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This is the best arguement I've ever seen for eliminating ALL redundancies, including your gas reserve. After-all its just a placebo anyway. You obviously don't need it if you have discipline and follow rule #1. Shaun Jim Cobb wrote: > > 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 > > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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