Pony Cylinder Mounting

[ajh70]

Looking for some help / advice: Just started using a pony and have tried it mounted beside my main but find this knocks me off balance in the water. I prefer to side sling it but am looking for advice on how to mount it: ie which set of slings to use? The set up i tried belonged to a friend and was a some what "personal" set up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Aaron:confused:

[SteW]

Did you try altering the distribution of your weights to compensate when you mounted it beside your main cylinder?

Can't help with the sling bit, sorry.

[Kelvin Rutt]

I was given some adive when I started with a pony which was to mount the pony cylinder as close in to the backplate/BCD as possible. I did this and never had any problems with balance.

As already said, if that doesn't work, try a small weight stapped to the other side of the main cyl using a cam band.

[Gareth]

Kelvin

I always attach Ponies to to my main set, irrespective of kit. i.e. be it a single 12, twin 10's or 12's or CCR.
I always invert the pony, so that I can isolate it.

When the cylinders get up to 7l, I then change to side slinging.

I have noticed on the forum that some seem to side sling all cylinders including 3l.
There is an advantage to a side sling in that you can remove the cylinder & hand it up prior to exiting the water. But againist this is the general clutter & inconvenience of a side slung cylinder.

The weight of a full 3l with regulator is less than 4kg, so I don't see the problem with carrying it, & have never felt off balance. But maybe that's me.

Which ever combination you use ensure that you are comfortable with it & practice using it.

With regard to slinging kit. I would suggest ideally talking to a ERD Qualified diver (some one used to regularly using & carrying side slung cylinders) preferraly an instructor. He should be able to show you how to make & adjust the clips, rings etc to make your own. Alternatively Dive Rite have an off the shelf kit.
Theoretically your LDS should also be able to sort you out, although if they don't cater for the technical end of the market the advice may not be the best! It's always better to find some one that has practical experience!

(A Nitrox Instructor should have the knowledge & experience to sort this out for you)

Gareth

[Kelvin Rutt]

Hi Gareth,
Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression but I was also referring to the pony being mounted on the main cylinder (not side slung).

When attaching a pony to the main cyl, most people tend to have the pony "sticking out" at right angles throwing them off balance. By pushing the pony closer in to the back/backplate, it considerably eases the balance issues.

Cheers,
Kelvin

[PeteM]

The weight of a full 3l with regulator is less than 4kg, so I don't see the problem with carrying it, & have never felt off balance. But maybe that's me.

That is out of the water, in the water it has over 3Kg up thrust so will only weigh 1Kg

[Gareth]

Quite right Pete

The two moans I normally here is it's two heavy to carry or climb the ladder with (i.e. the 4kg).

The other is that it effects my in water balance (as you say +1kg) I don't see it my self.

The last person who said this to me swapped to twin 10's - which as far as I can see is heavier to climb the ladder with than the 12 + 3???

Then who am I to comment using twin 12's when OC.

Gareth :)

[PeteM]

The last person who said this to me swapped to twin 10's - which as far as I can see is heavier to climb the ladder with than the 12 + 3???


I understand this, I used to dive 15+3 as did my wife. We swapped to twin 12s and twin 10s respectively. We both found it easier to climb ladders because the centre of mass is closer to your centre, it is balanced (4kg off balance is noticeable) and a BP/Wing holds the whole lot in more stable way. Plus for my wife it actually was lighter although not by a lot

Mind you most of the boats I use now have lifts :D

[Janos]

Missus Janos, is not-at-all-techie and last year started side slinging a 3l ali. She aboslutely loves it as it's well out of the way and she doesn't know it's there. Being ali it doesn't throw her off balance.

There's a video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFPzTD6EkWE

Also have a look at this thread:

http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6547

Where we've discussed this issue before.

Janos

[de8n22]

I have aquired a pony to use for m bail out. I have done a couple of dives using it and dot find I a problem being back mounted to my cylinder. I do however find having another reg to stow a little aqward. I bungied it under the chin. I have my regs set with octo from left over front of chest to right d ring so this is now getting cluttered. I have read about side slinging a pony. The idea I like as it can raspy be removed to pass back into boat ect. I have found the site that shows how to make to sling and seems easy enough. I just wander how it ataches to BCD. I have one stainless d ring on shoulder strap and nylon 1 on bottom o jacket. Is this were the cylinder get fastened?? Also with side slung do you have to counter balance the same as you do back mounted??? Any assistance appreciated. Thanks in advance:)

[northern_diver]

I used to find side sling my pony (3litre) that i didnt have to counter balance the rig, if i front/slide slung it ranther than back mount. I used to just clip it to my shoulder d-rings and go for it, but then tried clipping at a lower point on my jacket (under a pocket on the BCD) and to the opposite side should d-ring. I used steel rings+jubilee clips and snap gate/p-clips rather than a sling though.

I back mount it as much as anything now though. And when i can be bothered take the weight out of my harness and place on the opposide (left for me ) to the pony to balance it up....though its not dive critical and to be honest, sometimes i just dive 1kg over weighted...<smited by a higher power in a lightening bolt stylee>

Got a 7 Litre side sling now for deeper stuff/accelerated deco, will likely have that on a sling (as heavier) attached to me on a low waist sort of area d-ring and the same side shoulder mounted d-ring-so it sits under the arm basically...but havent actually dont this as yet, so will set it up and play in the pool and such till i find something that works safely and for me.

Experiment and see how it goes, making you own rigs is a canny idea, certainly better than paying for them...as long as you can sew at least vaguely ok;) :rolleyes: :)

Saw a nice system that im copying that was basically just two cam bands connected by a handle with 2 clips...easy and could be moved quickly and easily between different set ups.

HTH

John