remember that while the bottles are cheap (I got my 40 for sixty bucks used) you are also going to need another reg to use on it.
And unlike some who say most any one will do, I want my shtf reg to be as good as my mains. So depending on what brand you buy the reg could triple or more the price of the set up.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
I'm also in the al40 camp but own two 30's as well. They are used for student stage bottles in my AOW, Deep,and Intro to Tech classes as deco on those is simulated. And I got em cheap. One of the 30's I also use as a deco bottle when doing solo deco dives and I only need that capacity.
But if you have no way to efficiently attach it then I'd get rid of whatever BC you have and put the money towards a BPW. You'll need it anyway when you do get to the point where tech dives are actually going to take place. Or when you move to doubles.
You also need to remember that while the bottles are cheap (I got my 40 for sixty bucks used) you are also going to need another reg to use on it.
And unlike some who say most any one will do, I want my shtf reg to be as good as my mains. So depending on what brand you buy the reg could triple or more the price of the set up.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
OP
Vegan Shark
Contributor
My BCD is a Sherwood Avid CQR3, which has a bunch of D-rings: 2 on each shoulder, then one at the hip, so should be enough to attach, right? For regulator I was thinking of just getting a Sherwood Magnum since they're on sale for $200. My current reg is a Mares Abyss 22, but the price has doubled since I bought it so can't really buy a new one.
tplyons
Contributor
I asked myself the same question at first and was torn between a 30 and a 40. Since I'm short, I figured slinging the 30 would be more ideal, however after renting both from my LDS one weekend and taking them on test dives, I decided that the AL40 is for me. I barely notice slung AL40's when diving my back inflate ScubaPro Seahawk.
Also since then, I have started down the Tec route, and between my AL40 and my all DIN tanks, I haven't had to replace any gear yet! Next step is my BP/W!
Also since then, I have started down the Tec route, and between my AL40 and my all DIN tanks, I haven't had to replace any gear yet! Next step is my BP/W!
I use a 19 cu ft pony for my redundancy (mostly dives above 100 fsw these days), but for future tech diving I wouldn't get anything smaller than a 40 cu ft.
Wikipedia:
Then there is the 7 litre 200 bar steel cylinder, that's hard to find. It's benefits include smaller size and a rounded bottom for dry caving. Somehow I feel you want AL80 or AL40.
- Aluminum 80 is probably the most ubiquitous cylinder, used by resorts in many parts of the world for back gas, but also popular as a sling cylinder for decompression gas, and as side-mount cylinder in fresh water, as it has nearly neutral buoyancy. These cylinders have an internal volume of approximately 11 litres (0.39 cu ft) and working pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch (210 bar). They are also sometimes used as manifolded twins for back mount, but in this application the diver needs more ballast weights than with most steel cylinders of equivalent capacity.
- Aluminum 40 is a popular cylinder for side-mount and sling mount bailout and decompression gas for moderate depths, as it is small diameter and nearly neutral buoyancy, which makes it relatively unobtrusive for this mounting style. Internal volume is approximately 5.5 litres (0.19 cu ft) and working pressure 3,000 pounds per square inch (210 bar)
Then there is the 7 litre 200 bar steel cylinder, that's hard to find. It's benefits include smaller size and a rounded bottom for dry caving. Somehow I feel you want AL80 or AL40.
- Messages
- 2,739
- Reaction score
- 769
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Don't get a pony. Learn proper gas management. Carry a stage bottle if you need more gas. Stay close to your good buddy for redundancy or use doubles or sidemount if you are solo.
i guess,if a pony is really a 40, it works,because it's big enough to actually do something but I always think of a pony as a silly little 6cu ft that most guys carry. That's not good for much of anything. I don't really think of a AL 40 as a pony, it's really almost a stage,isn't it? I guess bail-out is a good term.
Mt husband bought an AL19 years ago. Works great for cleaning the pool! Actually, it does get used quite a lot and I may even make it into a small O2 bottle.
i guess,if a pony is really a 40, it works,because it's big enough to actually do something but I always think of a pony as a silly little 6cu ft that most guys carry. That's not good for much of anything. I don't really think of a AL 40 as a pony, it's really almost a stage,isn't it? I guess bail-out is a good term.
Mt husband bought an AL19 years ago. Works great for cleaning the pool! Actually, it does get used quite a lot and I may even make it into a small O2 bottle.
If the new Sherwood Magnum has the same type of dry bleed system as their previous regulators it not a good stage bottle reg as it will flood the 1st stage if used in the normal manner of charged with valve off.
