How do you use a Pony bottle???

[Ladyvalea]

I see the ads on Scuba Toys...but I don't understand how you use them?
You attach it to your main tank.."upside down" ??

And if it is in the back of your BC with the tank, how do you reach for it, if you have short arms? Do you have to unscrew something? is it quick release? is the regulator on the pony bottle flopping around how do you secure it?

Is there any pictures of the set up on people?

I'm just thinkin to have something extra ...for peace of mind...like for ooa or equipment failure.. Thanks

[rainmaker]

My Pony bottle is attached to my BC with a stage strap. There's a photo of a stage strap at ScubaToys located here:

Scuba Diving Scuba Tanks .

Basically, there is a metal clip near the bottom of the Pony bottle, and another near the top (neck). The lower clip attaches to the metal D ring at the lower end of the BC (I mount mine on the right side), and the top clip attaches to the metal D ring at the upper portion of the BC. (Wish I could find a photo, this sounds more complicated that it actually is.)

At the base of the clip that is near the neck of the Pony bottle, there is a large, metal "O" ring (it is part of the clip). I fold the reg hose into a "U" shape, then force the hose through the "O" ring. This keeps the reg from dangling, and keeps it right in front of me when I'm underwater. Some folks use an octo holder instead, and mount it on the stage strap or the BC.

This is not the only way to attach a Pony bottle, just the way that I prefer.

[warscout2]

most people have the reg off of the pony tank in your "triangle" the same way you would have your "octopus". other people like cave divers will have the reg on a necklace

[Flatliner]

In a previous thread on this topic, many people said they use a pony that is "Slung" or carried on a strap like you might carry a purse or computer bag.

[Rileybri]

Granted I have now only dine 4 dives with a pony bottle and am far from an expert, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night! With that said, I used the Ultimate Pony Bracket and found it to be a very + connection and user friendly. I was able to easily swap it from tank to tank between dives under less than calm seas. The bottle was off to the right side and the valve was reachable with the tank facing upright. I had the Octo rigged as wit would have been had it been attached to my primarry first stage.

[Sansho]

My 19 cu. ft. pony is attached next to the main tank using a quick draw pony bracket Quick Draw Pony Bracket, Ultimate Products . I have an Oceanic CDX5 regulator with an Oceanic Alpha 8 octo, which attaches to my BCD. I also mounted an H2Odyssey pony gauge with a 20" hose, zip tied to the octo hose, so I can keep an eye on the available air.

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

I sling mine the same way rainmaker describes.

[Grin]

It depends on everything. To start with the discussion stating "pony bottle" means bail out bottle. Meaning it is full of the same gas that your main tank is full of. This is to be used for a emergency OOA situation. If it is a "deco bottle" it would typically be full of 100% oxygen, or something like that. That gas(100% oxygen) could (and probably would) kill you at depth if you breathed it. That is why you get so many hot debates from tech/cave divers about never back monting ponies. Those tech guys normally have accepted deco bottles slung, and it is no big deal for them. But the no deco, open water, recreational diver might not accept a slung bottle on ther hip as easily. Back mounting it basically gets it 100% out of your way and you don't know it's there at all. Very nice!

So mounting normal ponies full of regular gas in other ways, than slinging, are alot more open for legitimat possibilites. Slinging allows easy access to valves, easy pressure gauge reading, easy tangle managment, and it is obvious what regulator(what gas) your breathing off of (in case its a stage bottle and full of 100% oxygen) etc...
Those are all critical items when tech diving with deco mix in those tanks. Not so much for a bail out pony!
So that is why you see ponies mounted to main tanks on divers backs and it is perfectly accepatable. But you still have many items of major concern to manage, and you have to decide what level you will take it to.

Here are some considerations for a back mounted pony bottle:

Are you diving it with the valve on or off?
If diving with the valve open you have to be honest with your self, that you can be very disipline to make damn sure the valve is on/open before every dive and make damn sure it has not leaked down on a previous dive. If you dive it with the valve off, you obviously will have to be able to reach the valve and turn it on, if you need it. Diving it with the valve off, gives people the confidence that there is no way in hell that it could have leaked down. Mounted upsidedown makes reaching back and turning it on pretty easy, but you better practice it.

There are alot of things to decide for yourself when rigging a pony. Done right it is the ultimate backup. But it opens up a few possibilities that could kill you, if you don't treat it with the attention it deserves. A pony definatly creates alot of bad possibilites that don't exist without a pony. So you have to be careful adding a pony to your gear. Slinging removes almost all possible screwups, so many stick with that, and they are right. But for rec divers, with no deco, in semi shallow water slinging is a PIA and the thing will probably be left on the boat.

In the end a pony is only as safe as you make it.

What if:
1. You go for it and it's empty?
2. You somehow get mixed up and are breathing off the pony reg, thinking its your main tank reg? You run it out, and look at your pressure gauge reading plenty of pressure becuase your looking at the tank your not breathig off, unknowingly. Figure out how to avoid this one for sure, and a different color reg dosn't cut it for that one.
3. You go for it, and you think it's on, but someone turned it off for you on the boat between dives, thinking they were doing you a favor. And you can't reach the valve.
4. You turned it off thinking you turned it on before your dive.
5. You think your diving your pony in the off position, and you go to turn it on, and instead turn it off. Or any other similar situation you can think of like that.

Remember: When the day comes that you need your pony, you will have just exhaled your last breath, and possibly inhaled some water. You won't have time to troubleshoot or screw around. And if you panik, you are really screwed.

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

Originally Posted by Grin

It depends on everything. To start with the discussion stating "pony bottle" means bail out bottle. Meaning it is full of the same gas that your main tank is full of. This is to be used for a emergency OOA situation. If it is a "deco bottle" it would typically be full of 100% oxygen, or something like that. That gas(100% oxygen) could (and probably would) kill you at depth if you breathed it. That is why you get so many hot debates from tech/cave divers about never back monting ponies. Those tech guys normally have accepted deco bottles slung, and it is no big deal for them. But the no deco, open water, recreational diver might not accept a slung bottle on ther hip as easily. Back mounting it basically gets it 100% out of your way and you don't know it's there at all. Very nice!

So mounting normal ponies full of regular gas in other ways, than slinging, are alot more open for legitimat possibilites. Slinging allows easy access to valves, easy pressure gauge reading, easy tangle managment, and it is obvious what regulator(what gas) your breathing off of (in case its a stage bottle and full of 100% oxygen) etc...
Those are all critical items when tech diving with deco mix in those tanks. Not so much for a bail out pony!
So that is why you see ponies mounted to main tanks on divers backs and it is perfectly accepatable. But you still have many items of major concern to manage, and you have to decide what level you will take it to.

Here are some considerations for a back mounted pony bottle:

Are you diving it with the valve on or off?
If diving with the valve open you have to be honest with your self, that you can be very disipline to make damn sure the valve is on/open before every dive and make damn sure it has not leaked down on a previous dive. If you dive it with the valve off, you obviously will have to be able to reach the valve and turn it on, if you need it. Diving it with the valve off, gives people the confidence that there is no way in hell that it could have leaked down. Mounted upsidedown makes reaching back and turning it on pretty easy, but you better practice it.

There are alot of things to decide for yourself when rigging a pony. Done right it is the ultimate backup. But it opens up a few possibilities that could kill you, if you don't treat it with the attention it deserves. A pony definatly creates alot of bad possibilites that don't exist without a pony. So you have to be careful adding a pony to your gear. Slinging removes almost all possible screwups, so many stick with that, and they are right. But for rec divers, with no deco, in semi shallow water slinging is a PIA and the thing will probably be left on the boat.

In the end a pony is only as safe as you make it.

What if:
1. You go for it and it's empty?
2. You somehow get mixed up and are breathing off the pony reg, thinking its your main tank reg? You run it out, and look at your pressure gauge reading plenty of pressure becuase your looking at the tank your not breathig off, unknowingly. Figure out how to avoid this one for sure, and a different color reg dosn't cut it for that one.
3. You go for it, and you think it's on, but someone turned it off for you on the boat between dives, thinking they were doing you a favor. And you can't reach the valve.
4. You turned it off thinking you turned it on before your dive.
5. You think your diving your pony in the off position, and you go to turn it on, and instead turn it off. Or any other similar situation you can think of like that.

Remember: When the day comes that you need your pony, you will have just exhaled your last breath, and possibly inhaled some water. You won't have time to troubleshoot or screw around. And if you panik, you are really screwed.

One of the best pony-related posts I've ever read. In fact I know of someone who died this year off our coast because of number 2 above. He panicked, bolted for the surface, and embolized.

[Duckydiver]

I mount My 30cf pony to the side of my main cylender with a X bracket and a cam strap. I mount the reg on a bounge around my
neck. I think 30 cf is pushing the envelop with mounting like this. Had I a different BC like a bp/w I would sling it.