Will Tank Mounted Pony Interfere With Wing?

[MattPSI]

I just bought a dry suit and plan to go from a vest style BCD to a backplate/wing. Currently I have a 13 cu ft pony for air travel that I mount to my tank. Should I anticipate issues with the pony interfering with the wing?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Hasn't happened to me. I dive in cold water with a Xdeep Zeos and typically a 19 cu ft pony bottle (when it was being hydro'ed, I used my 40 cu ft stage bottle in its place). HTH.

 

[drbill]

I can only speak for my rig. My BCD is an early model Scubapro X-Tek with a Hog 32 wing. The dual tank straps make mounting the pony a bit more difficult and I do have to place the pony a bit forward of the center of the tank, but otherwise no problem.

 

[tbone1004]

won't cause you any significant issues. Might see a slight lean to that side, but highly unlikely especially in a drysuit.

 

[Water Boy76]

I dove a Hollis HD200. It's a hybrid Jacket/Wing configuration but it is back inflate like a BP/W. I inflate the wing a lbit before I rig my pony and tank to make sure there's no interference.

FYI - The dual tank straps on a BP/W setup make mounting a pony on your tank more difficult. Getting the pony cam band on between two BC cam band straps on a rolling and pitching boat was never fun. That's one of the reason's I didn't get a BP/W and got the hybrid BCD instead. They do sell quick release's that would probably solve that problem.

 

[nimoh]

you could attach the pony bottle to your backplate much like an argon bottle is typically mounted. This would also make it a little easier to get to as you wouldn't have to reach around the wing.

 

[Dave616]

My first BC was a Ranger LTD and never had an issue mounting a 19 or a 30 to the cam bands (with the Zeagle pony attachment straps).

I now use a BPW and would just sling the pony.

 

[MattPSI]

Thanks for all of the great responses! I feel reassured that my current pony system with a cam band will still work with the BP/W. Also it sounds like I will have the new option of using the backplate as a mount. Maybe that will be more convenient than having three different cam bands on my tank. Also I may try slinging some day.

 

[divad]

I just bought a dry suit and plan to go from a vest style BCD to a backplate/wing. Currently I have a 13 cu ft pony for air travel that I mount to my tank. Should I anticipate issues with the pony interfering with the wing?

I'm trying to visualize how you can reach the pony valve unless it's upside down.

 

[Nemrod]

There is typically no need to reach the valve for an auxiliary bottle. The valve is turned on before the dive and off afterwards just as is the main system. When diving an auxiliary augmented single tank system if the aux system free flows or malfunctions the dive is over. No need to turn the valve on and off during the dive.

If the aux bottle is mounted at a slight angle above the wing by rotating the camband up it should not interfere. I do not use a tank mounted aux bottle but I have played around with them. The wing should be able to inflate sufficiently between the plate/divers body and aux bottle. N