When to take DP?

[Tom_Ivan]

Do it now. You'll learn lots of good stuff

Pretty sure it can also be taken on a single tank with a Y or H valve?

 

[Rematix]

GF high or GF low?

 

[stepfen]

Fill that pony with a strong nitrox and actually put it to use.

I would be very careful with this approach.
A pony is (or should be) an alternative gas source for emergencies breathable AT ANY planned depth.
A stage (especially a strong nitrox as @broncobowsher suggests) usually is not breathable at the bottom.

Mixing these up eg during an emergency can be deadly....

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Can you do DP with a pony?

yes, but only in Tijuana.

 

[broncobowsher]

I would be very careful with this approach.
A pony is (or should be) an alternative gas source for emergencies breathable AT ANY planned depth.
A stage (especially a strong nitrox as @broncobowsher suggests) usually is not breathable at the bottom.

Mixing these up eg during an emergency can be deadly....

That was what I was getting at. Make the pony into a stage. Once you take the classes, it makes perfect sense.

If it is a little 13cf pony, probably won't be a good stage. But a 30 or 40 pony will convert perfectly into a stage.

 

[Marie13]

I’m curious about when I should consider taking DP…

I dive OC singles, and would be doing deeper dives on backgas for wrecks and walls. Also interested in cavern (not full cave) diving for fun.

I’m certified rescue thru SSI, and was riding the deco line for my final Deep specialty dive. Not interested in rec to tec, but enough training to do Euro style deco rec diving with a pony bottle.

You need to talk with the instructor(s) and see if they will do AN/DP class with you in a single tank with pony.

 

[bipolarbear]

When I did DP it was paired with AN (AN/DP) because we needed to do deco using 50%.
And no, singles weren’t allowed because valve drills on doubles was part of the course along with a dive to 150’ on air for at least 30 minutes to put us in deco which mandated doubles. We used a 40 cf slung with the 50%, but it was considered a deco bottle not a pony bottle just based on how it was used.

My AN/DP experience was identical.

 

[grassgreen]

Tulum Mexico sounds like a perfect place for you to learn .
As you said you re interested in caverns, also we have some amazing sinkholes for this type of deeper training.
Also Sidemount would be a great configuration to learn and use for Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures.
Please get in contact for further details.

 

[dylanfromwinnipeg]

I did my AN + DP a month ago in Tulum (in Sidemount). These are the instructor notes for the 10 training dives I did:

 

[chrisjur]

yes, but only in Tijuana.

FYI: Special cert card required for this.