Pony Bottles the ultimate alternative air source.Pony Bottles are one of a number of alternate air sources available to divers, but the safest choice by far is the pony bottle. Disadvantages of Pony BottlesThe major disadvantage to pony bottles is that they’re large and bulky (not to mention a bit pricey).Those disadvantages alone make pony bottles a bit of overkill for the average open water diver. If you think about it, you have all of the safety of a pony bottle in your buddy. Your buddy’s regulator makes for a redundant reg should yours fail and your buddy’s tank holds a redundant air supply should yours run out. And the best part is, you don’t have to strap your buddy to your tank and haul him around during your dive! But if the average open water diver doesn’t really need a pony bottle, who does? Do I need a Pony Bottle?
Well, solo divers for one. I know, you were told in your dive class that diving alone is a cardinal sin that’s sure to leave you lost at sea never to be heard from again.The closely guarded truth, however, is that many experienced divers will dive alone. How do these mavericks live through this forbidden experience? First of all they’ve done so many dives that they could do it in their sleep. This isn’t someone who just passed their advanced class and is ready to go solo on their twentieth dive. This is someone who’s logged literally hundreds of dives in a variety of different conditions. For these elite divers, their gear is an extension of their bodies. These elite divers also know how to prepare for the worst. When you’re alone in the ocean, it’s vital that your regulator and air supply are in working order. If anything fails, there’s no one there to bail you out. In a situation like this you must have a completely redundant air supply and regulator. So for solo divers, a pony bottle is a necessity. Another diver that can benefit from a pony bottle is a deep diver. When I say deep diver, I’m talking about a diver who consistently dives between 100 and 130 feet or 30 to 40 meters. Even though these divers will have buddies with them, at that depth you can’t rely on your buddy if your air runs out. Think about it. Both of you have been diving at the same depth for the same length of time. If one of you runs out of air, then it’s a good bet the other one’s pretty dang low too. At 100+ feet or 30+ meters, chances are there won’t be enough air left to get you both to the surface safely. So what do you do? The answer is to strap on a pony bottle. A 15 cubic foot pony bottle should have plenty of air to get you to the surface safely. Of course there are other reasons to carry pony bottles, but these are the two situations you’re most likely to encounter. Diving is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable sports there is, but it can also be very dangerous. In the world of scuba diving, safety is all about knowledge and redundancy. When it comes to redundant air supplies, nothing beats pony bottles. Have a look here for more information on alternate air sources. Return to Underwater Diving Equipment Home Page.
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