I can't for figure out why anyone would or could run out of air.  You need
gas to breath, WATCH YOUR FRECKIN' GAUGES.    The pony is there for
equipment failure or a buddy that you will never dive with again because
they ran out of gas.  I dive in cold water that is prone to making regs
freeflow.  I am told that a freeflow is like having a jackhammer go off in
your mouth.  With this prospect in mind I drag that little tank along.  This
is heresay as it has never happened to me.

BTW I have run out of air on a commercial job.  The tender wasn't watching
the gauges.  I kicked his butt for a week, making me switch to my bailout.

Randy Sullivan
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont
sulteck@ic*.ne*
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
To: Paul Braunbehrens <Bakalite@ba*.co*>; Tech Diver
<techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Date: Saturday, January 24, 1998 6:35 PM
Subject: Re:Pony Bottles


>Paul-
>
>Hey, if you need the warm & fuzzies of a pony, buy all means use one. I
>think that if you really want serious backup you use doubles or a H/Y
>valve.
>
>The question I have is what scenario would you need a pony? Run out of
>air? What happened to your discipline there? Gear failure? How often does
>this happen, enough to drag a pony everywhere you go? I don't think so.
>
>And I have not heard of anyone killed by missing a "safety stop". Unless
>this "safety stop" thing really means "I'm in deco." Discipline? Buddy
>running out of air or "stuck in a crevasse"? Use rule #1, don't dive with
>strokes.
>
>    pony = placebo
>
>Now why would you *not* use one? One more piece of unnecessary gear
>cluttering you up, getting in your way, snagging on stuff, giving
>unneeded task loading, ruining or degrading your dive experience.
>
>  Jim
>
>
>On 1/24/98 12:55 PM Paul Braunbehrens wrote:
>
>>Jim, thanks for your comments.  I don't understand why you think that a
>>pony is a bad idea.  Your points seem to be that
>>
>>1) You don't trust your pony.
>>
>>Simple, just use it every now and again.  After your last dive, make a
>>shallow dive for a few minutes and use the pony.  That way you know it
>>works.
>>
>>2) You think it's "tempting" to use it as part of your air supply.
>>
>>That one is even easier to overcome...just don't use it.  That's just
>>discipline, no big deal.
>>
>>3) A pony is like a spair air.
>>
>>I don't think so. A pony would give you time to actually make a safe
ascent
>>and a stop at 15 for 3, also, it would allow you to hand it off to someone
>>in an emergency, or in a situation where you can't "get in" because
someone
>>is stuck in a crevasse or something.
>>
>>I'm still interested in opinions as to why one should or shouldn't use
one,
>>I haven't decided yet.
>>
>>Jim Cobb wrote:
>>~
>>>IMHO, It might be described as an "inadequate solution". I started to my
>>>solo diving career for the same reasons you describe and I just did not
>>>trust my pony. If you are relying on it for your life, you get a little
>>>paranoid on checking it to make sure it will work when you need it.
>>>
>>>I could not take it any longer an went doubles, which is the hot setup.
>>>But when using rental single 80's, your best defence is to not go into
>>>decompression or put yourself in any situation where using a single 80 is
>>>a bad idea. This is what solo diving is all about, understanding
>>>limitations.
>>>
>>>The temptation to use a pony to put yourself in bad situation is hard to
>>>resist. "Man, just a little longer and I can get this lobster. Shit, I'm
>>>at turn pressure. Ah, well I've got that 'ol pony back there, I need to
>>>change the air in it, anyway. Oh, oh, getting into decom, shoot that 30
>>>lasts an hour at the hangbar." etc etc. I've done the slippery slope and
>>>seen many other divers come up the ladder with the pony reg in their
>>>mouths. And it ain't deco gas.
>>>
>>>A pony is a placebo at best, just like a spair air.
>>>
>>>   Jim
>>>
>>>On 1/23/98 3:45 PM Paul Braunbehrens wrote:
>>>
>>>>Very interesting post, but I have a few questions. You keep counting the
>>>>Pony as "part of your gas supply".  I think in this case, it is not
>>>>considered like that really.  It is considered more as an emergency
supply
>>>>which allows you to get back to the surface safely.
>>>>
>>>>Let me back up a little.  The reason I have considered getting a pony is
>>>>because I do end up doing a lot of solo diving, mostly because of Rule
#1.
>>>>I rarely go below 90fsw, but it does happen.  I am a little concerned
that
>>>>if I should experience a complete failure of my air supply at that depth
>>>>and on an exhale, I might have a problem.  Also, I like to make a 15
foot 3
>>>>min stop on the way up.  The dives I do are often from tanks that the
boat
>>>>supplies, and I am never very far from the boat.  My safe haven really
is
>>>>the surface, in case of any problem, but I don't want to have to shoot
up
>>>>to it like a bat out of hell from 110 feet with no stop.
>>>>
>>>>In this case do you think a Pony is an adequate solution?
>>>
>>>
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Learn About Trimix At http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html
>>
>>
>>Paul Braunbehrens mailto:Bakalite@ba*.co*
>>http://www.daw-mac.com Mailing list for digital audio on the mac
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Learn About Trimix At http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html
>
>
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