- Messages
- 64
- Reaction score
- 2
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
As usual, interesting reading.
I monitor my air usage and know my limits. I've never had an OOA situation by my own doing...
However, once, when diving in Bali, Indonesia, my rental SPG read 55 bar and actually had - ZERO!!! - at 20m depth. I had to do a CESA, singing all the way to the surface [or was I swearing F***!!!!!!!!!!! - I can't remember].
The tank was a bit light in addition to the SPG failure.
I wish I'd had a SPARE AIR or a PONY - either would have been nice, with of course, the option of a 3 @ 5 safety stop had I been in possession of a larger pony.
Then I thought, I'll never use rental gear again. So I haven't. But what if...
Having been in that situation, training kicked in, but it was a wakeup call.
Traveling [meaning by air] makes owning a pony useless, as no airline will let you check in a pressurized tank. Which leaves the Spare Air. [Doesn't apply if your area is local...]
I travel around Japan, Asia and the Pacific for my diving.
Do I wish the SA was larger? Yes.
Do I recognize it might give me only 1.5-3 minutes at shallower depths rather than deeper depths? Yes.
Do I recognize it does not replace dive planning, monitoring one's SPG, knowing one's SAC rate, or good buddy diving? Yes.
Do I understand my resting - working - panic SAC rates will differ and I need to train with the SA in order to develop competency? Yes.
Finally, did I recently order one as a last resort, travel-friendly back-up for the worst case scenario, since the price was right and I made an informed decision? Yes.
I also have a liveaboard boat purchase planned and I think the SA will come in handy for hull cleaning and prop clearing, etc, but that is not necessarily a "dive" issue, except a lot of boat owners pay divers to do this cleaning/clearing....
Cheers
I monitor my air usage and know my limits. I've never had an OOA situation by my own doing...
However, once, when diving in Bali, Indonesia, my rental SPG read 55 bar and actually had - ZERO!!! - at 20m depth. I had to do a CESA, singing all the way to the surface [or was I swearing F***!!!!!!!!!!! - I can't remember].
The tank was a bit light in addition to the SPG failure.
I wish I'd had a SPARE AIR or a PONY - either would have been nice, with of course, the option of a 3 @ 5 safety stop had I been in possession of a larger pony.
Then I thought, I'll never use rental gear again. So I haven't. But what if...
Having been in that situation, training kicked in, but it was a wakeup call.
Traveling [meaning by air] makes owning a pony useless, as no airline will let you check in a pressurized tank. Which leaves the Spare Air. [Doesn't apply if your area is local...]
I travel around Japan, Asia and the Pacific for my diving.
Do I wish the SA was larger? Yes.
Do I recognize it might give me only 1.5-3 minutes at shallower depths rather than deeper depths? Yes.
Do I recognize it does not replace dive planning, monitoring one's SPG, knowing one's SAC rate, or good buddy diving? Yes.
Do I understand my resting - working - panic SAC rates will differ and I need to train with the SA in order to develop competency? Yes.
Finally, did I recently order one as a last resort, travel-friendly back-up for the worst case scenario, since the price was right and I made an informed decision? Yes.
I also have a liveaboard boat purchase planned and I think the SA will come in handy for hull cleaning and prop clearing, etc, but that is not necessarily a "dive" issue, except a lot of boat owners pay divers to do this cleaning/clearing....
Cheers