What's your pony bottle configuration?

[halocline]

Define fails....

Okay, so you didn't answer that question, but I take it from your response that it is standard procedure to carry a back up chute. Is that correct? I also assume there's some sort of certifying course for sky diving, is that right? In that course are you taught to carry a back up chute?

To provide the obvious answer to my own question, if you jump out of a plane, and you have no functioning parachute, you will almost certainly die. If we can't agree on that, then I don't see any reason to continue. Do we agree on that?

 

[DevonDiver]

Thanks. I think you got the gist of my query. I didn't mean to start this off on a tangent. I get somewhat amused how some folks feel that others have to justify their choices for a personal decision.

I think that 'justification' can be useful in a debate, it gives an educational value to our posts. However, if someone isn't involved in a 'debate' (proving or disproving a certain point of view), then they don't have to justify anything.

I wonder how many drowned divers, whether through poor planning, inadequate training, diving beyond their training, or whatever; wished they had a pony slung?

I know of at least one. He had a back-mounted pony..and descended with the pony reg in his mouth...sucked the pony down and then failed to reach the surface. It's a lot hard to confuse regs if (1) you use a different style reg for the pony or (2) your pony is slung.

Other than that... I'd suspect that any diver who drowned due to OOA would wish they had a redundant air source in their final few seconds...

 

[Dr Wu]

I know of at least one. He had a back-mounted pony..and descended with the pony reg in his mouth...sucked the pony down and then failed to reach the surface.

Tragic.

And something often stated as "impossible" on this board.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

You are lost, alone, slightly stressed and at 100fsw on a 30cft. tank.

What would you do from that point?

Um,....... look for the acent line for a minute or so and perform a slow controlled ascent up the line if I found it or an open water ascent with an SMB if I did not.


Is this some sort of trick question. :

 

[lsorenson]

Define "fails"*

*hint: There are lots of ways a regulator can fail.

Ok, I will play...

Scenario, I am at 120' with a buddy enjoying a quick dive before lunch just off the coast of NC... Viz is brilliant and must be pushing 80-90' and the current is comfortable at just under a knot.. Both diving with bp/w (30lb) hp100, Jet fins, SR1, wisdom computer, 5mm wet with 10lbs of lead... Oh, Atomic mask with just a hint of fog in the upper right hand corner and a slate... We have checked our gas and have plenty to run another 10 minutes

The dive is going well and were about 20 minutes wet... seeing lots of marine life and a bit caught off guard when a Bull Shark casually swims by! Casual for the Bull, maybe but definitely not so casual for us as the Bull starts to circle us... This Bull has our undivided attention as we seem to be his focal point for the moment... This dude has some length @ 16' and he seems to be eying us with that empty stare that a shark has...

My buddy is just behind me checking out our rear and below as I try and keep an eye towards the front and above... Were feeling pretty safe and believe we can begin our accent in a few moments as long as the Bull makes no threatening moves...

All of a sudden the Bull bolts off as though he found a better tidbit to nibble on...

My buddy grabs the slate and writes "Dude... Can you believe that...!!!"

Laughing to myself I take the slat to reply but I catch something in my peripheral... and like a fricken Mack Truck, a Great White nails my buddy and inhales that dude, tank and all... The only thing left was one of the Jets drifting to the sea floor...

Now here I am all alone except for the company of a 19', 2 ton Great White who just ate my buddy...! I got nowhere to go and to be honest, I am quite nervous by now...

This bad SOB takes a run at me this time and if not for a bit of luck he would have had me as another snack but as luck would have it, I was just able to move quick enough to where he missed me but... That shark grabbed my BP and bit through the straps that held it to my back... Can you believe the luck??? Not a scratch... no bp either but no scratches...!

So now, the Great White has eaten my buddy, ripped my backpack along with my hp100 off my back and I am alone; no buddy, no tank, no air @ 120' below the surface... I still have my secondary but no mater how hard I try, I am not getting any air...

So I guess you could say my regulator "fails" to supply me with air!!!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I know of at least one. He had a back-mounted pony..and descended with the pony reg in his mouth...sucked the pony down and then failed to reach the surface. It's a lot hard to confuse regs if (1) you use a different style reg for the pony or (2) your pony is slung.
...

I don't know anyone personally who died from this but I have heard anecdotal evidence several times. This is why I think it is better to not to carry an octopus (from the main tank) as well as a primary tank second stage and also a pony bottle second stage. Three second stages seems to add to the confusion potential, increase the probablity of freeflow and provides very little "extra safety" (above 2 second stages.)

It would be easy to see how this could happen, the diver descend on the pny, breathes it down (thinking it is the primary) and then spits it out, gets confused and puts it back in thinking it is a different regulator and just freaks.

As I stated in an earlier post, a slung pony does have some advantages.

 

[Crush]

I think that 'justification' can be useful in a debate, it gives an educational value to our posts. However, if someone isn't involved in a 'debate' (proving or disproving a certain point of view), then they don't have to justify anything.

+1 to that.

 

[tc]

---

---

A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Thread closed, pending post deletions and thread bans.

If there is a poster you can't resist trading inappropriate comments with please consider putting them on ignore.

Edit- Opened back up, more posts removed. Some posters removed. If you feel a post violates the TOS please hit the report button, going after the perceived culprit in the thread just creates a bigger mess.

The OP asked a relatively simple question, if you are posting in this thread please address it or start your own thread if you want to address a different issue.

---

 

[manni-yunk]

With all due respect to both of you;

I think your both wrong with this... You both may have the best of intentions but IMHO, No one and I mean no one should jump out of a plane without a reserve as well as nobody will or should dive to 100' without a reserve be it buddy or pony...

I am not saying it does not happen but in either situation if or when a total malfunction does happen then the outcome will not be a positive one!!!

Again, just my opinion!

Agreed!!

 

[manni-yunk]

Ignoring the peanut gallery let's just say "fails" means "stops working without notice".

Myself, on a dive like you describe:

(Lets say buddy seperation, lost line, zero visibility and current. All at 100fsw.)

I would search for the line while using my still working regulator . If I did not find it I would probably blow a bag, tie it off to the wreck, and head up that.

Put yourself in the same situation.

Total loss of air from the primary regulator (what some people would consider "failure")

You are lost, alone, slightly stressed and at 100fsw on a 30cft. tank.

What would you do from that point?

Admitedly I was unclear in my question - what I meant and should have typed (but didnt) was that it was a First stage failure - so neither of your 2nd stages tied to your 1st will provide you with air.

Now how do you handle the situation?