Sling / Pony Thoughts on Use with BCD not BP

[Alex]

Hey guys,

I dive with a Zeagle Ranger and if I wanted to have a backup system in case of primary failure. Which route should I go?

I couldn't find any one vs other threads.

Or should I just dive doubles? Carrying extra weight doesn't bother me.

Thanks!

[Joshua Smith]

Alex- hold on to your hat, here we go again!

FWIW, if you want to meet up some time with your Ranger and try clipping one of my 40 cf stage bottles to it, send me a PM.

[Sounder]

[BillZ]

Hey Alex,
I dive a Zeagle Tech (almost the same as the ranger) and sling a 40cf pony for deeper dives. Once your in the water you hardly notice that the bottle is there.

One thing though.... The placement of the D rings on the bottom of my Tech wasn't right for clipping in the bottle so I ended up sewing a new ring onto the BC over my left hip.

[Alex]

Alex- hold on to your hat, here we go again!

FWIW, if you want to meet up some time with your Ranger and try clipping one of my 40 cf stage bottles to it, send me a PM.

lol what do you mean here we go again? I couldn't find any info directly comparing the two.

But yes I may take you up on that "clip on" offer.

[Ken G]

Alex- hold on to your hat, here we go again!

FWIW, if you want to meet up some time with your Ranger and try clipping one of my 40 cf stage bottles to it, send me a PM.

What do you mean here we go again? I couldn't find any info directly comparing the two.

But yes I may take you up on that "clip on" offer.

Some find the use of ponies controversial. They feel that your buddy should be there for you instead of relying on the pony.

[coachrenz]

Alex- hold on to your hat, here we go again!

FWIW, if you want to meet up some time with your Ranger and try clipping one of my 40 cf stage bottles to it, send me a PM.

I have wanted to try to sling my 40 cf AL bottle as well. I know I should be able to rig a sling for it, but, I just don't want to go out and buy all the stuff and DIM (Do It Myself). I would be willing to pay a reasonable amount for a nice sling for my bottle. I don't like the commercial slings. I would like a DIR style sling. Anyone want to make an extra buck and make me one? BTW, I dive a ScubaPro Knight Hawk, not sure how the bottle would sling on it.

I don't use mine all that much, but, am finding that having it attached "regular pony bottle style" to my 119 is a little much. It is doable, but, not as convenient as I think a slung bottle would be.

[Tom Nic]

I also dive a Zeagle Tech and sling a pony on every dive. It works great. I'm slinging a 30cf pony with my Zeagle in my avatar pic. Not sure about the placement of the rings on the Ranger.

I beleive it was a Dive Rite sling that I purchased from Tacoma Scuba. The rings are very adjustable and I clip it on the upper left ring of my tech and a lower ring that faces forward. Works fine. It might be a little nicer if the lower ring was a little further back, but it works very well with the stock ring. Before I purchased the manufactured sling I used a homemade one that fit the bill - although because I'm not a DIY guy it wasn't as good as it could be and I like both the manufactured ones that I've seen (Dive Rite & DSS) much better.

In any case the works very well, and will do nicely for the next several hundred dives till I wear it out enough to buy a BP&W :-)

I also purchased one of the (I beleive) DSS "travel" slings. Lightweight, sturdy, very adjustable, and will work with any bottle from a 19 to an 80.

[Alex]

Alex- hold on to your hat, here we go again!

FWIW, if you want to meet up some time with your Ranger and try clipping one of my 40 cf stage bottles to it, send me a PM.

What do you mean here we go again? I couldn't find any info directly comparing the two.

But yes I may take you up on that "clip on" offer.

Some find the use of ponies controversial. They feel that your buddy should be there for you instead of relying on the pony.

Oh - that makes sense I didn't want to give my dive buddy a self esteem complex.

[Tom Nic]

Some find the use of ponies controversial. They feel that your buddy should be there for you instead of relying on the pony.

If, and ONLY if, the use of a pony made you a careless, "same ocean same day" buddy, then diving a pony would be a problem. My first and primary backup gas is ALWAYS my buddy.

My pony is for me a "everything has gone to crap and I'm out of air and no buddy and I need to get back to the surface" kind of thing. It is simply a worse case, save my life, back-up parachute, nothing else. I do not use it to extend a dive, and don't think you'd find any folks who use one advocating that - I certainly don't. For me personally, I want that final bail out in my control, not someone else's.

Slinging the pony puts the bottle in my control. I can get to it easily and quickly, and I can run it charged and turned off or turned on - no "forgetting" to turn it on and makeing it therefore unavailable to me during a dive (as it might be if I carried it on my back). I have a dial style spg on a 6 inch hose that makes it easy to see how much gas is in the pony at all times. The button gauge is simply too small for my old eyes.

The way I use & rig my pony I've never had anyone give me any thoughts on how it could be a bad idea (that is not purely philosophical) - and I've asked.

I'll be happy to show you my set up if want to dive sometime - shoot me a PM, or be at TTN tomorrow at about 9 AM!

[Joshua Smith]

I dove with a 40 cf pony on every dive, when I dove a single tank. In my book, having 40 extra CF with a completely independant reg set up handy while I'm underwater just couldn't be a bad thing.....and you barely notice that it's there, once you get used to it. My only objection to pony bottles is when people get tiny ones, like 6 cf, "for emergencies." It's just not enough gas.

[Maverick]

Minimum 19cf, but just don't run out of air Alex No seriously sling in nicer than back mounted IMO, I have tried both. As Far as diving doubles Alex, why? Are you looking to get into Tech? Waste of money and such, if not interested in tech, plus you ranger although it says can be used with doubles really is not ideal at all. Stick with the Pony and a sling you will be happy. to dive double you really have to reconfigure you whole rig and have more regs and different hoses than you run with a single. The cost to switch to doubles is mucho more, but i love mine and have three sets and only dive double, every dive, except when i safety dive :occasion5:

[Tangfish]

I dove with a 40 cf pony on every dive, when I dove a single tank. In my book, having 40 extra CF with a completely independant reg set up handy while I'm underwater just couldn't be a bad thing.....and you barely notice that it's there, once you get used to it. My only objection to pony bottles is when people get tiny ones, like 6 cf, "for emergencies." It's just not enough gas.

I use a 40cu ft at depth and have a 6cu ft for the walk from the water to the car, "just in case".

I'm kidding, of course.

[camerone]

I use a 40cu ft at depth and have a 6cu ft for the walk from the water to the car, "just in case".

My backup plan involves running the rebreather on a pair of SpareAirs - one for dil and one for O2. Should be able to get at least 20 minutes from a set of 'em... I keep 'em stowed next to the machete that's strapped to my calf each dive just in case the sea monsters get me.

[LCF]

If you dive with a lot of different people and a lot of people who are new to you, carrying a pony probably makes a lot of sense. Slinging it has several advantages. You can hand it off to another diver if need be (and assuming they have some way to attach it to themselves). You can see the valve and the reg at all times, so you're unlikely to miss a freeflow or a major leak.

If you are diving with a pony, make sure you've calculated the size to permit a proper ascent from the depths you are planning to dive, and don't include the pony in your gas planning calculations.