This forum is provided for the further edification of our club members seeking to improve their knowledge and diving skills. (recreational diving only)
Jeff Kruse wrote:Bob, I thought you were DIR trained? Slinging a AL40 full of air is not DIR and I am a little confused at how you could recommend that or a pony bottle??? A slung bottle is great to have but the gas in it is not readily accessible. You still need to turn the bottle on and deploy the hose. Solo diving is not DIR but lets put that aside for now. If you want to dive solo that's fine with me but I would recommend doing it with doubles. If your back is giving you trouble then you might want to consider twin HP80's. They don't weigh much more than an E8 130!
Having DIR training and "being DIR" are entirely different things. I prefer to understand the issues, practice the skills, and decide for myself which ones I feel best fit the way I choose to dive.
Besides ... whoever said I keep "air" in that slung bottle?
But you do bring up one good point ... when I started using my bottle, I spent several dives practicing deployment while diving as part of a buddy team before ever attempting it solo. I would recommend this to anyone ... if you're going to carry a redundant source of breathing gas, make sure that you practice deploying it in the presence of a dive buddy ... and make sure the practice deployments are part of the plan and that your buddy is watching while you're doing it ... till it becomes second nature. That way if anything goes wrong, you have a second source of redundancy until you can assure yourself that your first source can be deployed reliably.
Oh ... and who said anything about back trouble? When I choose to dive doubles, I use E8 119's ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Last edited by Grateful Diver on Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jeff Kruse wrote:The few people I know who have the quick draw bracket complain about the pins freezing solid (over time) and not being able to remove the bracket.
Do they take the unit apart and clean it? If so, how often?
Salt water will corrode just about anything over time ...
Jeff Kruse wrote:I don't know how well they rinse it. To solve the problem I think you would need to remove the pin after every dive.
I'll ask Dave D tonight. Dave, Gray, and I are diving the Mukilteo Oil dock for crab around 8pm, your welcome to join us.
Thanks, but I'm taking a deco day ... I'm diving Lake Washington tomorrow morning, and tonight I have to convert my doubles rig for fresh water diving. Since I don't have any ditchable weight that means replacing the 9# SS plate with a 2# AL plate.
"Oh ... and who said anything about back trouble? When I choose to dive doubles, I use E8 119's ... "
The back trouble was in reference to the original poster. Rob dives twin LP104's and I fill them with Trimix. I bitch and moan every time I have to take them in and out of the car. I use twin HP100's. I would swear my twins fully rigged up including Vweight and back plate weigh the same as his empty twins!
I was the one saying I had a tweaked back from carrying around some (puny) LP85s. I had a pair of E780s twinned up but I didn't like the trim characteristics at that point.
Bob, you've been in the water quite a bit this past week! I thought I was getting a good deal of dives in at 10, but I'm sure you're in need of more deco time than I am at this point
Jeff Kruse wrote:I don't know how well they rinse it. To solve the problem I think you would need to remove the pin after every dive.
I'll ask Dave D tonight. Dave, Gray, and I are diving the Mukilteo Oil dock for crab around 8pm, your welcome to join us.
I'll show you my pin tonight Jeff. You have to remove the pin after every dive to take the pony bottle off anyway and the solution to sticking is called silicone
I'll help you with this tonight. You thinking of getting a pony bottle?
Grateful Diver wrote:HP100's are a sweet tank ... I borrowed some when I was in Monterey a few weeks back, and really enjoyed diving them ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
I nearly went with some HP100s instead of the LP85s. I decided on the 85s because they have nearly as much air (when overfilled) are only a tad taller and cost a lot less. I figured I'd get better fills at places other than my LDS too. So far I like em, but I do have a lot of improvement to make trim-wise.
Thats my biggest compliant about the quik draw bracket. I use carmex on mine.. other than that is there a better removable bracket without a screwdriver?? Besides a sling bottle.
I was thinking about getting a small pony bottle and mounting it on my right side with a quick release system .
But here is my question
I am setting up my trans Pack and thinikng of useing the small D Rings on the back of the Trans Pack to suspend my Pony from
this would put the pony bottle infront of the wing and behind my right
side any one have any thoughts on this as a possabule postion for mounting a Ponny Bottle ?
thinking eather a 19 or maybe a 30 at the largets.
Sparky
A Smart Man
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
gcbryan wrote:I can't picture this. Are you talking about having a 30 cu ft tank swiming from the back of your BC?
no I was thinking that would be a good place to have the quick release mounted .
On the Trans Pack these rings run down the back of the BCD but would be just in frount of the wing
I had been thinking this would be a good place to mount the spare tank and still allow for feedom of movement
I belive these D rings are for mounting a wing to in some cases or maybe for a side Slung tank but I am not sure about the side slung tank.
Sparky
A Smart Man
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
Sparky,
If you are looking at a pony bottle why not just band up a couple of tanks and go with twins? Basically that is what you are doing with a pony. You still have 2 regs, 2 tanks...Just step up and get some HP100s ...
and if you decide you want the pony then go to twins, you will have bought another useless piece of gear...
Just my 02PSI
K
I can see what you're saying, however, there is a lot more to diving doubles than just "banding up a couple tanks and going with twins." A pony is less of a learning curve and certainly less expense. And, it can always be sold later on.
I started using a pony a few years back and found my gas consumption immediately decreased, even tho I've never had to use it.
I actually feel more stable with doubles than I did when I dove with a pony bottle. Yes, there is a learning curve as far as valve shutdowns, etc., but the tanks are equally spaced on your back AND you have true redundancy as well.
I haven't dove with a pony bottle in a couple of years, but I actually feel more stable in doubles than in my single tank, without a pony.
Zen Diver wrote:I started using a pony a few years back and found my gas consumption immediately decreased, even tho I've never had to use it.
-Valerie
I like this comment
I actually feel more stable with doubles than I did when I dove with a pony bottle.
I know I probably have some work to do w/ trim, etc. and I've never dived with a pony, but I recently remembered how much I like diving singles. To me, it's like driving a sportscar again after driving a truck around (the doubles). What usually takes two pushes from both fins to spin me around can be done with a swift kick with one leg when diving my single HP80.
Calvin Tang wrote:I know I probably have some work to do w/ trim, etc. and I've never dived with a pony, but I recently remembered how much I like diving singles. To me, it's like driving a sportscar again after driving a truck around (the doubles). What usually takes two pushes from both fins to spin me around can be done with a swift kick with one leg when diving my single HP80.
Just my .0018bar
Actually Calvin, you're trim's pretty darn good ... it's more likely your kicks that need some practice. Doubles force you optimize your technique if you want to go anywhere.
The best part of diving doubles is that once you've dived them for a while, picking up a singles rig feels awfully darn lightweight ...
I just have always liked diving twins...if I could've learned in them I would have...I dive the small HP80s and I REALLY like them...
I was never one for the school of the pony bottle...that is just the way I was taught.
Yes, it takes a bit to get used to. Yes, there are other issues/safety that you need to learn and make your dive buddy aware of...
But, what I truly believe is in not having to buy gear twice...meaning, think about where you want to be diving in 1-2 to 5 years...buy what you will need and for where you want to go...then there is no "reselling" at a loss nor needless gear hanging around...
Again, just my 02PSI...
K
I have always had a backup 13' pony and never had to use it (thank goodness). It's just comforting to know that if I need it, it's there for me. I heard one story that the diver would not be here today to tell the story if it hadn't been for the pony tank. There's really no extra weight involved cause you're taking off a few pounds from your weight system. It's kind of pricey but to my husband and I, definitely worth it.
Slinging a AL40 full of air is not DIR and I am a little confused at how you could recommend that or a pony bottle??? A slung bottle is great to have but the gas in it is not readily accessible. You still need to turn the bottle on and deploy the hose. Solo diving is not DIR but lets put that aside for now. If you want to dive solo that's fine with me but I would recommend doing it with doubles. If your back is giving you trouble then you might want to consider twin HP80's. They don't weigh much more than an E8 130!
:occasion5:
