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+--- Thread: Pony bottle size (/showthread.php?tid=1268)
Pony bottle size - Raiderswim - 11-24-2006
What do you recommend for a pony bottle for recreational diving the Great Lakes wrecks (USS Wisconsin, Milwaukee Car Ferry, Transfer, etc). Spare Air is too small. 13cf? 30cf? 40cf? Keep in mind this is intended for emergency air from no deeper than 130ft, not as a stage bottle. What are your thoughts?
Re: Pony bottle size - dfreeman - 11-25-2006
For dives like this, I would skip the pony bottle and take a large capacity main tank and follow the rule of thirds. Such as a E8-130. At these depths you should have plenty of air if you avoid seriuos decompression conditions. If you are into serious decompression, take a stage bottle and doubles.
My thoughts, I am sure that others have different ideas.
Doug
Re: Pony bottle size - Raiderswim - 11-25-2006
Not into decompression/tech diving at all. I understand where your coming from with the larger tank. Suppose my buddy has an 80 and my reg has a freeflow at 100ft. Sure I have air in my 130, but its going fast. What type of redundant air source do you suggest?
Re: Pony bottle size - Chris H - 11-25-2006
I'm not sure I would do the wrecks you mentioned with just an 80. Don't get me wrong, I've done dives like that before, but I don't think I would again. Any of them are great dives to use an 80 as a bottom stage so you have back gas for reserve.
Re: Pony bottle size - matt t. - 11-25-2006
If you have no plans on going into "technical" diving, yet would still like to dive the wrecks in the deeper "recreational" depths, I would go with Dougs recommendation and start with a bigger cylinder. After choosing a size you feel comfortable with (calculate sac rate, time at depth, etc) I'd add an "H" valve for redundancy in case of free-flows at depth. This will give you an extra 1st and 2nd stage (like the pony), yet weighs less, is much less of a pain in the a** to rig up, figure out how to use, etc. Just my $.02.
Re: Pony bottle size - DiveCaptDean - 11-26-2006
A few of these guys started out non technical as well.....along with me..many of them also had the same issue as you.........before i went to doubles and or an H valve, i used first a 30cf aluminum....after time, and the knowledge that i wished to move to technical diving, i took it off my back and carried it sling style. just to get used to it......and then to twins with a sling.........many will argue that the correct way to do it is to follow technical dive style..forget the pony and get a large tank and an H vavle..or doubles.....in the beginning, i always had a problem with this as i always worried about the what if factor and was more comfortable with an extra bottle..........if you do as well....a 30 will be plenty for the diving you are doing....but i also agree that you should try to move towards a large cylinder and h valve or twins.......i do agree as previously mentioned.......an 80 is not large enough for diving big lake wrecks.....
g/l
Re: Pony bottle size - matt t. - 11-26-2006
If you DO go with the "pony". I would go with a 40 as they are easier to re-sell if you decide you don't want/need it, or decide to get into deco diving. They're kind of the standard for deco diving in this area.
Re: Pony bottle size - DiveCaptDean - 11-27-2006
a good point...40's are more standard as a deco tank..probably a better choice..but quite a bit larger
Re: Pony bottle size - matt t. - 11-27-2006
Same diameter as a 30, just a little taller.
Re: Pony bottle size - divingdeputy - 11-28-2006
Our team uses 30cf. We do not do tech dives and only use them as a back up air source. 30 seems to be an easy to handle size for us.